Prepaid Wireless: In search of the ideal transaction
Traditional pre-service or pay as you go services allow people to buy their own phone at full retail price, and then put a certain amount of money to an account to be deducted based on the use. Some plans to offer a bucket of minutes for a set price, and some allow people to just put how much money they want in their prepaid phone accounts. These plans allow people to know exactly how much they spend each month, and if they run out of minutes or money to their accounts, they just added online, by phone or at retail locations.
These plans differ from the post-paid plans that offer buckets of minutes for a set price and then bill customers at the end of each month, and sometimes leads to extremely high phone bills, or the excess of expenditures for services that were never used.
Prepaid services have long been popular in Europe and other parts of the world, but in the United States these services, which traditionally serve only niche markets. But now, prepaid is gaining steam in the United States and consumers of all stripes looking for a good respect of contracts for services did not consider their return after the paid services, and will be prepaid.
The ideal candidate for prepaid services include people who rarely use their phones to call friends or family, if they are about, or who only own cell phone, because they believe that they may be required for emergencies. My 66-year-old, retired father’s fall into this category. Teens also are prime candidates for prepaid services, especially for specific plans for text messaging, such as Virgin Mobile Texter in Delight or the T-Mobile Sidekick in the plan. These plans are to offer loads of free and cheap texting per minute voice charges.
And now a new category of prepaid services, which have emerged are likely to appeal to the traditional post paid customers, who talk, text and mobile Internet access in a fair amount each month. Several carriers, including Virgin Mobile, to increase the Mobile, MetroPCS and Leap Wireless’ Cricket offer affordable unlimited plans that include voice calls, messages and unlimited Web surfing. And the beauty of these all you can eat plan is that customers are not obliged to accept the pesky one year or two year contract and pay for expensive risk of early termination fees.
Although there are many benefits to prepaid, there are also some disadvantages. Typically, these services do not offer the coolest, newest phone. Indeed, MetroPCS is the only operator offering prepaid plans to the smartphone, the BlackBerry Curve. And the fine print in these deals can choose the right plan with the best value is difficult.
There is a very good web sites that they can help consumers choose the best plan for them. The most comprehensive I have found is called the Prepaid Reviews that rate of prepaid options from 24 carriers. Consumers can browse through all the pros and cons of each operator, the tracks offered by the phones, write reviews, and read the assessment of several categories. In addition, there is a tool that allows people to compare up to three carriers at once.
But for those who are looking for a quick look at what you can, I chose some of the most popular plans - from the smaller providers to large carriers such as AT & T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile - to help readers find to begin a plan to better mostly corresponds to their needs.
Verizon InPulse
Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications in the country. She recently bought a regional operator Alltel, and the integration of these clients for their services. It offers a wide range of post-paid options. But recently it has updated its pre-options, which include the fees and how to pay for a day of options.
Who is it good for? Verizon InPulse in terms of what is good for consumers who use their phone occasionally, and not the text, and a lot of people who do not care about a cool, feature-rich phones. And, of course, he appealed to people who do not want to be tied to expensive service contract.
Pros: Large network coverage and reliable service.
Against: Only a small number of phones (not smartphones available); expensive compared to other plans, roaming charges apply in areas where Verizon Wireless does not, a $ 25 activation can be applied in some areas.
Pay as you go: Users are charged 25 cents per minute. Money can be added to the various allowances, but these allowances vary in terms of expiration. For example, a user can add $ 15 to $ 29.99, which will expire in 30 days. At the next level of $ 30 to $ 74.99, which will apply after 90. And $ 75 to $ 99.99 expires after 180 days. Anything over $ 100 will expire after one year. Text messages cost 20 cents to send and receive.
Payment on the day: the day the plans allow users to pay only for services only on the days they use your phone. And there are three levels of service. For $ 1 per day, customers can talk as they want other subscribers of Verizon Wireless, and calls on all the remaining numbers is 10 cents per minute. In addition, 10 cents for sending and receiving text messages. $ 2 per day plan offers unlimited calling to other Verizon subscribers, and unlimited calls on nights and weekends. Calls to non-Verizon subscribers in the rush hour is worth 5 cents per minute. And texting is 5 cents per message. $ 4 per day, the plan offers unlimited calling to anyone at any time. And text messages are only 1 cent for transmission and reception.
