pay as you go: t-mobile the best?

[rh71]

I don't know anything about the smaller carriers... is T-mobile the best pay as you go? We currently are on a shared plan but my wife never uses her phone (comes out to $250/yr for hers alone), but we'd like to keep an "emergency" one for her.

Seems the 1-year 1000 minute for $100 is the best value since the others are only 90 days (making the 1yr cost to be over $100). http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/pay-as-you-go-plans

I'm also seeing that VerizonWireless has a $0/day but $0.25/minute plan. Is there any reason I might not think of why we shouldn't jump on this instead? Anyone experience that a $1/day-used charge for 10c/minute to be better overall?
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=prepayItem&action=viewPrepayOverview

 

[shortylickens]

I like them best.
But people say I'm insane!

 

[janas19]

Virgin Mobile is a great prepaid carrier. I would check them out. I pay $35/month for 300 minutes and 2GB data, unlimited texting on an Android phone.

Basically they all bottom out at 10/c a minute. So if you're paying $100 for 1000 minutes, you might as well pay $30 for 300 minutes. Or buy a$25/month plan that switches to a 10c/min rate when you run out of the monthly allowance.

 

[ImDonly1]

Pageplus is verizon prepaid. They do 2000 minutes for $80 per year. You can buy the refills at callingmart.com they do not sell the plan on their official website.

 

[ilkhan]

If I'm going prepaid I'm damn well getting a GSM phone where I can take my pick of numerous off-brand options.
(Of course, my T-mobile requires t-mobile branded or penta-band in order to use data. :bleh: I wish ATT had decent prepaid options that included data.)

 

[Pretty Cool]

Best is of course subjective. To narrow your choices, you need to figure out things like how many minutes she needs per month, who has acceptable coverage in your area (since prepaid paygo is usually without roaming), and if using a phone of your choice is important. Also, be aware that customer service is often not the best with complaints not being that unusual.

 

[rh71]

Pageplus is verizon prepaid. They do 2000 minutes for $80 per year. You can buy the refills at callingmart.com they do not sell the plan on their official website.

Found it - looks pretty good - but what about getting started... I see I can activate/port my current number at pageplus' site for $0, but can I keep an existing vzw phone to use? Do I need to buy a plan that's on the pageplus site first or can I go straight to callingmart refills?

 

[ImDonly1]

Found it - looks pretty good - but what about getting started... I see I can activate/port my current number at pageplus' site for $0, but can I keep an existing vzw phone to use? Do I need to buy a plan that's on the pageplus site first or can I go straight to callingmart refills?

You can bring almost any verizon phone unless its one of the new smartphones just released. Verizon prepaid phones don't work either.

I activated a Samsung Fascinate on it. It was very easy. I don't know if regular flip phones are just as easy. Post what kind of phone you have in mind.

You can buy the plan right away from callingmart.com. When you first port, pageplus will give you like $5 for free to try out the service and to add a plan before the $5 runs out. Also, look on google for callingmart coupons. They usually do 10% off.

 

[coloumb]

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the pre-paid phone plans. I personally went with i-wireless [LG Optimus S] specifically because I get free minutes just for shopping at Fred Meyers.

 

[railer]

My first smart phone was on t-mobile prepaid.

T-mobile coverage is absolutely terrible in upstate NY, so I dropped them for pageplus, which uses Verizon's towers, and therefore has arguably the best coverage in the US. If T-mobile or Virgin or any of the other smaller players have good coverage where you are, then I'm sure they would suit you just fine.

 

[NetGuySC]

Check out kittywireless.com, it's Page Plus's largest authorized reseller

You can bring almost any verizon phone unless its one of the new smartphones just released. Verizon prepaid phones don't work either.

I activated a Samsung Fascinate on it. It was very easy. I don't know if regular flip phones are just as easy. Post what kind of phone you have in mind.

You can buy the plan right away from callingmart.com. When you first port, pageplus will give you like $5 for free to try out the service and to add a plan before the $5 runs out. Also, look on google for callingmart coupons. They usually do 10% off.

 

[DaWhim]

in term of best bang of the buck for me? yes, tmo prepaid is absolutely the best for me.

the best part is not the credit on your bal is good for 1 year. the best part is after you got the gold status (once you filled it with $100), after 354 days, if you still have a balance, by refilling your account with ANY amount, that balance is good for another 365 days!

i think have refilled less than $200 since aug 2008 after i switched to prepaid with tmo.

 

[Pretty Cool]

Check out kittywireless.com, it's Page Plus's largest authorized reseller

I think they literally have 2 employees.

 

[Ksyder]

Another thing good about Page Plus is if you don't use up the $80 balance after a year as long as you renew the remaining balance rolls over.

 

[Yuriman]

This seems pretty attractive to me - can I activate an old verizon smartphone?

Anyone have any info on typical data usage of a smartphone? I rarely need to browse away from wifi, most of the data use would probably be newsfeeds, weather updates and texts.

 

[NAC]

I have platinumtel and am happy with it. It's on Sprint networks. Text is 2 cents - when i was shopping around I found that was cheaper than most pre-paid plans.

 

[rh71]

Anyone have any info on typical data usage of a smartphone? I rarely need to browse away from wifi, most of the data use would probably be newsfeeds, weather updates and texts.

I'm also always near wifi so my 4G usage in my very first month was only 500mb (out of 4GB alloted - so I wasn't even being conservative with browsing). WIth what you've mentioned, that'll be way less than that for a month.

I would've just kept the non-4G plan except my old phone with wifi never really got a good wifi signal even when near the router.

 

[rh71]

I don't know if regular flip phones are just as easy. Post what kind of phone you have in mind.

I just talked to pageplus and they say they sometimes have trouble with the Nokias and I should give them the ESN to see if it's ok. I don't have the phone on me at the moment... it's a Nokia 7205 Intrigue http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=6SY5T__IHaGy0AGsjq3UAg&ved=0CEUQ8wIwAQ