Phone carriers zealously promote their prepaid cell phone services. They compete with one another to get the greatest number of mobile phone subscribers. And to achieve this goal, they promote low call rates, sleek cell phone models and amazing features.

But aside from the common things we see in phone advertisements, what are the real advantages of using a prepaid cell phone service? Does this service also have drawbacks? To answer these questions let us find out the pros and cons of prepaid cell phone services.

Benefits of Prepaid Cell Phone Services

1.Lack of Contract. The main advantage of a prepaid cell phone service is the absence of a contract. You are not tied to any company or monthly rate. Thus, you can spend as little or as much as your budget allows. This is especially beneficial if you rarely use your phone. It is because you don’t have to pay a fixed amount on a service that will only go to waste.

2.It is easy to get approved for this service. Companies do not perform credit check on their applicants for prepaid cell phone services. They also don’t require their applicants to provide an initial deposit to open an account. So, anybody can apply and get approved for this program.

3.Recommended for Parents and Children. Prepaid cell phone services are great options for parents who want their children to have mobile phones. This is because they can easily control how much their children spend on their phones.

Drawbacks of Prepaid Cell Phones Services

Now let us look at the cons of using prepaid phone plans.

1.Limited Selection on Cell Phone Models. Not all phone models work with prepaid phone plans. Thus you have a limited choice when it comes to the mobile phone you can use.

2.They are more expensive. The call cost is relatively more expensive in prepaid cell phone services as compared to monthly phone contracts. This is because the cost per minute in a prepaid plan is usually 2-3 times higher than contract plans.

3.Possibility of running out of minutes. There is a great possibility that you will run out of minutes when you use a prepaid cell phone service. Unless you are organized and mindful of your phone credit, you may run out of airtime and stop enjoying your call and text service. So if you want to avoid interruptions in your phone activities, you need to keep track of your mobile phone balances.

We hope that this short article helped you understand the pros and cons of using prepaid cell phone services. This way, you can decide whether or not you should take this mobile phone plan.

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!

A lot of people find it hard to decide whether they would buy prepaid phone plans or not. The dilemma usually lies on the difficulty of weighing out the pros and cons of using wireless prepaid phone services.

Actually the issue of whether or not to purchase prepaid phones is caused by the misconception and wrong information that people obtain about prepaid phones. So to finally correct these misconceptions, allow us to present the real benefits and disadvantages of buying and using prepaid cell phone service.

The Advantages of Prepaid Phones

Prepaid plans work best for teen agers. Through a wireless prepaid phone service, parents can easily control and manage the cell phone activities of their teenage children. Through a prepaid plan, parents can help their children understand the value of living – and in this case calling and texting – within their means.

Should they go overboard, these youngsters will be left with a mobile phone that will merely serve as a paperweight until new minutes could be loaded to it. Yes, prepaid services will teach your kids the value of responsibly managing not just their finances but also the minutes in their phones.

A prepaid cell phone service does not require providers to evaluate your credit report. Since your consumption of the minutes is limited, prepaid phone providers need not worry about the risk of offering this prepaid plan to as many people as they can. This means that everyone can enjoy the use of prepaid plans in their phones.

The Drawbacks in using Prepaid Phones

Now let us discuss the cons or disadvantages of prepaid phones. A lot of people usually complain about the high call rates charged on most prepaid phone cards. If we will look closely, most of the prepaid plans for cell phones charge higher costs per minute of call than post paid plans. Hence, a prepaid phone user needs to be conscious about the calls he/she makes.

Also, prepaid plans usually have expiration dates. To enjoy the continuous services of your prepaid plan, you have to re-load minutes to your phone. This will be a major drawback if you use your phone for web surfing, because your surfing will be interrupted once your prepaid minutes run out.

Lastly, some providers of wireless prepaid phone services deactivate not just your phone but even your phone number if you fail to reload immediately. This will require you to re-do the whole application process just so you could get a new phone number.

Now that you know the real pros and cons of using prepaid phones, we hope that you can analyze and finally decide whether or not to purchase a prepaid phone plan.

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!

In response to the economic slump, prepaid cell phone plans are indeed increasingly becoming popular among consumers worldwide.  If you’re someone who spends less than 300 minutes of cell phone calls in a month, then you can save your budget by switching to a prepaid plan.  Yes, you can cut back your costs to only $25 per month as opposed to paying $60 a month on a post paid cell phone service.

Once you have decided to go with a prepaid cell phone service, the more important question is, which plan can save you more money?  Below are some tips on how you can save extra dollars more by choosing the right prepaid cell phone deal:

Compare online. The best way to compare different prepaid cell phone services is through the internet.  Check out cell phone comparison websites which presents the rates, fees and services of various cell phone services available in the market. These websites even provide reviews from other consumers or prepaid cell phone users so you can get a better idea as to which carrier offers the best deal.

Skip unnecessary features. Take note that prepaid phone plans usually do not include extra phone features such as call waiting, call forwarding, and voice mails.  If you really need to use these options, make sure that you understand how much your chosen carrier charges for each service.  However, if you do not need to use these additional functions, then you might as well save your money and use it on more important expenses.