Multimedia and picture messages 25 cents in all plans.
Users also can add unlimited mobile web access (up to 5GB) for 1 dollar a day. And unlimited texting can be added for $ 20 per month and unlimited calls in the network can be added for $ 10 a month, and comes with 250 free text messages.
Roaming charges are 20 cents per minute.
You can get unlimited texting for $ 20 per month or $ 10 per month you get unlimited texting on a network, plus 250 additional messages to all.
Phone: Only a limited number of phones Verizon offered to InPulse service. And no smart phones available with this plan.
AT & T GoPhone
AT & T is the second largest mobile operator in the country overall. It offers several post-paid services and exclusive phones, such as Apple iPhone. He also offers to pay as-you-go, pay-per-day prepaid service and monthly options for all without any contract.
Who is it good for? AT & T GoPhone plans are good in certain cell phone and text messaging users. And it is also attractive to people who do not care about a cool, feature-rich phones, but who do not want a contract of service.
Pros: Great coverage of the network, reliable service, includes rollover minutes.
Against: a limited number of phones for the prepaid service is better than the value of Verizon, but expensive compared to other prepaid services.
Pay as you go: AT & T also offers its users the opportunity to put money into their account and pay 25 cents per minute.
Payment for the day: $ 3 per day, users can make unlimited calls to any domestic customer within 24 hours. And for $ 1 a day, they can make unlimited mobile to mobile calls. This is 10 cents per minute for all other subscribers in the United States
Text messages of these plans cost 20 cents to send and receive, but users can buy a package of messages. For example, for $ 5 a month, you can get 200 messages. For $ 10 a month users will receive $ 100 and $ 20 per month buys unlimited texting. Multimedia messages cost 25 cents, pop.
Users are charged $ 0.01 per kilobyte for the use of mobile Web.
Monthly plans: Users can choose a plan starting from $ 30 per month for 250 voice minutes. Calls are paid 15 cents after that. For $ 40 a month, the user may at any time to get 300 voice minutes, 500 nights and weekends, as well as unlimited calls to other AT & T subscribers. Overage charges 13 cents per minute. At $ 50 a month plan offers 400 anytime minutes, 3000 night and weekend minutes and unlimited mobile to mobile calls. Overage charges under this plan is worth about 12 cents per minute. And $ 70 a month includes 650 anytime minutes, unlimited nights and weekends and unlimited mobile to mobile calls. In a fee for exceeding the plan for almost 11 cents per minute. Unused minutes carried over to next month.
In texting, MMS, and data transmission speeds are the same for the monthly plans, since they are intended to cover in the order of the day and pay for the plans.
Phones: AT & T offers only a very limited number of phones for its prepaid service, which do not include any smartphones. But the carrier offers refurbished phones at big discounts.
Boost Mobile
Zoom Mobile belongs to Sprint Nextel, the nation the third-largest carrier, and he uses the Nextel iden network. It offers a pay as you go, pay for each day and a month unlimited plan.
Who is it good for? Zoom Mobile generally satisfied with the urban youth market. But its low cost and unlimited plan for a good selection of phones also make it a great buy for a typical post-paid mobile phone customers promising to ditch the contract.
Pluses: Phones offer many opportunities, the service suit almost anyone, walkie-talkie services.
Against: expensive phones that are not subsidized.
Pay as you go: Users can add as much money as they like, and to increase deducts 10 cents for every minute, regardless of the time. For $ 1 per day, users can gain access to the walkie-talkie service. For 35 cents a day, they can get access to WAP-Internet for one day. Texting costs 10 cents to send and receive messages, and it cost 25 cents to send and receive MMS messages.
Payment for the day: $ 1 per day, users have IM plan that offers unlimited voice minutes, from 9 pm to 7 am, and unlimited mobile to mobile minutes, which includes a call to Sprint Nextel customers. All other calls are 10 cents per minute. Unrestricted exchange of text messages is also included in the $ 1/day Chat plan. Multimedia messaging is 25 cents per message, but it is worth 35 cents a day to access the wireless network.
