Last week we wrote about simple ways to lower your monthly cell phone bill. One tip we mentioned was using a prepaid cell phone plan instead of committing to a long-term contract. The response from readers was amazing. In both comments and e-mail, reader after reader said prepaid cell phones were the way to go. Here are just a few of the comments readers have left:
Kimberly: “I did research, compared, and ultimately went with Net10 because of their .10 a minute slogan that I had to test out for myself – and being without a contract sounded pretty sweet as well. Luckily, Net10 ended up being a great choice that has helped me save more than $65 a month with their pay-as-you go minutes – prefect for the low level cell user.”
CowboyFan10: “Awesome article – NOBODY likes monthly cell phone bills. As Kimberly mentioned, Net10 is a great alternative. It is an awesome prepaid service in my experience and is a real money-saver. You can’t beat 10 cents/minute – including long distance calls! I can keep in touch with my family and friends for an awesome low price. I recommend it to everyone trying to save money the smart way AND get an awesome deal in the process.”
Jan: “The nice thing about prepaid is you can always get more minutes if you need them. I don’t save as much as $65 a month, but I’m saving more than $30.”
Factoid: New prepaid cell phone subscribers accounted for almost two-thirds of all new cell phone customers in the fourth quarter of 2009 (Source: CNET News)
So we thought we’d put together a comprehensive review of the best prepaid cell phone plans available. In this review, we’ll cover four things:
- Price: Which services offer the cheapest prepaid cell phone plans
- Phones: What prepaid cell phones are available and at what price (preferably free!)
- Coverage: How does the cell coverage stack up among prepaid plans
- Promo Codes: Links to regularly updated deals being offered by the popular prepaid cell phone services
As you review your options, it will help to keep several things in mind. First, there really is no “best” prepaid cell phone plan. What is optimal for one person’s cell phone use may not be optimal for somebody else’s mobile phone needs. Second, while there are plenty of cell phone options available with prepaid plans, not all of the latest cell phone technologies are available with prepaid plans. My personal favorite, the iPhone, for example, is not available with a prepaid plan. Finally, it’s always important to watch the “gotcha” fees. We’ll cover some of them in the coverage section below, but it’s important to understand the terms and conditions of any plan before making a purchase.
Cheapest prepaid cell phone plans
When it comes to price, prepaid plans fall into one of two categories: (1) companies that offer nothing but prepaid service, and (2) the major cell phone carriers. For the most part, you’ll find the best deals from those companies that specialize in prepaid cell phones. It’s also important to keep in mind that not all prepaid plans charge by the minute. You can also find unlimited usage monthly plans that do not require a long-term contract.
Cell Phone Carrier | Unlimited Plan Cost | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Net10 | $0.10 per minute | Net10 wins the award for the lowest cost prepaid service. |
| AT&T Wireless | $0.25 per minute $3.00 unlimited per day | $3.00 charge occurs only on days you use the phone. |
| Cricket | $35 per month | $50 for Smartphones and 1GB of data |
| Verizon Wireless | $50 per month | $70 for Smartphones and 2GB of data |
| T-Mobile | $0.10 per minute | Requires purchase of 1,000 minutes to qualify for this price |
| Tracfone | $0.20 per minute |
As you compare cost, it’s important to keep in mind that buying minutes also buys you service activation. In other words, buying 200 minutes from Net10 extends the activation of your phone by 30 days. After 30 days, any remaining minutes cannot be used unless and until you buy more minutes to further extend the activation of your cell phone.
Free and low cost prepaid cell phones
Prepaid cell phones present two issues. First, you won’t find a free phone like you can get if you commit to a 2-year contract. You can, however, find deals that offer enough free minutes with the phone to cover the cost. Second, the selection of prepaid cell phones is not as extensive as it is with other cell plans. The good news is that you will find a good selection of phones.
Here are several of the more popular phones currently available with prepaid plans (Note: Available cell phones vary by location, so the actual phones you’ll see if you follow the links below will vary based on your zip code):
Net10 Cell Phones
With Net10, you get 300 minutes of air time with the purchase of a phone, which at $0.10 a minute is a $30 value. Several of Net10′s phones cell for $30 or less.
