With the consumer change in cell phone preference, prepaid cell phone providers are changing to accommodate customer needs. In September of 2010, Verizon wireless introduced BlackBerry and Droid phones to their prepaid cell phone lineup. Now customers can have the freedom of a non contract phone service with the features offered by the upscale phones.
Before considering a BlackBerry or Droid on the Verizon plan, first understand how the Verizon prepaid plans work.
Verizon Daily Prepaid Wireless Plan
Verizon has a daily no contract plan which comes in three flavors; basic, core and power plan. Each plan has daily usage fees which ranging anywhere from $.99 a day to 3.99 a day. The plans offer unlimited in-network calling, but depending on the plan you may have to pay additional charges for out of network calling.
Because of its features, the BlackBerry and Droid phones, they are not compatible with the Verizon daily plan. To use either of the two phones, you must purchase the Verizon monthly prepaid plan.
Verizon Monthly Prepaid Plan
Similar to the daily plan there's no contract or credit check but unlike the daily plan, you are charged a monthly fee depending upon the amount of air time plan you selected. If you go over the monthly allotment, you will be charged a per-minute rate which varies depending on which monthly plan you have.
How the Verizon BlackBerry Prepaid Plan Works
The Verizon BlackBerry or Droid prepaid monthly plan works similar to the Verizon's contract plan. The only difference is that it will cost approximately five dollars more for the prepaid on a monthly basis than if you were to sign a contract with Verizon. For example, the 450 monthly airtime units will cost $59.99 with a Verizon contract, and $64.99 on prepaid.
There are a few other prepaid service fees such as and $.99 per day mobile use per any 24 hour period, or $.05 per international text messages. There's also the possibility of being hit with $35 activation fee (visit Verizonwireless.com for plan details).
Verizon Wireless Prepaid vs. Contract Cost Comparison
All things being equal, using the BlackBerry on a prepaid Verizon plan will cost an additional $60 a year when you factor in the $5 per month differential. The biggest cost difference, however, between the two plans is the phone purchase price.
If you commit to a credit check and a contract on the Verizon wireless plan, you get a deep discount on the phone price (some phones are free). The discount does not apply to prepaid phones. You can look to spend about $200 to purchase a prepaid BlackBerry or Droid. For example, as of this writing, with a two year contract, the BlackBerry Smartphone Curve 8530 is free. However, on the prepaid plan, the phone will cost $194.99 (a Droid phone will cost even more).
Everyone has his reasons for purchasing a prepaid plan; whether it's because of poor credit or the freedom of not being tied into a two-year contract. What ever the reason, it's up to you, the consumer, to thoroughly review your options to determine whether or not the cost/freedom is worth it.
Related Reading:
About Prepaid Cell Phones: Information on Verizon and other prepaid cell phone plans.
7-11 Speakout Prepaid Cell Phone Service: Prepaid cell phone service for Canadian customers
Felicia A. Williams - Felicia A. Williams is a full time freelance writer with over 20 years of business writing experience.
