What a vehicle tracker really costs over five years
Two trackers with the same sticker price can differ by thousands of rupees over the time you own them. The difference is never in the box.
What you pay for, and when
A tracker has up to four costs. The device. Installation, if it needs wiring. A recurring plan, if it carries a SIM. And consumables - a battery, or a replacement when it fails.
A SIM-free tag has the first and, once a year or so, the last. That is the whole list: no installation because there is nothing to wire, and no plan because there is no network to pay for.
Doing the arithmetic yourself
Rather than quote figures that will be stale by the time you read them, here is the sum to do with whatever a seller tells you:
device + installation + (monthly plan × 60) + batteries over five years
Five years, because that is roughly how long people keep a vehicle. A plan that looks small monthly is the term that dominates the total, and it is the one most often left out of the comparison.
The cost nobody quotes
A subscription is also a way for the tracker to stop working. A failed card, an expired mandate, a plan cancelled while the car was in storage - each of these switches the device off silently. The first you learn of it is when you need it.
That is not an argument against SIM trackers, which do things a tag cannot. It is an argument for knowing which failure modes you are buying.
Where ZeroLoss sits
The ZeroLoss Tracker is ₹999, delivered free across India, with no subscription and no SIM. It runs on a replaceable CR2032 coin cell - a battery sold in every electronics shop - and carries a six-month warranty.
See the tracker for the full specification, or read how SIM-free tracking works if you have not yet decided which kind you want.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cheap GPS tracker worth it?
It depends what the price excludes. A cheap device with a compulsory plan is often the expensive option by year two. Compare the five-year total, not the sticker.
How long does a coin cell last?
A CR2032 in a Bluetooth tag typically runs about a year, depending on how often it is near phones and how cold it gets. Replacing it takes a minute and no tools.
Are there hidden costs with SIM-free trackers?
The battery, and nothing else. There is no account, no plan and no activation fee.
The ZeroLoss Tracker
Dual-network, SIM-free and ₹999 with no subscription. Visible to Apple Find My and Google Find Hub at once, so both crowds of phones can hear it.
See the tracker