Anyone know anything about pre-paid cell phones?

[Dan Mitchell]

I have a cell phone which is part of my wife's business cell plan. Now that we are splitting up, she plans to remove me from the plan. I use the phone only very rarely, but would like to have a cell for emergency use. Has anyone had any experience with "prepaid" cell phones? I'm assuming they're as the name implies, and you "prepay" for a specified period, but if anyone knows of things to look for & avoid with these, I'd appreciate hearing them.

TIA

Dan

[Cary Falk]

WE had one for our daughter before she wanted a "real phone"(her words). Unless things have changed you buy prepaid cards at Wal-mart, Best Buy, etc, and you have to enter the code on the back of the card into the phone. It is similar to an Itunes card. You do have to watch out because even you paid for the minutes, if you don't use them in 90 days they expire. I would keep a $10 card on the ready. I sorta remember if the card expires you have to reset up your account. Don't quote me on that.

[Michael Wetzel]

I got a Gophone for my parents. It was around $140, that included the phone and a $100 card. A $100 card is good for one year. Lesser cards are only good for 90 days or so. $100 a year is a steal compared to a normal plan...

[mickey cassiba]

My wife and I have been using them for three years now, with no major inconvenience. You do have to keep in mind though, that your balance decreases even when you make no calls.(at least on the V plan we have).
Mick

[Dan Mitchell]

My wife and I have been using them for three years now, with no major inconvenience. You do have to keep in mind though, that your balance decreases even when you make no calls.(at least on the V plan we have).
Mick

All sounds great, except for the "disappearing minutes" part. I wonder if there are any plans that DON'T have that "feature"?

Thanks for the replies,

Dan

[Pat Germain]

Another disadvantage to pre-paid phones is you're charged minutes no matter when you call. Whereas, a typical monthly plan has free weekend calling, for example.

[Scott Donley]

All sounds great, except for the "disappearing minutes" part. I wonder if there are any plans that DON'T have that "feature"?

Thanks for the replies,

DanATand T, if you renew befor the end of your current time they are carried over. You can also renew online.

[Kevin Groenke]

I use a Tracfone. I recently bought a 1 year card for $99, by using promo codes when I added the "airtime" (done on the phone or on the web) I got a total of 1080 minutes. You don't loose any minutes unless you let the phone "expire".

I only use the phone for occasional travel and 10-20 short calls a month so it works fine for me. Phone has text, camera, calendar, etc... capability. I cannot imagine paying $50/mo (minimum) for a monthly plan.

[scott spencer]

Dan - We've been using STi Mobile for about 4 years now with good success. It's been the least expensive prepaid plan I've found, and has a fairly straight forward deal. We just picked up our third for Christmas this year. The phone is currently about $37 with 200 (http://www.stimobile.com/s200-promo.html) free minutes. The plan is 8.9¢ per day (~ $3/mth), and additional minutes are 8.9¢ per minute and they don't expire, so is a good choice for people who don't make many calls.

Last year my wife picked up a Net10 phone that's around 10¢ per minute, but the minutes have an expiration, so they require regular renewal minutes to keep the plan active. It averages ~ $15 month for 150 minutes per month, which is their minimum. They have a promo (http://www.net10.com/new_customer.jsp) for $50, phone, 300 minutes/60 days, free activation. There are several options. She uses it everyday now, but keeps the calls short so it's been a good plan for her. I think the sound quality is better with Net10 than STi Mobile, but it's hard to know all the variables involved with that.

[Dennis McGarry]

Look at t-mobile FLEX PAY

You can get it w/o credit check, you also then pick a plan and have monthly mins just like a reg. account only no term, and you pre-pay the monthly service.

Gophones, tracphone etc, are all in my opinion a waste what you spend on the phone and mins ends up costing more then a deposit would cost you elsewhere. T-mobile has the best there buy the phone, sign up for flex pay and then you are done.



If you have bad credit, but want a regular service, goto sprint, the max deposit they charge for a line is 50.00 now, they re-did their credit model completly.

[Dave Lehnert]

I have used a Tracfone for a number of years now. I can say it is one thing I am 100% happy with. You never lose time unless you let the service expire. and there is no daily fee like some phones have.
You can buy cards at the store and enter in a series of numbers (like the old days) The best way is to buy your time on-line and they just send them to your phone. Nothing for you to enter on the phone.
I buy the one year card so my service cost me $100 a year.

I have told a number of people at work about the Tracfone. At first they think I am pulling their leg about the cost being so cheap. but after they sign up, they thank me and can't believe they were spending $35 a month.

