Another Option: Prepaid Cell Phone Plans

Wed Jun 28, 2006 11:53PM EDT

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When I signed up for a new two-year cell phone contract with Verizon, we opted against a family plan and adding another phone for another $30 a month. It's not that we don't want the extra phone for our 13-year-old, who is starting to venture out more and could use a phone to call home for a ride, or in case of emergency. But we're not in a rush to add another $30 to our phone bill if the extra phone doesn't get daily use.

I'm checking out another option for our teen: Pre-paid cell phone plans. These plans, which basically require you to pay for minutes up front but do not demand you sign a one- or two-year contract, have gotten better lately. (For an overview, check out this Cnet guide.) But if you're not careful, you could end up paying more than you would with a family plan.

That's the way Verizon Wireless has its pre-paid plans configured—costing upwards of $30 to $70 a month, plus the cost of a phone. When you upgrade to a family plan when renewing a two-year contract you can count on getting a free phone.

But other major carriers offer pre-paid calling plans starting at lower fees:

T-Mobile ToGo: Offers plans starting at 10 cents a minute for prepaid totals, such as $10 for 30 minutes for 30 days and $25 for 130 minutes for 90 days.

Cingular GoPhone: Options include 10 cents a minute plus $1 access fee for every day you use the phone, and a 25-cents-per-minute plan with no access fees.

I'm up for trying one of these plans with no long-term commitment and see how much we use the extra phone. Has anyone tried a pre-paid plan for a teenager in your house, or for yourself? Let us know how it worked out.

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  • 6 Posted by bbbiemer on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    The Tmobile pre pay plan is the cheapest plan on earth if you don't use the phone 24/7! Pay for $100 worth of minutes, and as long as you buy $10 more minutes once every year, the minutes are good FOREVER!

  • 7 Posted by kyre352 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    I used Tracfone for a couple of years, and on the whole was pretty satisfied with it. The phone/airtime prices were reasonable and so was the payment scheme. The parts I didn't like: limited selection of phones (and limited features on those phones), their customer service, and having to add airtime every so often whether I'd used up my current minutes or not. Also, as you see if you look at a Tracfone coverage map, coverage is concentrated along urban areas and major highways. When my phone died (helpful hint: do not store phone in purse and pull it out by the antenna), I checked around to see what other prepaid plans were out there. Many had a daily usage fee, annoying refill requirements, limited phone selection, or a minute fee that was too high. Fortunately I found Alltel. They have three different prepaid plans, each of which is geared toward a different level of usage. I chose the one meant for least usage: 15 cents per minute all the time, with no refill requirements, except for the $20 initial balance. You can add money to your account any time you like, or let it sit at $0 without losing your number or your account. There is a small non-usage fee if you go 30 days without making a call; call home once a month and you're fine. Text messages, downloadable ringtones, or websurfing have extra fees on this plan, but the other prepaid plans include some or all of them in the regular price. Alltel has a good phone selection with their prepaid plans, too - I picked out an LG AX5000 that I love. There is an activation fee, unlike Tracfone, but the phone prices were only slightly more than Tracfone's when purchased with a new prepaid plan. IMO the better phone is well worth the difference in price. Also important: Alltel has a useful website, customer service agents located in the US, and brick-and-mortar stores for sales and service. I've had very good customer service experiences. With this prepaid plan, I have national coverage. It's not concentrated near cities or highways, either - the coverage map is almost entirely blue. The call quality is excellent. This sounds like an ad for Alltel, but I truly like it and am so glad I switched.

  • 8 Posted by thehillsgjck@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    My 10 yr. old daughter has a Tracfone prepaid and we both love it. She uses it for emergencies especially since she has to wait after school of us for pick up,so we feel comfortable knowing that she can reach us if needed. The cost varies from $19.99 month for 60 minutes to $99 for 250 minutes and service for a year. This may sound quite high, so we are also going to check out T-mobile which may have better plans. But at least we are not into a contract, and don't have a bill because you prepay.

  • 9 Posted by angelbunny@ameritech.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hi! My first cell phone was a prepaid phone years ago. I started with a monthly plan on a contract a few years ago. My husband doesn't carry a cell but he has my old prepaid phone in his truck for emergency use. I wanted him to have one for just that reason. We started both our kids out with prepaid phones when they started driving. It worked out quite well. It costs us $26.50 including tax every three months for my husbands cell. I could add him to my plan but since he doesn't use it often, it doesn't make sense to pay $20 a month. We have Cingular for both the plan and prepaid.

  • 10 Posted by gutierrez99@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    I HAVE SPRINT PHONE AND I PAY ABOUT 100DLS FOR FAMILY PLAN. BUT WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE PHONE THEY HAVE GPS .SO NOT ONLY CAN I CALL MY 12 YEAR OLD BUT I KNOW WHERE HE IS AT ALL TIME .

  • 12 Posted by seosugarrae on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    There are actually way more providers than just those three... Virgin mobile is also good... http://www.prepaidreviews.com has a good overview of tons of prepaid companies.