Pay only for the minutes you used. Prepaid phone call cards can be bought in different denominations ranging from $10 to as much as $100 and up.  You have to be aware of the exact duration of your balance once you have loaded it into your account.  Bear in mind that lower call card denominations may have shorter expiration period as well.  If you’re going to purchase $50 of load that lasts only for 30 days, make sure that you will be able to consume your load down to the last minute.

Take advantage of free minutes and texts. To keep up with the tough competition, prepaid cell phone service companies come up with different promotions to attract more customers.  Surely, there is not one package that will give you both unlimited calls and texts at a cheap price so you need to consider your priorities.

For instance, if you seldom make calls and use your cell phone mainly for text messaging, perhaps you may look for a package that offers unlimited text messages but less call time at a cheaper price.   On the other hand, if you prefer calls over SMS, then you may pick out a plan that offers free call minutes but less text messages at a low price.  By carefully examining your options, you will able to choose the best package that complements your needs.

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 phones or pay-as-you phone plans are increasingly becoming popular these days as consumers try to find ways to save their budget.  But are all prepaid cell phone services really as good as they promise to be?  How can you find a prepaid cell phone service that’s best for you?

Below are some points to remember when comparing different prepaid cell phone plans:

Know your personal needs. All of us have different needs and purposes when it comes to using cell phones.  Before shopping around for cell phone deals, you need to know your priorities.  For instance, will you use your phone mostly for texting?  Will you need to make out-of-the country calls on a regular basis?  Do you need a roaming service?  Is there a particular cell phone unit that you prefer to use?  Jot down your priorities and use this list when evaluating plans.          

Use online comparison tools. You can find websites that not only offer reviews but also a comparison tool that you can use to match up different prepaid cell phone services side-by-side.  This way, you can immediately see the pros and cons that each cell phone carrier offers.

Pay attention to the fees. True enough, using a prepaid cell phone plan can enable you to save money as long as you know how to control your usage.  Nevertheless, when managed incorrectly, using a prepaid plan can prove to be a lot more expensive.

For example, if you spend a lot of time on calls on a daily basis, you may be better off with a post paid plan.  Keep in mind that prepaid phone plans are charge by the minute so when you ran out of call time, you will need to buy a new call card to reload your account.

Check out the phone units. If you are going to purchase a prepaid phone kit that comes with a handset, see to it that you know what you’ll be given.  One thing you can do is to visit a wireless phone center or store where varying handsets are displayed.  This way, you’ll get a better idea about the type of prepaid phone unit you will get.

Check the features included. Unlike a post paid plan, certain features may not be provided by your prepaid cell phone service provider.  You may need to send a request to your carrier before you can enjoy special phone functions such as call waiting, call forwarding, voice mail, etc.  Take note that subscribing to each of these features will cost you an additional payment.

Wireless Internet Capability. Do you need to use your mobile phone to surf the internet?  If you do, be sure that the type of handset you will be provided is capable of connecting to the internet.  Also, check with your carrier how much you will pay on per minute surfing.

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!

Nowadays, wireless cell phones are considered to be an essential part of everyday life. There are basically two ways to get a wireless phone service. You can either subscribe to a post paid plan or get a prepaid cell phone package. Which one is for you? In this post, let us compare the advantages of a prepaid phone plan over a post paid one.

Prepaid – Pay As You Use It

Wireless prepaid phones are perfect for people who need a mobile phone but seldom make calls or send text messages. Although the per minute call charges are much higher with a prepaid plan, you can save a great deal if you are a limited cell phone user.

Prepaid call cards range from as low as $10 to as high as $100 and up. At .10 cent per minute, a $10 load will give you at least 30 minutes of talk time that will not expire up to 30 days. The higher the denomination of your call card is, the longer lifespan of your credit would be.

What’s great about prepaid phone plans is that you are not bounded by any contract. If you are not satisfied with your carrier’s service, you can easily make the switch to a different prepaid cell phone service provider without any hassle.

Prepaid Phone Limits

Are there disadvantages to using a prepaid plan? If have been used to using a post paid cell phone, switching to a prepaid plan may be inconvenient at first. Remember that you will have to buy a new call card and reload each time you run out of balance. For some people, this could be a major drawback especially during times when you need to make an emergency call. Nevertheless, one solution to this problem is to reload your account immediately before or as soon as your last load expires.

Set a definite monthly budget and stick to it. If you don’t, you may end up spending more with a prepaid phone than with a post paid package. Be conscious about the expiration date of your balance each time you reload your account. There are prepaid wireless service providers that will automatically carry over your unused calls or texts as long as you reload the day before your balance expires. If your carrier does not have this provision, load only the exact amount that you can use to avoid wasting your credit.

When Post Paid is a Better Option

If, after considering your situation, you feel that a post paid plan is a more practical choice, you can save more money by choosing the right plan and service provider. Spend time reading the fine print before signing up your contract. Compare the rates and the services offered. You can also ask your friends and family members who have a firsthand experience in subscribing to a particular phone plan and carrier or check out cell phone reviews online.

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!