Monthly Unlimited Plan: Unlimited Plan increase is $ 50 per month and has unlimited voice minutes, unlimited text, unlimited MMS, unlimited walkie-talkie, as well as unlimited access to WAP-Internet all day every day.
Phone: Increase Mobile offers a wide range of phones that have many different opportunities. Many of the phones include cameras, video recorders, and / or MP3 music. Prices range from $ 30 to $ 180.
T-Mobile USA
T-Mobile USA belongs to Deutsche Telekom and is the fourth-largest mobile phone operator in the United States, he proposes to pay as-you-go, pay-per-day, monthly plans, as well as texting a special plan for Sidekick users.
Who is it good for? T-Mobile has three plans to meet the needs of many consumers. His pay as-you-go and pay for the day the plans are good for people who use their phones and text messages are sometimes rare. In FlexPay plan that is good for consumers who do not want the contract. And Sidekick plan is ideal for heavy texters, do not use a lot of phone calls, that is young.
Pros: Easy to use existing starter kits, roll over minutes, until the account is updated within 90 days.
Against: No mobile Web services.
Pay as you go: T-Mobile offers four tiers of recharge cards. For $ 10 a month, users get 30 minutes of conversation. For $ 25 they receive 130 minutes and $ 50 gas stations offer 400 minutes. A $ 100 refill, which offers 1000 minutes, enrolls customers in a gold awards program, which adds 15 percent more minutes for each future maps.
Payment for the day: $ 1 per day, users will get unlimited night minutes starting from 7 pm, and unlimited mobile to mobile minutes. All other calls are 10 cents per minute. $ 1 charge applies only when calls are made.
Monthly plan: T-Mobile in FlexPay plan allows users to select one of the T-Mobile the most popular post-paid tariff plans, but only the users pay for them on prepaid basis. They can choose either a contract or no contract. Customers who want a subsidized phone, you can subscribe to one or two year contract, depending on the selected plan and the phone.
Sidekick: T-Mobile has a special plan for the popular Sidekick, which costs $ 1 per day for unlimited text messaging, email and web browser. And the cost of calls, 15 cents per minute.
Texting rates across all plans, except the Sidekick plan, as well as texts cost 10 cents to send a message and 5 cents to receive communications in the United States and Canada. Posts 35 cents to send and 5 cents to receive communications from any other. And multimedia messages 25 cents to send and receive.
Mobile web services are not available.
Phones: T-Mobile for a fee in the order of the day and pay for services do not include all of their hot phones. But consumers can choose from almost any T-Mobile phone for FlexPay plan.
Virgin Mobile USA
Virgin Mobile USA is a mobile virtual network that uses the Sprint CDMA network to offer a pay as-you-go plan for the month, and unlimited monthly plans, as well as special solutions for heavy texters.
Who is it good for? Virgin Mobile offers one of the largest arrays of services and plans that could work well and provide value to virtually any user from accidental talkers for hardcore texters and chatters, ie adolescents. But there are better deals to people who simply need to be from a mobile phone in case of emergencies or occasional calls.
Advantages: wide range of services, including the new dismissal plan that will pay the cost of monthly service for up to three months, when customers lose their jobs. Decent price for those who speak more than 300 minutes per month. Voice minutes roll over. No roaming charges. Works on the Sprint network in a nationwide CDMA (which can be viewed as negative or positive depending on how you feel about Sprint.)
Against: The $ 50 unlimited plan is cheaper than in most contract plans with major carriers, but offers fewer features than the increase in Mobile Unlimited Plan.
Pay as you go: Virgin mobile pay as you go plans offer users the opportunity to acquire a bucket of minutes, in various denominations. The first bucket of proposed costs $ 20 and gives users 200 minutes of talk. In the $ 30 plan offers 400 minutes. And $ 50 plan offers 1000 minutes. As long as customers buy another package of minutes, every 30 days, the balance from the previous 30 days, rolls in the next 30 days. A user can have no more than 5000 minutes postponed. In addition, the company offers to pay as you go, which charges 20 cents per minute.