- Motorola w375 Reconditioned Cell Phone ($39.99)
- LG300G ($29.99)
- LG600G cell phone ($39.99)
- Samsung T201G Cell Phone ($39.99)
Verizon Wireless Prepaid Phones
Verizon Wireless prepaid phones include $10 of airtime:
- Samsung Intensity ($99.99)
- Samsung Smooth ($49.99)
- LG Accolade ($49.99)
AT&T Wireless Prepaid Phones
Best coverage among prepaid plans
If there is one word you hate to see on a call phone bill, the word is “roaming.” With prepaid cell phones, some charge roaming fees and some do not. Net10 does not charge roaming fees and its coverage is extensive, in part because it uses the networks provided by major cell phone carriers. Both TracFone and Cricket charge roaming fees.
For the major cell phone carriers, coverage gets a bit more complicated. While you might think that the coverage is the same whether you buy a prepaid phone or sign up for a contract, it is not. For example, check out these two coverage maps from Verizon Wireless:
The first map shows coverage in red and no coverage in white for its voice and messaging plans. Note that there is no roaming on the first map. The second map shows prepaid coverage in dark purple and prepaid roaming coverage in light purple. Currently, Verizon Wireless domestic roaming rates add $0.20 per minute. Of course, if you will always use the cell phone within a prepaid coverage area, than roaming is not an issue. But the key is to look closely at the coverage area of the cell phone service you are considering to understand whether roaming charges may apply.
Prepaid cell phone promo codes
If you are in the market for a prepaid cell phone plan, here are links to current promo codes:
- AT&T Wireless Deals and Discounts
- Net10 Promotional Codes and Discounts
- Verizon Wireless Promo Codes and Rebates
- LetsTalk Coupons and Discounts
Rob Berger
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Published or updated November 12, 2011.
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Where is virgin mobile? Their most expensive plan is 10 cents per minute and decreases thereafter, I pay 30 dollars for 400 minutes or 7.5 cents a minute.
I have Fuzion Mobile. They just lowered my bill to 40 bucks a month including tax! I don’t count minutes or texting at all! and it works in my Blackberry from my old job. Bills my Visa every month. EASY!
Who is doing these surveys?
I went for Net 10 as it seemed to me that it was the best buy. All the other deals seem to have some kind of a catch somewhere. I am pleased to see that you rate it as the best buy.
I’m glad Net10 featured so highly in your review of prepaid services. Exactly like you say, their rates are among the lowest out there but what sets them aside for me is the clarity of their pricing. Its 10c a minute for all calls, local long distance and roaming and 5c per text. You know exactly what you’re paying for and that you’re getting the most for your money. Its an easy way to keep close track on cell phone bills, which can easily get very expensive. Your review has confirmed what I found with experience, thanks for your research.
I have a Net10 mobile which I chose after being ripped off by my contract. Net10 is prepaid with no contracts or bills. There starting offer of a phone and 300 free minutes helped me to pick Net10. I save about $50 every month now so my mobile is much nicer for me to have. Prepaid really is fantastic.. true service at a reliable price.. Will always use it from now onwards.
hi there I’m Dan. you should check a company called fuzion moble. its even better then what you have . i saved 2 therds on my bill . and now i don’t even get a bill. just look at it you will see i right. DAN.
Your coverage of AT&T is incomplete. I have the $1.00 Mobile to Mobile Plan. On my prepaid plan, I pay $1.00 a day on the days I use it, 10 cents per minute after that to non-AT&T mobile users and unlimited minutes when calling another AT&T mobile (the dollar a day still applies).
Also glad to see net10 featuring so highly! they provide me with amazing service and amazing savings… 10c per minute for all calls and 5c per minute texts. They also have phenomenal coverage! UNBEATABLE
Great post!
I also saved money for my vacation by cutting my regular costs and my budget.
