Are you a prepaid phone user?  Whether you are presently using a prepaid cell phone or you plan to make a switch from post paid to a prepaid plan, below are some practical tips on how you can save your budget:

Get a prepaid plan that’s right for you. There are different types of prepaid phone plans depending on the service provider.  To get the most savings, you need to choose a plan that best complements your lifestyle and needs.

If you are still in the process of searching for a prepaid phone, check out cell phone review websites.  These sites have online comparison tools that allow you to see what each plan offers side-by-side.  Carefully consider your priorities when doing comparison.

Do not overload. Prepaid call cards come in various denominations from $10, $20 to $100 and higher.  When buying call cards, remember that these cards have expiration period when they have been loaded to your account.

Once you load it to your account, all the remaining balance you did not consume will be lost after the expiration date.   Hence, you should never load a very large amount of call card unless you are sure that you can use it down to the last second.

Have an extra call card on hand. Unlike a post paid plan where you can call or text anytime and worry about your bill at the end of the month, a prepaid plan has a disadvantage.  It can be annoying when you find that you have used up all your available balance and you need to make a call or send a text message at that exact moment.

Trying to look for a store that sells prepaid call cards or a reloading station can be a hassle.  Even worse, you may not find a place to reload your cell phone right away.  To avoid being in this situation, it is advisable that you bring an extra call card with you wherever you go.  This way, you can simply scratch the card and reload the balance to your account to continue using your phone.

Get to know your provider’s terms. Even though it’s prepaid and you are not required to sign any contract, it is still worth the step to get to know your prepaid cell phone service providers terms of service.

Which areas or cities can you expect available coverage?  What types of handsets are compatible with your chosen carrier?  How much does the carrier charge per minute of call or per text message?  What other phone features are provided?  Make sure that you are clear about the types of service you can get before buying your prepaid cell phone package.

About the Author

Tara Tiemann is a credit analyst for Go-prepaid.com which has been a resource site for people who want to live debt free. If you are on a budget using prepaid debit cards,prepaid credit cards and prepaid cell phone service can save you big money!

Are you aware that there are so many complaints filed against phone card companies? Some of the complaints spring from the fact that a lot of prepaid phone cards you buy from convenience stores do not provide the exact number of minutes that you paid for.

Still, despite the multitudes of complaints, unscrupulous companies that provide wireless prepaid cell phone service continue to sell out these phone cards and profit much from their cunning activities.

So, if you want to avoid being ripped-off, you have to be armed with helpful tips that will guide you in buying only legitimate prepaid phone cards. This way, you could be assured of getting your money’s worth paid on a prepaid phone card.

Some Helpful Tips

1. Purchase a phone card from a reliable supplier in the Internet. You could easily use the internet in searching for the Top 10 list of wireless prepaid phone service providers. If you have located a credible phone card provider, and you decide to purchase a prepaid card, you will be required to pay for your purchase using PayPal or a credit card. This works to your advantage. In what way?

By using these two secured methods, consumers like you will be allowed to run investigations on a company, should it fail to provide you the card you have purchased. These two methods are also governed by the Fair Credit Billing Act that allows consumers to file for disputes in case of a bad customer service.

2. Ask important questions prior to buying a prepaid phone card. You have the right to gain accurate information about the phone cards that you plan to purchase. So be upfront in asking these five questions:

• What is the rate that the prepaid phone card charges to my calling destination?
• What is the minute rounding and building schedules imposed on the card?
• What are the extra fees or taxes imposed on the calling card?
• Does the calling card have a date of expiration? Or how long can I enjoy the wireless prepaid phone service of the card you offer?
• Will I be charged for phone calls that failed to connect?

By knowing the answers to these questions, you could be guided on deciding whether or not to acquire of the wireless prepaid cell phone service that most phone card providers offer.

3. Be aware of the sly activities of scam artists. As we all know prevention is better than cure. So you need to be aware of the scams and schemes used by illegal distributors of calling cards. This way you could come up with your own preventive actions so that you will not be victimized by illegitimate providers of prepaid phone cards.

Remember these three helpful tips and for sure you will avoid filing complaints against unscrupulous phone card companies. After all, you need to have the assurance that the calling cards you would be purchasing will definitely amount to your money’s worth!

About the Author

Tara Tiemann is a credit analyst for Go-prepaid.com which has been a resource site for people who want to live debt free. If you are on a budget using prepaid debit cards,prepaid credit cards and prepaid cell phone service can save you big money!

It’s very convenient to own a wireless cell phone. Aside from receiving calls, there are many other features and applications such as receiving and sending text messages, internet access, and other functional activities.

It can be very expensive to maintain a post-paid cell phone or land line since you have to sign a contract with the service provider. One great option is to own a prepaid wireless cell phone in which there’s no need to sign a contract with the service provider. You only have to buy a wireless prepaid phone card to keep the prepaid cell phone service active. Of course, you have to buy a phone card that is going to work with your current phone provider.

Using a prepaid cell phone offers loads of benefits:

• You do not need sign up any contract with the service provider. You have the freedom to choose which prepaid cell phone provider you think is ideal for you. You may cancel the prepaid cell phone service anytime without incurring penalty fees.      