Standard texting and e-mail rates are 15 cents per minute and 25 cents per minute for multimedia messages. Text messaging packages are also available. And for $ 5 more every 30 days, users can get 200 free text messages. For $ 10 a month more, they are 1000 messages. And for $ 20 a month, they receive unlimited text messages. Starting at $ 5 a month, users will be able to get 5MB downloads and mobile web for $ 10 a month, they can get 50 MB of data per month.
Monthly Plans: Virgin Mobile offers a monthly plan, which starts at $ 30 per month for 300 minutes of anytime minutes and 1000 night-time appeal, which started after 7 pm $ 40 per month includes 400 minutes anytime and unlimited night and weekend minutes.
Unlimited Monthly: $ 50 per month plan includes unlimited calling to any number at any time any day of the week. Virgin Mobile also offers several texting plans. For an additional $ 5 per month, users receive 1000 free text messages, as well as $ 10 a month they get unlimited text messages. Starting at $ 5 a month, users will be able to get 5MB downloads and mobile web for $ 10 a month, they can get 50 MB of data per month. Text messaging rates are 15 cents to send and receive messages.
There is also Texter Delight in plans that offer 1,000 text messages for $ 15 per month and unlimited texting for $ 20 a month. Each service 10 cents per minute.
Phones: Virgin Mobile has a wide range of phones available, starting with some as low as $ 10. There is not a smartphone in the lineup, and there are two telephones, which offer a full QWERTY keyboard.
Metro PCS
MetroPCS is a regional wireless carrier that offers only fixed-rate, unlimited monthly plans.
Who is it good for? MetroPCS offers the best value in the higher echelons of unlimited plans for clients who want to replace the post-paid service contract with a service that does not bind them in the contract.
Pros: flat rate, unlimited plans are easy to understand and customers will not have to worry about the surplus, the mobile web access, including a plan for the BlackBerry Curve
Against: Limited coverage area, roaming is not included and there is a charge for using your phone for MetroPCS calling area.
Unlimited monthly plan: For $ 30, the user gets unlimited local calling. In the $ 35 plan offers unlimited local and long distance communications. For $ 40 a month, you receive unlimited local and long distance calling, plus unlimited text messages. In the $ 45 plan also includes web access and picture messages. And for $ 50 a month, users can get unlimited local and long distance calling, unlimited text and multimedia messages, unlimited internet access, and unlimited e-mail and AOL Instant Messenger. This is a premier unlimited service also includes unlimited use of location-based services Loopt, as well as access to the navigation service.
Text messaging, picture messaging and mobile Internet access is not available with the $ 30 basic plan. Mobile Internet access can be added to the $ 35 and $ 40 per month plan for $ 5 a month.
Users who buy Research In Motion BlackBerry Curve in or touch screen Samsung R810 Finesse must subscribe to the $ 50 unlimited plan. And BlackBerry users will be able to get work e-mail for additional $ 10 per month.
Phones: MetroPCS offers a wide range of phones, including Blackberry Curve, which cost $ 449.
Cricket, Leap with wireless
Cricket is a regional wireless carrier owned by Leap, which offers wireless fixed-rate monthly unlimited plans, and payment in the order of the service. It also offers 3G broadband wireless services for laptops.
Who is it good for? As MetroPCS, Cricket offers the greatest impact in the higher echelons of unlimited plans for clients who want to replace the post-paid service contract with a service that does not bind them in the contract. $ 1 per day pay to the order of the plans is also good for people who rarely use their phones.
Pros: Flat rate, unlimited monthly plans, no contracts, pay per day options, $ 40 per month 3G wireless broadband for laptops.
Against: Limited area serving of only 21 states, charges for roaming in most plans, $ 15 activation fee, the lack of the basic functions of a mobile phone, smartphone does not offer.
Pay as you go: Cricket offers three boards, as you-go plan, which he calls PAYgo. $ 1 per day, offers a plan for unlimited local calling in the day. $ 2 a day, the plan offers unlimited local and long distance telephone service and unlimited texting. And for $ 3 a day, users can get unlimited calling, texting and mobile Web access.