I’ve been looking for ways to economize and when my cell contract was up, I got a Net10 phone. I pay 10¢ a minute and 3¢ for texts. It’s at terrific value and there’s no contract or overages.
I agree, Highly recommended!
I don’t think prepaid phones necessecarily are cheaper, but they do give you flexibility to only buy minutes as you NEED them as opposed to giving you a plethora of minutes that will go unused each month. Depending on how much you talk in any given month, you can always just add minutes. I recently got out of my cell phone contract and decided to try Net10 since I BARELY use my phone. I was paying about $80 a month for minutes that went to waste. Now, yea I might be paying $.10 a minute, but I only buy what I need, which is about 200 a month (so about $20 worth) with Net10. The phones are pretty decent and the coverage is GREAT. Really, that’s all I need in a cell phone. Oh, and it is easy to use and manage. Prepaid (and Net10) FTW!
NET10 is definitely the best buy! Been using them for a few months now and they rock! Much better than any other carrier I used before and they’re cheaper too. They don’t do fancy, but they do do quality and value.
Net10 android coverage sucks here in Wisconsin.
I’m so happy that Net10 rated so high in this article. I have had Net 10 for the past year and I am in love with it. The best part about it for me is that you get the first 2 months of service and 300 minutes for free.
Fuzion Mobile is the one to watch. They have a very aggresive unlimited plan and you can keep your phone or upgrade to a/the top smartphone (any SIM enabled phone). I definitely love trendy Fuzion Mobile and they are going to do so well.
I have to agree Net 10 is awesome and certainly a “best buy.” I recently switched over and so thrilled with how much I’m saving every month.
Despite any negative reviews I might have found, Net10 has proven to be a solid company with great savings and service that doesn’t deserve its bad rap. I mean I’m saving more than $70 a month and I don’t have to worry about overage fees or contract issues. I have more flexibility than I’ve ever had and I don’t worry about having to buy phones or plans for better deals – already have a great one. If you’re debating about whether to trsut a prepaid company, Net10 will convince you.
PlatinumTel is another prepaid provider to consider. They offer many valuable plans and unlike some other providers don’t have roaming fees (which can really add up in areas where the network isn’t available.) Their unlimited monthly talk/text plan is just $50, and for just $10 more includes unlimited mobile web with high speed EVDO service available. For those who need less, they also offer a pay as you go plan for as little as $5 monthly.
I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET HOLD OF CUSTOMER SUPPORT ON THE PHONE FOR TWO WEEKS FOR STRAIGHT TALK OR NET 10.
THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME CONTACT INFORMATION,I WANT TO SEE IF I CAN UPGRADE TO BETTER PHONES OTHER THEN THEY LIST.
I have the LG300 from Net10 and it’s been working great for me. Ever since I made the swich to Net10, I’ve been saving more than $60/month. So far, so good!
I just the Verizon prepaid plan. I’m gonna out of town to the middle of no where and the only coverage there is verizon. The plan you have listed is not correct for them. To get the 10cent price you also have to pay 99 cents a day when you use the phone. If not, it’s 25cents a min. Plan
What network is the net10 phones on?
I get my tracfone minutes for under 10 cents per minute. You have to spend a little more upfront to automatically double the minutes you purchase.but that is good for the life of the phone. I am sure loyal tracfone users know this. Your information is less than accurate/fair towards tracfone. It is not unlimited but I can purchase enough minutes, at my usage rate, to last an entire year and all I have to wory about is purchasing more before the next due date, which is displayed on the phone. No monthly or daily charges. I have always been very happy with tracfone service.
How about the MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) that offer cheap cell service. Here’s a list of a few:
Consumer Cellular (Uses AT&T network)
Simple Mobile (uses T-Mobile network)
Page Plus (uses Verizon Wireless network)
PlatinumTel (mentioned before – uses Sprint)
Kajeet (uses Sprint – geared toward kid-use)
Also, what about cheap phones from Ebay?
I’ve been toying with the idea of switching to prepaid for quite sometime now and finally did it a couple of months ago. Since I’m not a heavy user, I opted for Net10 and now my avearge spending is between $15-$30 amonth as opposed to $75. So needless to say, I made the right choice. My only regret is not having done that sooner!
