Need suggestions for a new GSM pay as you go service

GunsMadeAmericaFree

Golden Member
Jan 23, 2007
1,391
379
136
About a year and a half ago, my wife and I both got Droid Turbo 2 phones - unlocked versions. (GSM, not CDMA) I got a couple of Lycamobile sim cards, then activated the phones. I put $50 on each, and after 18 months, we still have more than half the
$ on there. That comes out to about $1.40 a month. Actually, it is less than $1 a month, because we used a LOT in the past week, since being hit by the EF4 tornado that ravaged our neighborhood and hit our house.

Anyway, I have verified that the Lycamobile website no longer has a way to load $ onto the pay as you go accounts, and also specifically says that pay as you go is being discontinued. It wants to switch us over to a monthly fee of $20, $30 or more.

Since we truly use these as emergency phones to call for a tow if our car dies or goes off the road, there is no way that I can justify paying that much a month just for POSSIBLY making a call or two. The vast majority of the time my phone is in the glove compartment, just in case.

Can anyone recommend a similar pay as you go GSM plan that would work on our unlocked phones, which allows a person to put money down and pay something like 5c a minute for use, without a monthly fee? I want to put something like a $50 or $60 balance on there and forget it for a year or two, but know I can depend on it if I need it.

99.999999% of our calling is done on our landline at home over Google Voice and an Obihai adapter, so the cell phone is 'just in case'.
Thanks for any suggestions!
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,738
126
About a year and a half ago, my wife and I both got Droid Turbo 2 phones - unlocked versions. (GSM, not CDMA) I got a couple of Lycamobile sim cards, then activated the phones. I put $50 on each, and after 18 months, we still have more than half the
$ on there. That comes out to about $1.40 a month. Actually, it is less than $1 a month, because we used a LOT in the past week, since being hit by the EF4 tornado that ravaged our neighborhood and hit our house.

Anyway, I have verified that the Lycamobile website no longer has a way to load $ onto the pay as you go accounts, and also specifically says that pay as you go is being discontinued. It wants to switch us over to a monthly fee of $20, $30 or more.

Since we truly use these as emergency phones to call for a tow if our car dies or goes off the road, there is no way that I can justify paying that much a month just for POSSIBLY making a call or two. The vast majority of the time my phone is in the glove compartment, just in case.

Can anyone recommend a similar pay as you go GSM plan that would work on our unlocked phones, which allows a person to put money down and pay something like 5c a minute for use, without a monthly fee? I want to put something like a $50 or $60 balance on there and forget it for a year or two, but know I can depend on it if I need it.

99.999999% of our calling is done on our landline at home over Google Voice and an Obihai adapter, so the cell phone is 'just in case'.
Thanks for any suggestions!
if you don't need internet:
https://www.freeupmobile.com/

completely free.
1000 Talk OR Text per month
 

GunsMadeAmericaFree

Golden Member
Jan 23, 2007
1,391
379
136
Hmm. I'm intrigued, but a bit bothered by the idea that I might need to constantly jump through hoops or something just to be able to make emergency calls when I need to. It says something about having to use the FreeUP app, so I'm not quite sure about this.