Finding the cheapest prepaid cell phone plan can mean slightly different things to different people, but this article will discuss the best and cheapest prepaid cell phone plans, or cheapest wireless phone service for a few different needs.
While prepaid cell phone options have long been known to offer some of the cheapest cell phone plans available, at one time prepaid cell phones and prepaid wireless plans were somewhat limiting, but that has changed. Prepaid cellular plans, otherwise known as pay as you go plans or no contract cell phone plans, are now a legitimate option for almost anyone, even people looking for cheap family cell phone plans. Some providers even offer smartphones with unlimited voice, texting and data plans in a prepaid or pay as you go plan. These days it is easier to get full service without getting locked into a contract. This is great news for people looking for either full service or cheap cell phones without plans.
Prepaid Cell Phone Basics
Most prepaid cell phone plans or pay as you go plans sell packages of minutes or monthly plans. In most cases these minutes have an expiration date typically 30, 60 or 90 days, however some offer annual plans. To keep the phone active you need to buy more minutes before the set time expires. In most cases the unused minutes will rollover if you replenish your account before the other minutes expire. But it is important to compare prepaid plans and make sure you know the pros and cons of each before making your decision on which may be the best cell phone plans for you and your needs.
Cheapest Prepaid Cell Plan For The Occasional User
If you are looking for the cheapest prepaid cell service just for occasional use or as an emergency phone there are a few good, affordable options available.
T-Mobile offers a couple of good options for prepaid wireless service. They have very affordable annual plan that provides service for a full year with 1,000 available minutes for around $100 (at the time of this article). This is a good option for anyone searching for cheap low use cell phone plans. They also have a very affordable pay as you go plan where the minutes don’t expire for 90 days. The down side is they have spotty coverage in certain areas.
Net 10, an arm of TracFone, also has an annual plan available. They offer pricing that is very straightforward — ten cents a minute for all calls.
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Cheapest Prepaid Cell Phone Plan For Basic Service
For a basic cheap prepaid wireless plan TracFone rates pretty well. They offer a few different plans from annual plans to pay as you go and monthly plans. They have a reliable network and service. They offer free long-distance to a variety of other countries and they offer versions of prepaid cell phone family plans. The plans are pretty straightforward. The downside is they have a limited choice of cell phones, but they do offer a couple of smartphones and the phones they have are generally pretty reasonable.
As mentioned earlier T-Mobile also has some good basic plans and they offer smartphone prepaid wireless plans. The minutes for these prepaid phones also typically last for 90 days instead of 30.
Cheapest Prepaid Cell Phone Plan For Frequent Users
If you are looking for the cheapest prepaid cell plan with unlimited coverage there are a few good choices. The most popular are probably Boost Mobile, Straight Talk and Virgin.
When it comes to the best unlimited prepaid cell phone plans Boost Mobile gets high ratings. They offer a cheap unlimited prepaid plan with a relatively low cost monthly service, good selection of features and a good choice of prepaid cell phones. The unlimited prepaid wireless service includes talk, messaging and data. The down side is some of their phones are a bit pricey and their network can be patchy.
Straight Talk is the cheapest unlimited prepaid cell plan, for a few dollars less per month than Boost. Straight Talk, from TracFone, offers unlimited talk, messaging, data and 411 calls. They have the solid network of TracFone, but they have limited options when it comes to phones.
Virgin Mobile also has an unlimited prepaid cell plan option but it costs more than both Boost and Straight Talk. They do, however, offer good call quality, a good selection of phones and other plan options.
Summary
These phone plans were chosen as the best prepaid cell phone plans based on reviews conducted by JD Power and Associates, and Consumer Reports.
Overall both Verizon and AT&T rank lower in the area of cheap prepaid cell phone plans. Their prepaid options are more expensive then other options available.
This is an ever-changing market so it is good to check the current competition before settling on prepaid cell phones and providers. Doing your own prepaid cell phone plan comparison is worth the time to find a good fit because it may save you frustration down the road. You can check for reviews at other sites like PrepaidReviews.com and CNET as well when you are looking for the best and cheapest prepaid cell phone plans that will fit your needs. Although at least with cheap prepaid cell phones it is a little easier to switch plans if you decide you don’t like the provider or service.
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