What prepaid phone should i buy

Check out our review: Apple iPhone 12 Pro. Many carriers rely on the Un-carrier for service, but none enjoy the same close relationship as Metro by T-Mobile. We also have an in-depth breakdown of the best phones if you want more options. Visible is similar to Metro and Cricket Wireless, though it holds a special relationship with Verizon instead. It only offers one plan but a solid selection of phones to go with it.

US Mobile only offers iPhones, and here are your options:. Dipping back into the T-Mobile umbrella, Simple Mobile is one of many carriers in the Tracfone family. Try these on for size:. Give our guide to the best plans a look before you switch to Simple Mobile. We also have an in-depth look at the best prepaid phones you can grab for the MVNO. Check out our review: Samsung Galaxy Note Google Fi is a great prepaid option, thanks to its multi-network structure.

You can switch between T-Mobile and US Cellular connections, and you can bring almost any current phone to the network. Here are our picks:. If we have to argue, however, on price for value alone, prepaid cell phone plans will always win out. What has your experience been with contract plans vs prepaid ones? Your thoughts are welcome in the comments. You can learn more about him on the About Page , or on his personal site RobertFarrington.

He regularly writes about investing, student loan debt, and general personal finance topics geared towards anyone wanting to earn more, get out of debt, and start building wealth for the future. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes. Other Options. Get Out Of Debt. How To Start. Extra Income. Build Wealth. Credit Tools. Home » Money » Prepaid vs.

The argument as old as time. Which is best: a prepaid cell phone plan versus a contract plan? The short answer to the question is that it truly does depend on your lifestyle and goals.

When Are Contract Plans Cheaper? The Stress of Contracts For those old enough to remember, it used to be that cell phone companies to protect their profits would have you sign a 2-year contract to be on their service.

All kinds of hilarious ads have been made to that effect. Readers Choice award from PC Magazine for highest ratings among prepaid carriers based on superior call quality. Rated best for frequent talkers, based on low minute rate, by WirelessGuide. Maybe you'd like to use a prepaid cell phone for calls to or from other countries. Go to the next page to learn more about international prepaid cell phones.

How prepaid users buy additional minutes: 36 percent buy a card at a local retailer and 36 percent buy through the provider's Web site. Making international calls from your prepaid cell phone may be easy -- if you're calling from the United States and your prepaid plan offers an international option.

If you plan to make calls from another country, however, you probably want to consider other options, like an international prepaid cell phone. Let's say you're calling from within the United States, using a Virgin Mobile prepaid phone as an example. For some countries -- like Canada, Puerto Rico or Jamaica -- you don't even need to dial Virgin Mobile charges the international per-minute rate for the country you're calling plus your standard airtime rate.

There's no additional international charge for calls to Puerto Rico or the U. Virgin Islands. If you're calling from another country, however, you're likely to have a problem with your phone's compatibility with local networks. Cell phone networks in the United States use several different technologies to transmit information. Cell phone users in those countries can buy one phone and simply switch to a different SIM card for phone access in each country. But unless you have the phone unlocked to work with other cell phone providers, you'll probably have to pay your company's international roaming rates.

Your service probably won't give you the code to unlock the phone, but several Web sites offer unlock codes for free or a small fee. SIM cards for various countries are available from Web sites such as Telestial. If you're going to be spending an extended time in a country, another option is to buy a prepaid cell phone once you arrive.

In almost every country, you get unlimited incoming calls for free. For lots more information on prepaid cell phones and related topics, see the helpful links on the next page. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar.

Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Cell Phones. How Prepaid Cell Phones Work. Prepaid cell phones are a great way to monitor teens' phone usage. Who Uses Prepaid Cell Phones? Read More. Advantages of Prepaid Cell Phones " ". Parents of teenagers. If you don't have any minutes left, you can't make calls or send text messages, although you can still call for emergencies and, with some phones, receive messages stored until you have the minutes to view them.

Parents can buy a cheap cell phone for a teen and a card per month for a set number of minutes, leaving the teen to budget use and pay for additional minutes. Occasional cell phone users. If you only use a cell phone for emergencies and perhaps a few calls a week, you don't need a fancy phone or a complicated billing plan.

A prepaid phone may work well, but make sure you know about any time limit on unused minutes. Short-term users.

Buy it, use it on vacation or while your regular cell phone is missing or broken -- and then throw it away. Trial users. Before committing to a long-term cell phone plan, use a prepaid phone for a month or two to gauge what your or your teenager's actual usage will be. Then you can find a plan with the minutes and calling times to match. Young adults and others with no credit history or credit card debt. Buying a prepaid cell phone doesn't require a long-term contract and credit check, so students with part-time jobs or older adults with no use of credit or a less-than-perfect credit record can get a phone easily.

Reaching out with Political Activism. Problems with Prepaid Cell Phones " ". Prepaid cell phone plans require users to monitor usage so they don't run out of minutes. Putting Names to Prepaid Phone Users. Prepaid Cell Phone Plans " ". Virgin Mobile's basic prepaid plan gives users the Aloha cell phone. Image courtesy of Virgin Mobile.

A daily fee applied every day or on each day you use the phone A roaming charge outside a certain area Fees that vary based on the time you use the phone Added charges for services such as text messaging, sending pictures or using the Internet. Prepaid Cell Phone Providers " ".