Pre-paid Cell Phones

plowjockey · #1 02/26/10, 03:13 PM

Thinking about changing our kids to a pre-paid plan. They text almost 100% of the time, but our current plan has the basic services, that they never use.

Plus, we get dinged if someone sends a text message with an image, etc.

Anyone have a prepaid plan that works out good with kid's and text messages?

blooba · #2 02/26/10, 03:15 PM

I think there are one or 2 companies that have free texting as long as you have a balance, they probably ding ya on the pic messages but it would be worth it probably. It was probably Metro or Boost, not sure though.

Charly · #3 02/26/10, 03:35 PM

We recently switched our phones to the Walmart phones. Tired of being stuck in a contract. My husband and I chose their cheap phones and daughters paid the extra for a bit nicer phone. Husband and I don't mind them. Think it's Verizon service. What we like is that we pay $35 a month and nothing more per phone. This covers talking, texting, computer, but I only use the talking part. We all have minutes left at the end of the month except my youngest (my social butterfly). She ends using a good part of mine too. We keep saying we should probably buy Walmart's $45 option for her. That's unlimited. What's nice is... no contract and no fees or taxes on top of the 35 or 45 per phone. Kids hate that every time they go to make a call a voice prompt tells you how many minutes you have left before dialing

I'm happy with the $35 option. Don't recall how many minutes you get with this.

country_wife · #4 02/26/10, 03:58 PM

Hubby and I have prepaid Verizon wireless. Phones were around $20 each at walmart, and the minimum payment to keep service is $15 a month. The money you don't use will stay in your account, but you still have to add $15 each month to keep the service. We have the $10 texting package (on each phone), which is unlimited texting to verizon customers and 250 texts to non-verizon phones. With tax, we spend a total of $32.02 per month for both phones (NOT $32 each).

For calls, they offer several options, but I recently switched to the .25 per minute plan. I was on the $1.99 per day plan, with unlimited calls to verizon customers only on the days you use your phone, but even a wrong number or telemarketing call will ding you the $1.99. I only make calls in an emergency and send texts the rest of the time, so after switching, I still have money in my account at the end of the month.

GoldenCityMuse · #5 02/26/10, 04:16 PM

I still support tracfone, even with the poor overseas support.

Ken Scharabok · #6 02/26/10, 04:35 PM

First, I hate cell phones. However, have become convinced I do need one for emergencies. When to WalMart today to look at prepaid. As noted above, you can one time buy a VERIZON for about $20 and then have the option of $15 for a one month card, $30 for a two month card or $50 for a three month card. However, the clerk noted sometimes VERIZON users can send out or receive due to where they are located. My sister has VERIZON and she suggested I drive her around the farm to see where she can and where she can't receive the signal. For example, I suspect there wouldn't be receiption in the hay field up in the woods, but there should be in the three large fields.

elle · #7 02/26/10, 05:56 PM

I have a TracFone called Straight Talk cheapest phone costs $40.00 at Wal-Mart. They sell two cards for $30.00 you get 1,000 talking mins 1,000 text mins an 30 mb of internet, for $45.00 you get unlimited mins on everything both cards include voice mail. You can look at their phones an plans at www.straighttalk.com. I like mine so far it has worked really good. The left over minutes are not suppose to roll over but when I bought the $30.00 card this month all of my left over minutes from last month were left on the phone.

drakkensdottir · #8 02/26/10, 11:53 PM

We use virgin mobile. Have only found a couple of dead spots with no service and those are areas that we rarely travel to. We pay for a package -- it's 300 anytime minutes and 1000 nights and weekends at $30/month (for each phone) and I think it's another $10 for unlimited texts for the kid.

We've been very happy with them, excellent customer service, and ours were the first phones back online after Katrina for our part of Louisiana. We've been with them for 7 years now, with no plans on changing.

Hope this helps.

~Drak

65284 · #9 02/27/10, 12:14 AM

Can anyone please explain why they pay extra so a kid can text? I mean it's a blasted phone, phones are to talk on, what's with this texting nonsense? Seems like a lot of money wasted for what is essentially a fad.