Fabulous article – put together very nicely. There are pros and cons with every prepaid service and its all about which one fits best for you. For me, its 100% Net10. This service offers me everything I need out of a cell phone plan – unbeatable savings, great coverage, and perfectly priced phones. It even has a new site that offers a contest to win cash at Net10laughoff.com. Net10 is the best service for me and my family
Going prepaid was the sickest idea I’ve had in a long time. Its saving me a big amount of money each month. The coverage is good too for when I travel monthly for business. I use Net10 along with my brother and his family too. Its a really good service and I def reccommend it to others looking for a great prepaid deal. Its worth every penny.
Ok we get it the cheap keep getting cheaper while I switched to prepaid 4yrs ago at that time I was spending overages of 120$ a month and I was not treated well at all by sprint under my contract I went to tmobile prepaid and spent 3yrs wonderfully budgetted spending often less than 40$ a month for everything I needed as new options came out in 09 I chose Straight Talk I felt what’s the harm in 5$ more a month to be completly unrestricted I sold off my tmobile gsm phone and bought the 99$ cdma samsung sch-r451c then I bought the 45$ card which was actually 48$ thank u uncle sam though I spent 5 months on ST’s program I longed to have tmobile back it wasnt just the phone after 30 days my phone looked like it just got outta the ring with mike tyson the coverage was awesome it was simply no 3rd party downloads that killed me I tried to sell my phone to my surprise noone wanted it so I recycled it and spent couple hundred dollars back on a sturdy gsm phone and went back to tmobile prepaid now im curious about simple mobile mvno so far theyre reps have said all the right things so heres hoping I can finally be unlimited lol
I have the same question as John. Where does Virgin Mobile stand among the rest ?
Okay… I have been paying a HUGE contract bill forever and at the first of the year, I switched to prepaid for the first time in my life. I’m a contractor and use my phone a lot! Unlimited talk and Text (I’m not a texter, but it’s included) cost me 40 dollars a month! I talk like 2,000 minutes or more a month! Auto pay like my Bally’s membership!
That is the best plan available. PERIOD! Is anybody really researching this?
Don, can you tell me who your provider is? Thanks
@Sandra Sanders: I think Don uses Fuzion Mobile, as he stated in his comment above that he posted earlier.
Its FuzionMobile.com
I don’t talk alot and rarely text but I need a cellphone. To me, the best deal is Trackphone. I paid $10 for the phone with doubling minutes and pay $20 every 3 months to keep it active and available. Cheap! Great value too.
Maybe if your a big talker there are better deals but for me, this is it. And never a dropped call either.
I need your deal for my mom, she does talk alot on cell but want her to have one just in case of emergencies, like the 20.00 every 3 months, who do I contact to see if I can get this deal that you have ?
Thanks, Debbie
I didn’t hear anyone say anything about Boost Mobile….$50 a month unlimited everything… talk, text, web, and push to talk….you get it all I’ve been with them 6 years now, my husband 4 years and both of my sons 4 years. My daughter has Virgin Mobile with unlimited text and talk for $25 per month….No problems from phones or service….
I’ve been on the Tracfone service for over a year now and couldn’t be happier. It offers me so much for my money and the savings each month compared to my old contracted service are amazing. I get great coverage for when I travel across the country for business too. I even got my daughter a Tracfone Samsung phone as a “back-to-school” gift so I can keep in touch with her throughout the day. I completely reccommend this service and going to prepaid for those looking for a fabulous deal
I discovered Straight talk a few months back and it’s really good. It uses Verizon’s network but it costs only $30 for 30 days of service with 1000 minutes and 1000 texts; Look at this commercial which explains it.
