Prepaid Cell Phones

Save Money With a Prepaid Cell Phone?

Prepaid cell phones allow you to get a cell phone and pay for service without having to enter into a long service contract. Generally, it's a "pay as you go" arrangement, which requires no deposit or credit check. You can purchase a block of minutes, talk until they're used up, and then buy more minutes. For people who don't use a lot of minutes every month, or don't want to be locked into a long-term contract, a pre-paid cell phone can be a very good choice. About fifteen percent of cell phone users opt for a pre-paid plan, so if you're looking for a cheaper way to carry a cell phone for limited use, then consider using prepaid cell phones offered by Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile or Tracphone.

So how much does a pre-paid cell phone plan cost? Figure on paying $20 to $80 upfront for the phone itself, then about 10 cents a minute for talk time. Keep in mind, though, that while prepaid cell phone programs are offered by most of the major cellular phone companies, you generally have a limited selection of phones to choose from, the service range is more limited than regular cell phones and you may be subject to more usage limitations than a regular cell phone. Each carrier has different fees and billing options, so let's take a look at some of the pre-paid cell phone offerings from the major players...

Verizon Prepaid Cell Phones - INPulse

Verizon Wireless INPulse offers three different prepaid cell phone plans, Core, Plus and Power. These plans allow you to package the types of minutes that you use the most in order to get the best price. For example you can select whether you want to pay per minute or to get unlimited night minutes, weekend minutes or text messaging. You can also select an INPulse® plan that has the number of base minutes that makes sense for you.

Another perk that the INPulse® plans offer is that you only have to pay for the days that you actually use your phone. This means that if you only make or receive calls ten days out of the month, then you will only have to pay for the ten days that you actually used your phone. In addition to paying only for the days that you use your phone, you will also get unlimited INCalling, which is calls to other Verizon Wireless customers, and you get VZ Navigator and V Cast Music.

AT&T Prepaid Cell Phones - GoPhones

AT&T's prepaid cell phone program is called GoPhones. GoPhones offer you several ways to prepay your phone service. You can pay for your minutes by buying prepaid phone cards from a store, by adding minutes online or by adding minutes over the phone. The key benefits offered by GoPhone plans include the ability to earn bonus minutes, the ability to select unlimited nights and weekend minutes plans, the ability to add a Media Net package, unlimited minutes when you call other AT&T wireless members, rollover minutes and no extra charges for making domestic long distant calls.

T-Mobile Prepaid Cell Phones - Pay as You Go

The prepaid cell phone program offered by T-Mobile is simply referred to as their Pay as You Go Program. This program offers you the ability to prepay your plan on a monthly basis. You can select between several great packages. Each package will offer you a different collection of features that relate to weekend minutes, night minutes, myFave minutes and day minutes. The cheapest packages will have the fewest day time minutes and the fewest unlimited minutes. Family packages are also available.

Tracfone Prepaid Cell Phones

Tracfone was one of the first companies to offer prepaid cell phones. This company allows you to choose between several different brands of cell phones and it allows you to buy your minutes in the form of a prepaid phone card. These cards can be purchased in stores or they can be bought virtually online. The advantages of this prepaid cell phone option are that it is easy to find, easy to use and you don't have to have a credit card as you can pay cash for your prepaid cell phone cards. Tracfone uses the AT&T network, so coverage will be good in most parts of the US.

Pros and Cons of Prepaid Cell Phones

Prepaid cell phones are great if you don't use your cell phone that much. They simplify the process of owning and using a cell phone by allowing you to buy the phone that you want and prepay for minutes that you will be using during the upcoming weeks. You don't need to have a credit card, you don't have to sign a contract and you can cancel your relationship with the cell phone company at any time. It can be a good deal if you want to give a cell phone to a child or senior who will only need it on an occasional basis.

While these perks are great, the drawbacks of prepaid cell phones can quickly mount if you use your cell phone a lot during the month. If you use your prepaid cell phone a lot during a month you will have to frequently buy prepaid phone cards or frequently load your phone with more minutes. Also, since prepaid minutes are generally more expensive than contract cell phone minutes, you will rack up a larger monthly bill using your prepaid cell phone than if you had a contract cell phone plan that offers you unlimited minutes.

Selecting the Right Type of Cell Phone Plan

When shopping for a cell phone and cell phone service package you need to determine what is going to be better for the amount of time you spend on your cell phone. People who use their cell phones infrequently, or who just want a cell phone in case of an emergency, are generally better off using a prepaid cell phone, while people who spend a lot of time on their cell phones are better off signing up for a regular cell phone contract.

Here's my advice... talk to friends or neighbors in your area who have cell phones, and find out which carrier has the best signal and coverage in the locations where you plan to use the cell phone. It's not uncommon for phones from one carrier to work great in a certain location, while another carrier has a weak signal or none at all. Then use the links above to compare the pre-paid plans offered by the cellular companies that have good service in your area. Try a pre-paid cell phone for a month or two, and if you find you're using it more than you anticipated, upgrading to a service contract with a set monthly fee may make sense for you.

Do you have a pre-paid cellular phone? Post a comment and tell us about your experience...