Ken Scharabok · #10 02/27/10, 02:12 AM

Read an article on the top ten highest profit margin services. #1 was text messaging. Profit margin (mark up) was given at 6,500% over cost.

TheMartianChick · #11 02/27/10, 08:55 AM

I thought texting was a fad when we got cell phones for the kids through T-mobile 4 years ago. I didn't buy the texting plan.We gave them the phones and I had to go out of town for a business trip the next day. I was in meetings all day, everyday for a week. We had several situations arise that I was able to handle via text message that otherwise would have required back and forth phone calls. I saw the value in it after two days, that I called T-mobile from Kansas City and asked them to add texting to the plan. It was definitely worth it.

Right now, I would love to have a plan that is more texting than calling. None of us really make a lot of cell calls, but texting is infinitely useful for our lifestyle. We can send texts and not have to worry about interrupting a college lecture, a business meeting or anything else. We are with Verizon, now. We wouldn't trade their reliability for any other company. It is the only phone service that I have ever had that seems to get service everywhere without service issues.

drakkensdottir · #12 02/27/10, 10:50 AM

What I like about the texting is that I don't necessarily have a lot of noise going on -- no teenage chatter in my background, only the occasional laugh. Also, we can have just a texting package on the phones when money is tight -- which has come in very useful a couple of times. Texting doesn't bother me as long as she doesn't "speak" it in general conversation -- that would drive me nuts.

~Drak

Texasgirl · #13 02/27/10, 11:00 AM

We put ds on Virgin mobiles unlimited texting plan.
All he does is text so this works great for him.
We pay with all the taxes around $22 a month.

Txsteader · #14 02/27/10, 11:29 AM

Don't have any teens, but DH & I use Verizon. They upgraded their refill options last year and that's been a plus for us. And you have several different calling plans to choose from.

* $15-$29.99 expires in 30 days
* $75-$99.99 expires in 180 days
* $30-$74.99 expires in 90 days
* $100 or more expires in ONE YEAR!

country_wife · #15 02/27/10, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65284

Can anyone please explain why they pay extra so a kid can text? I mean it's a blasted phone, phones are to talk on, what's with this texting nonsense? Seems like a lot of money wasted for what is essentially a fad.

Personally, I hate talking on the phone. Texting is much easier. I can send a text and everyone in the room doesn't have to hear me bellowing into the phone, "Can you hear me NOW?". I don't have to make small talk or chit chat, I can text and tell the person just the main point of the conversation, saving myself a lot of time.

gina kay · #16 02/27/10, 01:34 PM

Dh and I have Boost. For $50 (each of us) we get unlimited talk, walkie-talkie, and texting to anyone (doesn't have to have Boost themselves) anytime, so we don't have to worry about waiting til after 7pm or weekends. They seem to be geared towards young people by seeing their commercials and listening to the music when I call their customer service.

rkintn · #17 02/27/10, 01:52 PM

My DD still has Verizon pre paid. I know she subscribes to the $10/mo for unlimited to other Verizon customers and as long as she doesn't make or take any phone calls, that is all she is charged. If I call her (from my Straight Talk phone) it doesn't charge her for the minutes in the call (ST piggybacks off of Verizon towers) but it does charge her a $1 for the day. So, theoretically, she could get away with just $10/mo w/Verizon for just texting.

I switched to Straight Talk and I got the $45/mo plan because I am using it as my primary phone and I don't want to have to worry about how many minutes I am using. Plus, my DD and I can text all we want without any extra charges. My mom and sister (along with her three daughters and hubby) have a contract plan w/Verizon, so we can all text and talk to each other without any extra charges, either.

Also, with ST my Verizon prepaid number ported over with no problems whatsoever.

arcticow · #18 02/27/10, 02:14 PM

Off thread a bit, but I have had kids almost walk out in front of my bus while texting... please just give 'em a bit of an admonishment to look around every 20 seconds or so while walking AND texting at the same time!

Mel- · #19 02/28/10, 10:45 PM

pagepluscellular.com uses verizons network and offers UNLIMITED talk and text for 39.99 a month. you can use any verizon phone. it's no contract.

BellsBunnies · #20 03/02/10, 08:14 PM

Boys have go phone-att service 15.00 for phones and 19.99 unlimited text per month