I recently made the switch to Net10 limited and couldn’t be happier with the service and the price. $50 for unlimited talk/text/web is a great deal. I also like that I have the option of spending less monthly if I choose and can go as low as $15! Not having to be tied down to a contract is a wonderful feeling. I once had to pay $200 in early termination fee which was so aggrevating and a complete waste of money!
i have a net 10 but it does’t get a good signal can you buy a better phone that helps the signal. comments”
I feel the same way Naomi. Now with all the holiday sales on Net10, you can share this with special people in your life. On Black Friday, Kmart is offering the Motorla W408 for $14.99 and Best Buy has the Samsung T401 for $39.99. These are 50% off the regular price. Still no contract, flexibility in choosing your plans, and great coverage using the AT&T provider network. If available in your area, will make a great gift for the holidays.
I have a very tight budget and switching to prepaid saved me a lot of $$$$. I’m now with TracFone, spend less than $10 a month and couldn’t be happier with the service. From the savings, I have extra cash for X-mas shopping this year
The latest secret to cell phone savings is a Kajeet inc. pre-paid cell phone. Kids and adults use them alike.
The recommended service plan for parents is $24.99 which includes unlimited parental control, text messaging, picture messaging and GPS locator.
The good news for the consumer is that prepaid cell phone companies have come a long way. Some of the ones mentioned throughout the commenting, I’ve never heard of. Just make sure to do your homework before you decide on which one is best for you. In my opinion, savings and service are tops on the list. So, for me, I feel that NET10 offers the best overall. They have a variety of phones, plans for every type of user, and from what I’ve discovered the best prepaid coverage in the US. Depending on the best coverage in your neighborhood, it uses Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile. Saving money..check…..great coverage…check. Mission accomplished!
It is great that NET10 doesn’t offer roaming charges. I travel often, my old phone used to go on roaming as soon as I would leave coverage area. It became really pricey. Now, I don’t have to worry about that anymore with NET10. They use major network providers so the odds of a dropped or missed call are also less likely.
I would just like to add that there is no long distance charges either, which can also be on the expensive side. It makes it affordable to keep in touch with family and friends all over the country. With the variety of phones NET10 offers, basic, smart phones, and qwerty keyboard types, you will find a phone that works for you.
Guess this article is a bit old since there’s no mention of StraighTalk from WalMart. For me and my family and friends (which I’ve introduced them to), StraightTalk beats out the competition. You either select the unlimited talk/text/web for $45/month which is what I have, or the lessser plan of 1000 talk/text/web for $30/month. Reception is second to none, plus it’s prepaid so there’s no string attached!
You all have forgot the absolute best [and newest] cell phone plan, Puretalk USA.
@munchkin – Wow! NET10 stopped charging for long distance? That is fantastic! This is something that contract carriers have been offering for a while now, and it just brings NET10 another step closer to being on the forefront of cell phone providers! Now, if I could just figure out how to use my old iPhone with NET10…lol.
Just5 is the provider of simple phone to offer very practical rates. My Dad has chosen to get their service and he really believes that he made the right thing as he can only spend as low as $3.33 a month with this provider by getting the cheapest minute plan. Just5 offers three minutes plans to choose from and an unlimited service. All of these are reasonably priced. So my Dad can get the plan that is just right for his need anytime he wants to. So this is a very considerable option to consider as well.
It looks like who ever wrote the article / analysis was biased towards Net10 or pushing a Net10 plan.
I like T-mobile prepaid.
You buy 1000 mins of prepaid time @ $100 plus tax on an average works out to $105 -$109 depending on where you live. This is going thru AT&T’s T-mobile site / any merchant. This $100 purchase is good for 1 year.
When you buy for $100- you automatically become a Gold member which means, at the end of the year if you buy a $10 refill, your unused mins from the prev year carries over to the next year. For some one like me who strictly uses a cell phone for emergency and important calls only i can stretch easily the 1000 mins to a full year and still have some mins left over and carry over by topping a min buy of $10.
You can buy the phones and a 30 min card for about $29.99. Now whayt you do is buy the refill card from places like Callingmart or ebay where you canget a $100 card for 90-92 dollars and no tax. So now your cost per min is 9-9.2 cents/ min. This combined with the ability to carry forward your unused mins with a small purchase is a good deal.
