Pro-rata billing is a common practice used by mobile phone service providers in the UK and around the world. It refers to the way that charges are calculated and billed for a customer's first month of service.

When a customer signs up for a mobile phone plan, the service provider typically bills them on a monthly basis. However, because the first month of service may not begin on the first day of the billing cycle, the service provider will usually calculate the charges for the first month on a pro-rata basis.

Pro-rata billing means that the customer is charged only for the portion of the month during which they had active service. For example, if a customer signs up for a plan on the 15th of the month, they will be charged for half a month of service, and their subsequent bills will be for a full month's service.

The exact calculation of pro-rata charges may vary depending on the service provider, but it typically involves dividing the monthly charge by the number of days in the billing cycle and then multiplying that amount by the number of days during which the customer had active service.
It's important for customers to understand pro-rata billing so that they can accurately anticipate the charges they will see on their first bill.

If you have any questions or concerns about your mobile phone bill, it's always a good idea to contact your service provider for clarification.

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Author: Martin West