Prepaid Phone Plans for 2015 - Comments Page 1

Straighttalk has a decent plan @45 month. We use PagePlus on Verizon network. It has several plans but the lowest $10 for 100 min and 4 months covers our emergency type calls and texts. Tracfone, Net10 can also fit in some lives. Often can get a free refurbished phone. Consumer Cellular has several levels of plans and the ability to raise or lower size of plan anytime to billing date.

Your interesting article talked about the various "talk + data" plans available in the US. I'm one of those people who carries a phone, but rarely uses it. Perhaps one or two short calls or texts per month. That's why I'm a happy user of Speak Out Wireless here in Canada. Their top-up vouchers have a 365-day expiry, and are as small as $25. That $25 can be used for calls (25 cents/min) or texts (10 cents to send, free to receive). Unused air-time can be carried over if you renew before the time expires. In all the years I've been a Speak Out user, I have never used more than $25 in a year. I know they are not making a lot of money off of customers like me, but Speak Out definitely is the perfect option for an "emergency" phone, and the best deal for Canadian low-usage customers. Do any US carriers offer similar inexpensive 365-day top-ups, for airtime/texts?

Have you looked at project FI from Google?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, just last week. See http://askbobrankin.com/project_fi_this_is_big.html

I haven't tried it, but there's a new offering that uses Sprint towers and wifi, and has pretty decent pricing. TextNow, once only an app for texting, now offers wireless calling on multiple platforms. They sell both new and refurb phones starting at $13.99, with a 1-year warranty on all phones. Plans start at $18.99 a month, taxes and fees included.

https://www.textnow.com/

Just bought a new tracfone 3 gig android and transferred 5,800 minutes and my yearly plan was extended one extra year to nov. of 2016. So I got 5,800 min. talk, text and data ! plus, the phone was $69.95 and I got it for $49.95....
I don't talk much and use the data mostly with wi-fi ....I am using the most minutes with text !
Tracfone is finally working for me and I am now getting some use and enjoyment from it !

Bob, I use a basic (not smart) telephone from LG, and use the pre-paid TracFone service. $20 for 3 months/60 minutes (doubles to 120 minutes because of my phone type) and the unused minutes roll over. I think I have text and internet but never use it. Basically it is a phone for last-minute grocery store requests from my wife, and any roadside emergency. I know the vast majority of people cannot exist without their thumb(s) on a keyboard, but I've got a cell phone for $7 a month - can't beat that!

I have used Net 10 for a number of years. The cost to me is $30.00 every 60 day, that buys 300 minutes of talk time not sure of text messages, I think 600. Unused minutes roll over with no maximum that I am aware of. I currently have 8,000 minutes so you can guess I don't use it much, also have web access but it to is seldom used. The way I see this, it costs me $15.00 a month and is a good deal for me or anyone who doesn't use the phone much.

You left out The New CRICKET WIRELESS.
The plans are inexpensive and the data plans included are very generous, and you can bring your own phone or buy one from them.
They are owned by AT&T and use their towers.
They also allow you to purchase additional data if you will be going over in that month.

I took advantage of a promotion that just ended
and am receiving Unlimited Talk & Text along with 20gbs of data each month for only $55.00 complete(Tax & additional fees included). No surprises. It's worked beautifully for me and my iphone 6plus for the last 3 months. In fact the 3rd month was free! This plan is still available, but the data is 10gbs. Still very generous.

Check out CRICKET WIRELESS.

A fourteen dollar LG cdmc flip phone and Tracfone minutes that I buy for a $100 dollars once a year gives me voice and text. I have a camera and a Chromebook for everything else that I do.
I guess I will stay in the twentieth century for a while longer

A fourteen dollar LG cdmc flip phone and Tracfone minutes that I buy for a $100 dollars once a year gives me voice and text. I have a camera and a Chromebook for everything else that I do.
I guess I will stay in the twentieth century for a while longer

I'm a member of AARP, and I get/see ads for their AARP endorsed cellular service; Consumer Cellular. How does it stack up value-wise with the other services? I use my cell mainly on weekends or traveling to coordinate activities with others. Is/are there any fair and unbiased sites that offer a comparison chart for all the various services? I currently use an ancient samsung flip-phone that's grandfathered into an otherwise obsolete rate at $20/quarterly for voice and text (used airtime is debited at 25cents/min, with non-expiring rollover), but I'm looking for a cheap plan that includes some data so I can tether my tablet to use with the Square transaction system for business.

I am one of those " crazy" Straight Talk users. Today I received the following message: "You now get more data! As a Bring Your Own Phone costumer, you will receive 5GB of high speed data starting on your next refill.". (That's $45. monthly, plus state sales tax, for unlimited talk and text, and that promised 5GB of data, over AT&T towers.) Yes, my wife and I are quite satisfied with their service.

I have Cricket PayGo and a basic,not smart,phone and don't have any complaints. What can you tell us about Cricket Wireless. They are strong here in the west but I never see anyone reviewing them. Everyone I know that uses them seems happy.

This is an informative article. I thought about getting a pre-paid plan, since I only use my smartphone to make the occasional phone call. However, my concern is, what happens if the major carriers, decide to deny access to their towers, if you are using a prepaid plan?

WE have used Tracfone for several years and it works great for us. We prefer our land line home phone, but the Tracfone is great when we are on the road or need to use a phone away from home.

Safelink Wireless has a federal program that provides free phones & minutes to senior citizens. Unused minutes roll over each month.
https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Enrollment/Safelink/en/NewPublic/terms_conditions.html

I use tracfone too. Can call USA, Canada, etc.
cheap and reliable

I use tracfone too. Can call USA, Canada, etc.
cheap and reliable

To Herb: I agree. I am doing the same, an LG phone and minimum minutes per month. Works out fine and if I need more min. I just buy more.

I've been very happy with Virgin's $35 plan. Unlimited Data (2.5GB at 3G/4G), Unlimited Text, and 300 minutes of Talk. I don't talk much, so it's perfect for me.
My wife has the other $35 Virgin plan that includes Unlimited Talk, Text, and Data. But that plan's data throttles down to slow after 250MB. Perfect for her because she mostly just uses the talk and text.