Over 30 cell phone companies currently offer pay as you go phone service, thus offering consumers a wide variety of plans to choose from. The mere number of choices can make it a little overwhelming for consumers to choose the right prepaid plan. Here are a few things to consider when looking for a pay as you go cell phone plan
Cell Phone Coverage area
Although many of the cell phone plans claim to offer service in particular states as part of the 'home' service, consumers should perform a double check to find out if the claim is valid. For instance, the TracFone prepaid plan is available in the New York area. While the services works well in the Metro New York area, the further north one travels, the more difficult it is to retain a cell signal. Therefore, upstate New York residents should look for a service that accommodates their area.
Pay as You Go Text Messaging Fees
No longer a service utilized by teens alone, more and more people have come to rely on text messaging as a less intrusive method of staying in touch. Consumers must find out how the pay as you go service addresses text messaging. Some plans include free text messaging between phones within the same network, while others charge a set text messaging rate.
It is important to understand how the pay as you go service charges for text messaging because text messaging can potentially use the available prepaid phone time. There's nothing worse than finding out at an inopportune time that the prepaid phone limit has been reached as a result of text messaging.
Cell Phone Usage
Some consumers opt for the pay a you go cell phone because they have minimal use for a cell phone. Rather than pay a monthly fee for something that is rarely used, the pay as you go option is more economical. If, however, situations change and the consumer needs to use the cell phone on a more regular basis, one should consider investigating monthly cell phone plans as it may prove to save money in the long run.
Pay as You Go Cell Phone Networks
Just like with some monthly cell phone plans, a variety of pay as you go phone plans, offer free calling during certain times of the day and free calling between phones within the network. Before purchasing a plan, consumers should take a quick inventory of the friends and family they're most likely to call. The mere fact of using a plan within the same network as the most frequently called friends and family members can save the consumer money.
Cell Phone Features
Pay as you go plans are not interchangeable. In other words, phones sold with a Verizon prepaid plan may not be used on a T-Mobil prepaid plan. Therefore, if there is a particular phone that seems to capture the heart of the consumer, it is best to review the plan to see if the phone can be used with the pay as you go plan. If not, a decision will have to be made as to which is more important, the cell phone plan or the cell phone itself.
For a comparison of pay as you go plans, visit About Prepaid Cellphones.com
Felicia A. Williams - Felicia A. Williams is a full time freelance writer with over 20 years of business writing experience.
