A contract gives you more data for your money than prepaid, and with a Young plan the discount is big. Here's what you need and what to watch out for.
What you need
- ID: passport or ID card, plus your residence permit if you have one. The provider checks it, just like with prepaid.
- An address in Germany: usually the address you registered at (Anmeldung).
- A bank account: You pay by direct debit. An account in any SEPA country (EU, EEA, Switzerland and a few others) has to be accepted by law (Art. 9 SEPA Regulation). An account outside SEPA, for example in India, doesn't work for direct debit.
- Be 18 or older. Under 18 you need your parents' consent.
Cheapest Young contracts
GigaMobil Young XS
Vodafone Young
- Data
- 14 GBup to 300 Mbit/s
- Network
- Vodafone
- Term
- 24 months
- Age
- under 28
- Unlimited calls & texts in Germany
Average per month€14.99
Monthly fee €14.99
One-time fee €0.00
Details
Average over 24 months including one-time costs.
From month 25: €19.99 a month.
As stated by Vodafone, 9 October 2026, no guarantee.
1&1 All-Net-Flat Young S
1&1 Young
- Data
- 15 GBup to 300 Mbit/s
- Network
- 1&1
- Term
- 24 months
- Age
- under 29
- Unlimited calls & texts in Germany
Average per month€15.19
Monthly fee €14.99
One-time fee €19.90
Details
Average over 24 months including one-time costs.
As stated by 1&1, 9 October 2026, no guarantee.
Allnet Flat XS mit GB+ (Young)
congstar Young
- Data
- 30 GBup to 50 Mbit/s
- Network
- Telekom
- Term
- 24 months
- Age
- under 28
- Unlimited calls & texts in Germany
Average per month€15.63
Monthly fee €15.00
One-time fee €15.00
Details
Average over 24 months including one-time costs.
As stated by congstar, 9 October 2026, no guarantee.
O2 Mobile S
o2 Young
- Data
- 30 GBup to 300 Mbit/s
- Network
- Telefónica (o2)
- Term
- 24 months
- Age
- under 29
- Unlimited calls & texts in Germany
Average per month€16.66
Monthly fee €14.99
One-time fee €39.99
Details
Average over 24 months including one-time costs.
As stated by o2, 17 October 2026, no guarantee.
As stated by the providers, 17 October 2026, no guarantee. Providers' order pages are in German, your browser can translate them.
SCHUFA: the credit check
For a contract, the provider asks SCHUFA or another credit agency whether you can pay. New arrivals usually have no SCHUFA record yet. That's not a bad sign, but it can sometimes lead to a rejection. If that happens, start with prepaid and try again later.
Young plans: discount up to your late 20s
Telekom, Vodafone, o2, congstar, 1&1 and otelo all have Young plans. You get more data or a lower price than in the regular plan. They only depend on your age, so you don't need a student ID or a letter from your employer. The age limits:
| Provider | Young plans for |
|---|---|
| congstar | under 28 |
| Telekom | under 28 |
| Vodafone | under 28 |
| 1&1 | under 29 |
| o2 | under 29 |
| otelo | under 30 |
Tip: Check what the plan costs after the Young price ends. Some providers keep it until the end of the contract, others switch to the regular price at a certain age.
24 months or Flex?
Most contracts run for 24 months. Flex plans can be cancelled every month and often cost the same per month, but the one-time fee can be higher. If you only stay a semester or two, Flex is the safer choice. After the minimum term, a 24-month contract can also be cancelled every month.
Keep your number
If you switch from prepaid to a contract, you can take your German number with you. Your old provider may charge a small fee for this.