So Who Has The Best Prepaid Cell Phone Service Offers?
So Who Has the Best Prepaid Cell Phone Service Offers?
Since cellular phones started entering mainstream use, contract-based plans have been the norm in the US – until now, with prepaid plans – but who has the best prepaid cell phone service? All of the major carriers are now offering this type of service, but each have their own packages they offer to the market. So who has the best prepaid cell phone service?
Prepaid has increased in popularity due to the advantage of being free from a long term contract. This includes not needing to pay any penalties if you terminate a contract early (penalty fees can be around $200). If you're not happy with a carrier, why should you pay to leave them? With prepaid you can switch as you like, taking advantage of whoever is offering the best deal.
It is true that contract plans provide some flexibility, but many prepaid plans are also now quite flexible. Added to that, with prepaid you pay up front or pay as you go, so you can spend the money ahead of time and use it as you wish. You don't have to worry about what your bill might look like come month-end.
Most prepaid services also don't do credit checks, which is a real bonus for those who struggle with their credit history or have no credit history.
Let's take a look at some prices, then.
Virgin Mobile has pretty straightforward offers, and usually appeals to the younger market (student market etc.). You pay $20 to get 200 anytime minutes, $30 for 400 anytime minutes, or $50 for 1,000 anytime minutes. What's great here is the minutes don't expire until you use them – you don't have to use them up within a specific time frame.
Other prepaid services may offer you a different deal, however. Air Link, for instance, gives you the following: $10 for 30 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Nights (after 7pm) and Weekend Minutes (after 7pm on Fridays). You can also buy 90 Anytime Minutes for $20, 150 Anytime Minutes for $30, right up to 750 Anytime Minutes for $75. All of these come with unlimited Nights and Weekend Minutes.
However, each card also has a set expiry time. So even if you don't use all of your Anytime Minutes, the top-up card will expire after a set time. The cheapest card ($10) expires in seven days and the most expensive ($75) in 30 days. The range in between have different expiry times.
Verizon Wireless work a little differently, again. You can pay 99 cents a day for days you use the network, while paying a flat rate of 10 cents per minute or a text. Then you can also pay $1.99 a day for days you use the service, but get unlimited Night Minutes and pay only five cents per minute and text. $2.99 a day gets you unlimited Night Minutes and a charge of two cents per minute and text.
So what you can plainly see is that there are a number of prepaid options to you. Each service provider has its own package for you, and each package is set out differently. So when you ask who has the best prepaid cell phone service, you have to look at each package very clearly and ascertain your needs, because the answer is just not as clear as we would all like it to be.