  • 13 Posted by crosbal on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    I had a tracfone when they first came out,I believe the phone was made by Ericssen(?sp.). I found that was useful to my needs at that time. Recently, I bought another Tracfone and found that once you were out of a service area, my phone automatically turned off...inconveniently I might add. I also don't like the fact that they charge you double units for being in a roaming area. It was impossible to be in a good service area as I watched my colleagues speak on their cell phones while I was unable to get a signal...go figure. If I buy another prepaid cell phone, it won't be a Tracfone.

  • 14 Posted by goldenboyblue on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:11PM EDT Report Abuse

    you should consider/mention net10.com - only 10 cents a minute plus tax

  • 16 Posted by kd40one on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    i have a virginmobile prepaid phone. it's only 10 cents a min/ after the first 20 min/ witch is a good deal they also have surveys you can do on there website to earn xtra minets at www.virginmobileusa.com/sugarmama but there are times when my min/ are down to about a dollar and some minets and the service wont let me use the last bit of my time. can anybody tell me why? kd40one@yahoo.com

  • 17 Posted by pico_1951 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:11PM EDT Report Abuse

    My wife and the son both have a prepaid T-MObile cell phone, they both (inspecially the wife} enjoy the no contract and do not miss the aggravations of checking on their minutes to check if they are over or near over their minutes and paying a hefty price for doing so. The son is thinking about the Metro Cell phone where one can talk all they want for $40.00 per month, At his age he is continuing getting phone calls (18 years of age) and hates to tell the person that he'll call them later from home.

  • 18 Posted by liebo@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    My kid has had Virgin Mobile for about two years. One of the reasons I didn't want to add a second line to my "real" plan, was to see if he could handle a phone responsibly. Of course, his phone was lost or stolen a few months later; Virgin was great about it. Although I did have to purchase another phone (they're cheap), they were able to transfer his phone number and unused minutes to the new phone. I would recommend this strategy to other parents.

  • 19 Posted by studavis2 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    Suggest trying www.consumercellular.com for a no commit plan that is very inexpensive. It uses the Cingular GSM network and seems to work most anyplace (including where Verizon doesen't.

  • 20 Posted by iluvmyjazzcat on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    Cingular has a pay as you go plan, it's prepaid but you get a certain ammount of minutes during the day and pretty much either 1000 night/weekend mins or unlimited mins based on the plan you get. I love the plan I'm on, I used to have a TRACFONE and hated everything about it once I started using it more and more because it cost money every time you dialed in or got calls on the tracfone, not the case with Cingular pay as you go. No contracts, no commitments the monthly fee is put on my credit card or taken out of my checking acct each month and I have nothing to worry about. If I run low on minutes, I can always buy more though I never need to based on my cell use. My only issue with Cingular is where I live I get a poor signal but I love everything else about Cingular.

  • 21 Posted by kyandkenna on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    I also have virgin mobile prepaid service. But i am on the month to month, pay as you go plan. its way better then per minute plans. I have my debit card directly charged just 29 dollars per month, and i get minutes like a regular cell phone plan. Also, if you go over the first 150 day, and 150 night and weekend ( i always do) its just 10 dollars charged to your debit/visa card. Its simple, and its cheap. also i get all the cool options like text, web, etc etc. chekc it out, virginmobileusa.com

  • 22 Posted by tabbiprice0209 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have a boost moble prepaid phone. I love it as I do not use the phone as much as other people do. so the $30 phone card can last for a month or so. Just refill your time when you are empty and it is great.

  • 23 Posted by wendicee45 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have Cricket now, after a large expensive bill from a carrier, who took it upon themselves to renew my contract without my knowledge or permission, and at a lower plan. I love Cricket, I pay a month in advance but I don't have to worry about minutes, long distance, or free time, it's a one price plan, that lets me use my phone whenever and as much as I want. I have all the features I had with the other carrier, but a smaller bill. I can call anywhere in the United States, and use my phone anywhere also. I have Caller ID, Voicemail, Call Waiting, Text messaging, Information(as many times as I or my coworkers or friends need to use it), and I can also use the internet on my phone all for one price. It's great, especially since all my friends live all over the United States. I don't have to worry if I call them at home during the day that I can't talk long, because of minutes. In fact I don't have a landline any longer, I just use my Cricket Phone. Coverage is not a problem. I don't get the dead spots, my sister and my daughter are always complaining about. I recommend Cricket highly,and no I don't work for them, I'm a mortgage broker, and I don't worry about giving my clients my cell phone number either.

  • 24 Posted by prb4850 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    i have the best thing going pay as you go been with t-mobile5years with no problem i do not talk everyday so check it out fromprb4850@yahoo.com

  • 25 Posted by bbswenso on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm searching for a new phone, both for Business and Personal use. Can anyone recommend a good program and cell phone? I now have Verizon, anything that beats their costs? Thanks! Bebop

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