• There are no hidden fees, payment due dates or late penalty charges.

• Most prepaid cell phone providers offer lower rates compared to post-paid cell phone providers.

• You can limit your spending. There have been a lot of complaints from land line plan holders in terms of charges from their long distance and local calls. Others are finding it difficult to budget the long distance calls they make. In fact, some are charged for calls they never made.

• You can take and use your phone anywhere you want to since it’s wireless.  If you ran out of balance in your account, you can purchase prepaid cell phone cards anywhere- booths, malls, and even online.

• Adding minutes to your prepaid cell phone is very convenient. If you ran out of cash to purchase your prepaid phone card, you can use your savings account or credit card to transfer the desired amount to your cell phone. If you want to use your savings account, you just have to log in to your account online to reload amount to your cell phone. You can also go to the nearest ATM machine to transfer funds from your credit card.

• Using a prepaid phone helps you manage long distance calls that you make each month. To limit your calls, you can buy a phone card with a smaller denomination.

If you want to be worry free from unnecessary obligations and contracts, and to be able to control spending over phone calls, choose a prepaid cell phone for your business.

About the Author

Tara Tiemann is a credit analyst for Go-prepaid.com which has been a resource site for people who want to live debt free. If you are on a budget using prepaid debit cards, pre paid credit cards and prepaid cell phone service can save you big money!

With all the prepaid cell phone services in the market, how do you know which is the best choice for you?  Below are some tips on comparing different prepaid phone carriers:

Check out reviews. You can read online reviews to get to know the best choices in the market.  Obviously, if a certain cell phone company is not raving good reviews, there could something wrong or unsatisfactory with its service.  You can narrow down your options more quickly by checking out reviews from the internet.

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Compare prices. Everybody wants to enjoy the cheapest call rates and the lowest text messaging fees.  However, you want to make sure that you will enjoy real value for your money by choosing a reliable coverage and service.

Watch out for deceitful promos. Some cell phone service providers may introduce deceitful promos to invite more subscribers.  For example, you may be offered unlimited texting or unlimited calls but enjoying these privileges may be subjected to certain conditions.  You may only be able to use the unlimited texts and calls during past midnight until six in the morning.  Before subscribing to a prepaid service, make sure that you can really use the privileges offered.

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Understand how you can buy credit. Prepaid cell phones need to be reloaded with new credit in order for you to use them.  You can buy new credit either by using a prepaid phone card or transfer funds from your saving account or your debit card into your cell phone.  See to it that you are aware of how purchasing new credit is done particularly the duration period that you can use your credit.

Check out cell phone packages. Prepaid cell phone carriers offer combo packages that can enable you to save more money.  For instance, family packages are generally cheaper than buying individual cell phone kits.  You may even be able to enjoy free airtime, free text messages or bonus credit.

Read the terms and conditions. Regardless of which prepaid cell phone service you choose, take time to read and understand the Terms and Conditions.  Reading the fine print is the best way to compare cell phone deals effectively.

About the Author

Tara Tiemann is a credit analyst for Go-prepaid.com which has been a resource site for people who want to live debt free. If you are on a budget using prepaid debit cards,prepaid credit cards and prepaid cell phone service can save you big money!

Prepaid Cell Phone cards can really save you money. Especially if your home phone doesn’t have a good international phone plan, you can get a phone card instead of having to cancel your whole service.

Not all prepaid phone card services are alike. You really need to make sure you are working with a reputable company.

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Some of the complaints I’ve heard and experienced have been

• bad (or no) customer service
• Shorted minuted
• Bad connections
• Being charged a minute even if the call didn’t connect
• Hidden fees for using a pay phone
• Maintenance fees in super small script!
• Pin numbers that don’t work – but you can’t get a hold of the issuerer since their 800 number is always busy

If you want to avoid this type of trouble, before you buy your next prepaid phone card, make sure you know the answers to these questions:

• Read the information provided carefully. They have to disclose all maintenance fees up front. Be on the look out for surcharges, fees for calling from a pay phone, fees for making calls to cell phones or 800 numbers.
• Look for expiration dates. Some cards have them and whatever minutes you haven’t used on the card when it expires are forfeited. You won’t get them rolled into a new card
• Look for a customer service phone number on the card. Call it if you can before you buy the card. Try to see how easy it is to get your questions answered. If you can’t get thru that can be an indicator of trouble ahead
• Is the rate really low? Much lower than most companies, BEWARE! That can mean that there maybe hidden fess that more than make up for the savings.
• Make sure the card comes sealed in a package with the pin number hidden. Its too easy for someone to write down pin numbers and activate a card without it ever leaving the store. Wouldn’t you hate to buy a card, get it home and find out there are no minutes left on it!
• Make sure you understand how to use the card and the instructions are clear
• Make sure you know what the rates truly are. International rates are generally more than the domestic rates.

About the Author

Tara Tiemann is a credit analyst for Go-prepaid.com which has been a resource site for people who want to live debt free. If you are on a budget using prepaid debit cards, pre paid credit cards and prepaid cell phone service can save you big money!