* Now if you are a cell phone junkie who calls your friends every time you pass gas and talk for hours, then a pre paid phone would be more expensive. But if like me, I make calls to say "I'm going to be late" or "do you need anything from the store" it's perfect.

http://www.tracfone.com/

[Dennis McGarry]

Another to look at in your area is Cricket, they have unlimted plans around 35 bucks a month, talk text and data

[Dave Johnson29]

I have had a Tacfone since about 2004. Very happy with it as I do not use it much. The minutes never expire but they have two separate systems, minutes and service. If the service runs out then I think the minutes may go too but not sure. If the service expires you lose the phone number so I never let mine run low.

I buy the minutes and service time online as they have special deals all the time. You only need the phone serial number and the thing is updated immediately.

They use Verizon as a carrier so they have about the best coverage you can get. It is true they charge minutes for calls, but if you do not use the phone a lot, it is much, much cheaper than the plan systems. I use it about 30 minutes a month and it runs me less than 8-bucks a month all up. The cost of the phone was 10-bucks.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My wife and I only use a cell phone when traveling. So we got a Trac-phone. It works for us and costs about $100 per year.

[Jamie Buxton]

I use a cell from Virgin Mobile, on a pay-as-you-go arrangement. I just pay for the minutes I use. That's it. No rollover shell game or anything. No contract. They bill my credit card in $15 chunks. They gave me a basic phone for signing up. The per-minute rate is higher than other plans, but I use the phone perhaps 30 minutes a month, and this is by far the least expensive plan I could find. I generally spend $5-$10 per month on cellual. I also just like the simplicity of the deal.

[Tim Robert]

Another tracfone user here, as well as my wife. Search for tracfone promo codes and you get free minutes with each purchase. Get 90 days service (minimum) with each card and they accumulate.

[Dan Mitchell]

Thanks for all the great replies. Man this place is a wealth of information! Definitely going to start by checking out tracphone. Any of you trackers happen to know if they'll allow me to use my current phone a Motorola I like just fine?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dan,

IF not....Walmart sells the Tracphones and they are only about $15 IIRC...on a recent television ad.

[Greg Dykes]

I work as a boat captain in the oilfields of the Gulf of Mexico and have used numerous cell providers over the years for various reason. I have now been using Boost Mobile for the past 6 months and could not be happier.

49.99 a month for unlimited calling and text no matter where I am or where I am calling. Total eac h month is about $53.00 after taxes. No contract....Pay as you go......if you dont need to re-up for a awhile you can keep your number for up to 90 days......You can use a CC to pay over the phone or buy re-boost cards at numerous locations......Works off the old Nex-tel network. Has walkie-talkie that will allow you to talk to anyone who uses Nex-tel.

I started using Boost because even though I had "Unlimited" calling area, when out in the Gulf those rules did not apply. With this phone, no matter where you are, if you get a signal you can use it and there is no roaming or additional charges.

Bottom line is you pay one flat fee and use it all you want for 30 days. No credit checks or contracts.

You can buy the phones from Radio Shack and most Wal-Marts and I am sure there are a lot of other places but those are the places I have seen them. I bought my phone from Radio Shack and paid for one months services and the total out the door was approx. $117.00........

[Greg Dykes]

If you happen to have an old phone that was nextel compatiable you can use it and just purchase the sim card.

Keep in mind that Boost has several packages.....I use the unlimited....it is just that. Talk and text all you want during the month and there is no additional fees......with most of the Tracfone plans I think you are just buying minutes.....We used them on the boats a while back and have found Boost to be a better option. Good Luck!

[Rick Potter]

What about the service? Near larger population areas most phones are fine, but I have found Verizon to be great almost everywhere, especially in the middle of the country where others don't have the coverage.

Do the Trac phones and the like piggyback on a major network or what?

Rick Potter

[Curt Harms]

Thanks for all the great replies. Man this place is a wealth of information! Definitely going to start by checking out tracphone. Any of you trackers happen to know if they'll allow me to use my current phone a Motorola I like just fine?

check these guys out.: www.airvoicewireless.com (http://www.airvoicewireless.com). SWMBO & I both use them. We both have GSM phones. They offer CDMA coverage as well so it's possible a Verizon or Sprint phone will work, You'd have to inquire. Their rates & expiration policies are on their web page. The coverage on prepaid AT&T & Airvoice phones is not as good as monthly contract phones but as long as you're in populated areas you should be fine. There are coverage maps for GSM & CDMA on Airvoice's site as well. You can renew the minutes either directly with Airvoice or you can go to a Western Union agent and purchase time. The prepaid "vouchers" don't expire AFAIK so you could buy 4 $10 "vouchers" and be covered for the year if your use is light. There are a TON of places that offer Western Union prepaid services; drugstores, supermarkets etc. I bought my current phone on Ebay. I wanted a GSM phone that was unlocked so I can buy a prepaid SIM in another country and get a better rate than using a U.S. based carrier & pay (EXPENSIVE!!) roaming charges.

