You’ve seen them hanging from the aisle of your local convenience store, you’ve even found a few at your nearest wireless outlet, but
are prepaid cell phones worth their weight?
Depending on your frequency of use, whether you’re in an isolated part of the country or in a big city, what features you really need,
and how your credit score looks, a prepaid cell phone plan could be your ticket to owning and operating an affordable cell phone.
Bad Credit, No Problem
With more than 33% of wireless phone applicants being turned down for traditional cell phone services,
it’s not surprising to see a huge increase in prepaid wireless plans. After all, there’s no credit check, no deposit, and no long-term
commitments. In other words, the contract is only as long as the minutes purchased. And, since prepaid cell phone plans work much like a
prepaid calling card, they’re great for tight budgets, teenagers, college students, and retirees.
How Prepaid Cell Phones Work
To get started with a prepaid cell phone plan, you simply purchase a cell phone specifically designed for prepaid plans from an online
or convenience store. Once you get home, you call (or go online) to activate service. Once activated, you follow the step-by-step
instructions and within a matter of minutes, your cell phone is ready for use.
Need more minutes? No problem. With a prepaid cell phone plan, you simply pay for the minutes you need, when you need them—from your
prepaid cell phone provider.
What’s The Catch?
While prepaid cell phone plans may seem like the perfect solution for your family or business, you should know that prepaid cell phone
plans come with a few minuses, such as:
- limited calling areas,
- higher per minute fees,
- extra costs for special features,
- lost minutes if not used within a certain time frame,
- potential risk of having to pay another activation fee and/or losing your existing phone number if you allow your minutes to expire
before purchasing more minutes, and
- cell phones with limited capabilities.
Is A Prepaid Cell Phone Plan The Right Choice?
How do you know if a prepaid cell phone plan is right for you? You start by asking yourself the following questions:
- Why do you need a cell phone in the first place?
- How many minutes per month do you plan to use?
- Will you be making local, long distance, or international calls?
- Is text messaging, photo capabilities, and/or an answering service vital to your needs?
- How much can you realistically afford to pay each month?
- Do you plan to move out of the area within the next two years? If so, a prepaid plan is your best choice as traditional cell phone
plans require a one to two year contract.
- How is your credit? Can you get a traditional cell phone plan if it proves to be cheaper in the long run? If not, your only solution
may be a prepaid cell phone plan.
Then you do a little research:
- Is a monthly cell phone plan drastically cheaper than a prepaid cell phone plan, based on your usage? If so, a prepaid plan is not
for you.
- Which prepaid cell phone plan works best in your calling area? Ask around because some prepaid calling plans do not have enough
towers to effectively work in rural or low-trafficked areas.
- Is there a one-time activation fee, or will you incur an activation fee every time you add minutes to your phone?
- Is there a connection fee every time you make a call?
- What is your per minute fee?
- Is your per minute fee the same during peak and off-peak hours or do they differentiate?
- How will you be charged for special calling features?
- Will you be charged for dropped calls?
- Will you be charged for incoming calls and at what per minute rate?
- Can you accept toll calls or operator assisted calls and at what per minute rate?
- Can you make an emergency 911 call even if you run out of minutes?
- Will you incur roaming fees?
- What happens to your minutes if you don’t use your phone for a certain period of time?
- Can unused minutes be rolled over to the following month? Is there a stipulation, such as only being able to roll over minutes if you
purchase more minutes before you run out of minutes?
Once you’ve weighed your options carefully, it’s time to pick your prepaid cell phone plan and start your service. It’s that simple.
Enter your zip code to find the best wireless phone services in your area.
About The Author:
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer for hire who enjoys helping parents earn extra
cash from home so they can spend more time with their children. To get three free e-books or buy one of her best sellers,
visit http://thedabblingmum.com/ebookstore
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