flat rate
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flat rate
A pricing model in which a customer pays a fixed package price for a service, usually telecommunications or media consumption, regardless of the actual duration or amount of use.
Mit meiner neuen Handy-Flatrate kann ich unbegrenzt telefonieren und surfen.
With my new mobile phone flat rate, I can make unlimited calls and surf the internet.
'Flatrate' is a loanword from English, made up of 'flat' (pauschal, flach: fixed-rate, flat) and 'rate' (Rate, Tarif: rate, tariff). So it literally means a 'Pauschaltarif' (flat-rate tariff), where the price always stays the same.
Viele Streaming-Dienste bieten eine monatliche Flatrate an.
Many streaming services offer a monthly flat rate.
The word is very often used in compound nouns to specify the type of service. Common examples are 'Internet-Flatrate' (internet flat rate), 'Handy-Flatrate' (mobile phone flat rate), or 'Allnet-Flatrate' (flat rate for all networks).
Ich suche einen Vertrag mit einer guten Internet-Flatrate.
I'm looking for a contract with a good internet flat rate.
Typical verbs used with 'Flatrate' are 'haben' (to have), 'buchen' (to book), or 'nutzen' (to use). It often appears in the combination 'eine Flatrate für etwas haben' (to have a flat rate for something).
Für mein Mobiltelefon habe ich eine Flatrate für Daten und Anrufe gebucht.
For my mobile phone, I booked a flat rate for data and calls.
subscription
'das Abo' and 'die Flatrate' can both mean that you pay regularly for a service. The difference is in the focus. An 'Abo' describes the regular agreement: for example, you get access to an app every month or receive a magazine. A 'Flatrate' mainly describes the price: you pay a fixed amount and can often use a service a lot or without limits. Learners may confuse the words because many 'Flatrates' also run as an 'Abo'. Practically speaking, 'Abo' emphasizes the contract, while 'Flatrate' emphasizes the fixed flat-rate price.
Für sein Handy hat Mehmet eine Flatrate, weil er jeden Tag lange telefoniert.
Mehmet has a flat rate for his mobile phone because he talks on the phone for a long time every day.
Bei der Arbeit nutzt du ein Abo für das Online-Wörterbuch.
At work, you use a subscription to the online dictionary.