I dont want to pay 35-40 dollars a month foe a basic service that gives 200 mins per month.
For my use and needs cell phone is an emergency and important calls only device and it has worked so far. I hardly use 50-60 mins a month and still spend less than &-8 dollars on an average. you can’t beat it.
Very informative on your part Prepaid user. However, I still think that NET10 comes out to a better deal. Based on the price for 1000 minutes, you get four months worth of the monthly 750 minutes card. The cost per minute for text and talk is only 3 cents a minute compared to your 9 cents. You’re right in that there is no carry over, but how long do you think your 1000 minutes will really last? It usually starts out as occasional use, but it usually turns out to be more. Personally, I would rather not worry about that. What kind of coverage are you experiencing? With NET10 you get nationwide on Verizon and AT&T. Puerto Rico is included in this as well.
This is outdated information!! Last year in April of 2010 I was spending $65 a month on Net 10 for 650 minutes, when a friend of mine introduced me to Straight Talk–only available at Walmart . It’s $45 a month for unlimited Talk,Text, and Web, or $30 a month for 1000 minutes/1000 Texts/and 3 mb of web, every 30 days for the card. For the full scoop you can go to http://www.straighttalk.com – and right now if you buy an unlimited card, or All You Need Card–you can get a FREE re-conditioned cell phone. Now thats a deal!! BTW – Stright talk is produced by the same ppl who bring you Net10 and Tracphone–and runs on the Verizon Network–so you get pretty decent service & NO roaming charges. Have a good summer!!
I’m in the market for a new cell plan. I was thinking about switching my prepaid from ATT go phone because it seems like there might be better options. What’s this fuzion company???? Never even heard of them. Are they new or something
Fuzion Mobile is a prepaid cell phone service that uses phones with sim cards. If you already have a phone that uses sim cards you can just buy the sim card and first month’s service from Fuzion Mobile. You can also use a Blackberry with sim card. If you’d like you can buy one of their phones when you start your service with them. They are different prices. Their plans start from $15 to $49. Unlimited talk and text is $39 a month, umlimited data, talk, and text is $49 a month. Just google Fuzion Mobile and check them out. I was trying to decide on whether to go to Boost Mobile prepaid (which is real good too), or Fuzion Mobile. I think I’ll try Fuzion Mobile mainly because of the fact that I can use alternate phones on their plans because of their sim cards.
40 bucks for unlimited talk and text sounds amazing! But do they have good reception?
I see so many comments mentioning this company, but I have to add another one for Straight Talk. This Walmart company really has the best combo of network and price even though there are several other companies out there with a better price for an unlimited plan. The difference is that ST is powered by the Verizon network at non-network prices.
Miranda, thanks for the tip. We are reviewing Straight Talk now and should have a review published in the next week or so.
I currently have Straight Talk, which is a Tracfone company like Net10. The services for the price are unmatched. For $45.00/month you can have unlimited phone, text data, GPS/Navigation, and phone to PC as a modem (depending on the phone you purchase).
I had Boost Mobile, which like Virgin Mobile is owned by Sprint. Sprint is the worst provider that I’ve used both personally and in business. Boost sells you an unlimited plan starting at $50.00/month with shrinkage, that reduces your monthly bill by $5.00/month every six-months you stay with them.
The Boost unlimited plan is monitored and in their use disclosure statement says that unlimited means reasonable use. Sounds like they have set limits at their discrimination and it’s not an unlimited plan. The phone I had would not support any of the programs that it advertised and after three days of calls and no results I took it back to Best Buy and received a full refund (Thank You Best Buy).
Verizon won hands down on contract phones.
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Helpful info. Lucky me I discovered your website by accident, and I’m stunned why this coincidence didn’t happened in advance! I bookmarked it.
Page plus is the best. 50 cents per month + 4 cents/ minute.. 2000 minute card for $80 good for a year… less than half the price of net10 but not even mentioned at all in this article.. plus I can bring my own phone and use wifi opt out of data! I talk about 45 mins per month and costs about $2 per month.
verizon at&t espring t mobile old boring shit deftitties
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