Monthly plan: $ 30 per month plan offers unlimited local calling, but roaming or long distance minutes are not included. For $ 40 a month, you receive unlimited local and long distance communications. At $ 45 a month plan includes unlimited local and long-distance calling, plus unlimited texting and multimedia messaging. At $ 50 per month plan offers all of $ 45 per month plan, plus unlimited mobile web access and 30 minutes of free roaming. Cricket offers $ 60 a month on Cricket Nation 200 plan that offers in the $ 50 plan, and 200 minutes of free roaming.
Voice roaming is 39 cents per minute for all services.
Wireless broadband: Cricket offers $ 40 per month 3G wireless broadband services. Voice customers can add wireless broadband service for laptops for $ 5 a month more if bundled with an unlimited plan. The activation fee is $ 25, and “unlimited” data really restricted to 5MB a month.
Phones: Cricket offers a modest selection of phones with features like cameras, music players, and the QWERTY keyboard. But they are expensive.
Tracfone
Tracfone is the only nationwide prepaid service that offers both pay as you-go plan, and monthly service plans.
Who is it good for? This service is good for people who use their phone, and sometimes just looking for a cheap mobile phone, without many frills.
Pluses: Cheap board in the order of the phones; simple plans; minute move, as users add more minutes at least once every three months.
Against: expensive for big talkers. And texting rates is difficult to understand, or mobile web access.
Pay as you go: Tracfone offers traditional pay as-you-go service that allows users to buy recharge cards to replenish their numbers. Cards in four denominations. For $ 20 users can talk for 60 minutes. A $ 30 card offers 120 minutes of talk. For $ 40 users can talk for 300 minutes. And $ 80 card offers 450 minutes of talk.
Also offers $ 50 for two minutes of life card, which allows users to double minutes purchased in the future. But it excludes the one-year card, which offers 800 minutes of talk. Maps are good for the service for 45, 90, or 365 days from the date of minutes is added to the phone, depending on whether the card is purchased.
Text messaging rates basically the same for as you go card and monthly plans. And they vary depending on the phone. In some phones, users are charged 0.3 units to send text messages. Receiving text messages is free. Other phones charge 0.5 units to send and receive text messages. Mobile Web access is not available.
Phones: Tracfone offers a wide range of affordable and easy-phones, ranging from $ 10. And the majority of phones are not more than $ 50.
U. S. Cellular
U.S. mob is a regional mobile phone operator offering both prepaid and post paid service in 26 states. As a prepaid service every month to pay as you go.
Who is it good for? The U.S. Cellular to pay as you go service is ideal for people who only use their phone occasionally.
Benefits: monthly and pay as you go services.
Against: There is no pay per minute plans. All Talk Tracker plans to mimic the traditional cellular phone service plans offered through U.S. Cellular, except that they do not require a credit check or monthly contract to get service.
Pay as you go: For $ 6 a month, you may receive 15 cents per minute calls. And for $ 10 a month, they can make 10 cents per minute calls. Incoming text messages are free and outgoing messages to 25 cents. U.S. Cellular also offers texting bundles. For $ 5 a month, users can get 250 text messages, and $ 10 a month gets you 750 text messages. Unlimited texting is $ 15. Multimedia and graphic communications are not available. Mobile Web access is not available.
Monthly plans: U.S. Cellular offers four basic monthly tariff plans. At $ 25 a month plan includes 100 minutes, at any time, and extra minutes are charged at 50 cents each. At $ 45 per month plan offers 350 minutes at any time. Additional hours by 15 cents per minute. For $ 60 a month, the user gets 600 minutes, at any time. Additional hours by 10 cents each. And $ 80 plan includes 1000 anytime minutes and additional minutes by a 10 cents each.
Users who roam outside of U.S. Cellular field of business are charged 69 cents per minute.
Incoming text messages are free and outgoing messages to 20 cents. U.S. Cellular also offers texting bundles. For $ 5 a month, users can get 250 text messages, and $ 10 a month gets you 750 text messages. Unlimited texting is $ 15. Multimedia messaging and picture available. Mobile Web access is not available.
Phone: Phone the choice is limited to phones with prepaid. They are very basic models that are best used only to talk and texting.
Related Posts
Tags: cell phone, economy, prepaid wireless