[Dave Johnson29]

if they'll allow me to use my current phone a Motorola

Nope, you will have to use a tracfone as it has their own SIM card and they do not sell the SIM cards separately.

Look in the Dollar stores I saw an LE flip phone (Family Dollar) the other day for 10-bucks.

[Mark Patoka]

I've had a T-Mobile prepaid for 2 years now. I bought the $100/1000 minutes card which is good for 1 year. At the end of 12 months I still had ~350 minutes left so I just bought the minimum $10 card which automatically extends all your unused minutes for another 12 months. Finally used those minutes up and bought another $100/1000 minutes when those ran out so good for 12 more months. My average cost ~$10/month.

Haven't had a problem with reception while traveling. I think the charges are 10 cents per voice minute and 5c per text sent and received. There is no monthly fee or "lost" minutes for non-use unless your unused minutes expire before adding on. You do get charged airtime for checking voicemail. I only use it for the occassional "I'm on my way" call. We use my wife's regular cell phone for all other lengthy and long-distance calls with the free airtime.

[Randal Stevenson]

I've had a T-Mobile prepaid for 2 years now. I bought the $100/1000 minutes card which is good for 1 year. At the end of 12 months I still had ~350 minutes left so I just bought the minimum $10 card which automatically extends all your unused minutes for another 12 months. Finally used those minutes up and bought another $100/1000 minutes when those ran out so good for 12 more months. My average cost ~$10/month.

Haven't had a problem with reception while traveling. I think the charges are 10 cents per voice minute and 5c per text sent and received. There is no monthly fee or "lost" minutes for non-use unless your unused minutes expire before adding on. You do get charged airtime for checking voicemail. I only use it for the occassional "I'm on my way" call. We use my wife's regular cell phone for all other lengthy and long-distance calls with the free airtime.


This is almost exactly what my father has had for experience. I was given one at one point (still sitting at home) due to when the free card/minutes was about to expire, I tried renewing it online and it didn't happen (was told later I missed a step). Part of the reason for the quote was the text received part. If you have kids who seem to only text, that could be problematic.

I would also strongly suggest checking the coverage maps. Two phones would be good in 90% of where I drive, but only one fell into the other 10%. (yet I still don't have a cell phone as it would be TOO easy for work to get a hold of me)

[Dave Lehnert]

You do have to use a TracFone for their service but they sell the phones cheap.

I get great service with my Tracfone. We were camping with a group once and I was the only phone with service. I also go to Amish country in northern Ohio and always have service. I do know they use other towers. They do not own their own. It can also very who tower they use.

If you buy a tracFone look for the phones that have the double minutes card "free" to save some extra cash.

Can't beat this deal with a stick. Phone, Car charger, Wall charger, hands free set and case for less than $10. & Double minuets:eek:.

http://www.walmart.com/Tracfone-Moto-W260-Bundled/ip/10714718

http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/61/69/60/00/0061696000873_215X215.jpg

[Dan Mitchell]

Wanted to let everyone who replied know I picked up a nice LG Tracfone at the local Walmart for $14.88 & activated it. My current cell is a Motorola of similar design (flip phone) which I think I paid aboiut $200 for around 5 years ago, and which did not come with a case, headset, & car charger, as this phone did. The LG also came with a feature which automatically doubles all minutes you add, for the life of the phone, so I can add 120 minutes for about $20, good for 90 days. I plan on dumping my land line & just using this, which should save me around $78/mo. I also set the number for the phone up with Google Voice, basically an online answering machine, which means I don't need to use the phone to check for (they send you an email) or to listen messages, further saving minutes. Google Voice also gives you a written transcript of your messages, but it didn't perform terrifically in a couple test calls. I believe you can also use the service to record conversations. And it's free.

Thanks for the input to all who replied.

Dan

[Brian Elfert]

Boost Mobile is great if you only use your phone along major highways and in major cities. Coverage in rural areas sucks.

Boost Mobile is owned by Sprint, but it uses the old Nextel network. My buddy has Nextel and on a trip along I80 from Des Moines to Reno he didn't have service for two thirds of the trip. The other 11 of us with other carriers had service 95% of the time.

[Alan Trout]

Boost just announced new handsets on the CDMA network which is the Sprint 3G network. One of the new phones is the Blackberry 8330 along with a couple of other Sanyo phones. 50 dollars a month unlimited talk, text, and web, and 60 dollars a month for the same with the Blackberry because you have to subscribe to the the BIS system for the Blackberry. All with no contract. This takes effect on the 13th of this month. This is by far the best network going for prepaid service.

I have been with sprint for 14 years and I am going to switch over by the end of this month Boost with the Blackberry.

Good Luck

Alan