Prepaid Cellular Service

Prepaid cellular service allows you to pay only for the minutes you use. Most every cell phone provider offers both contractual cell phone plans and prepaid cell phone rates. Here is comparison of traditional cell phones versus prepaid cell phones.

With traditional cell phones, you pay a monthly fee and sign a contract for a year or two years time. Each month the phone company gives you a certain number of minutes including some reduced fare minutes in the evenings or on weekends. You might also get specials where you can talk for free between phones on the same plan or between friends and family.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the contractual plan:

• Advantages: Great if you use your cell phone all the time. You often get a free phone for signing the contract. The per-minute fees are less expensive, and you don't have to worry about having your conversation cut off mid call.
• Disadvantages: You can get billed for roaming charges and for unknowingly going over your minutes. It is hard to get out of the contracts early. If you lose your phone, you have to buy a new one since you're tied into the contract.

Prepaid cell phones are convenience phones. They are for people who occasionally need a cell phone for an emergency or because they are too young to afford a monthly plan. A prepaid telephone is rarely free, but you also don't have a long term contract to worry about. You just buy minutes as you need them and the minutes are deducted from your prepaid account as you talk. Generally a prepaid phone works best for someone using less than 300 minutes a month.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the Go plan:

• Advantages: No monthly contract. No need for credit cards. No surprises on a bill. You can add minutes any time. No credit checks. No wasted minutes each month.
• Disadvantages: Minutes will probably be more expensive (12 to 35 cents a minute but can range all the way up to 60 cents a minute). Phones are normally more expensive up front. Your minutes expire every 15 to 60 days, and customer service is generally minimal.

You can find prepaid wireless telephone service at Cellular Choices (Cellularchoices.net) and Net 10 (Net10.com).

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