Pre-Paid cell phones?

A card has a certain amount of $$ on it, e.g. 20$.
Any call you make is substracted from that until it's empty. Then you need to buy a new one. Usually the tariff has certain times of the day when it's cheaper etc.
You can't overdraw but people can still call you when it's empty. You can still also call 911 (at least in Germany).

Usually, when you buy a phone you get a first card with a smaller amount, e.g. 20$ or so.

There should be some online sites that help you pick the best for you.

 

I use one of those Freaky. Pre-paid cards are needed every 45 days. Or you can buy time on the website with a credit card. Any unused time is carried over to the next 45 day period if you buy more time before the 45 days run out.

That's the tricky part. If you forget when you need to update your time, your phone will be turned off and you will lose all of your unused time.

It works well for me. I don't use mine much and can get by on $10-$25 every month and a half.

You just reminded me... I need to call and check on my current date.

 

Wow, I didn't know it's that different over here.

In Germany it's money-based, not time-based and it doesn't run out after some time.

 

I had some 'issues' with AT&T local service for about a month (went thru 3 new sets of #s and have about 6 month free service because of almost 30 days without a phone... and I just got a refund check on the old account ) and needed a quick solution.

I picked up a $49 Tracfone at my local Walmart plus a $25 60 minute card.

every 90 days you need to buy a new card, needed or not... but the minutes always carry if you've got them left. It comes with voicemail and it seems to grab the strongest carrier when you go thru activating (I've got a cingular # and voicemail).

It's very overpriced but great for emergency and minimal use.

 

I've got the Virgin Mobile Prepaid phone. I got the cheapest phone they have-i think it's called [their words] "The Party Animal" in other words it's cheap. The money part is: all minutes are .25 until you reach 10 mins into the day and then they are .10 . As far as topping up, you have 90 days from the last time you put money on it. Try www.virginmobileusa.com to learn some more information. I like mine since i rarely use it. For me, a monthly plan doesn't make any sense what so ever. I put $20 on it last time i topped up and that was back in May. I have till August 7th to get more money on it. I still have $12.55 on it. Also, you can receive text messages for free while it costs .10 per message to send them. If you have any other questions-either ask them on here or IM me on AIM. That's all

 

I would assume all calls wheter they are inbound or outbound. Thats how pretty much all cell phones are.

jtbp

 

your guys phones are complicated. i have a prepaid one i bought myself.. they activiate it in the store and do everything there so it works when you leave.. and you just buy cards with a certain number of minutes on them.

 

Go cricket man, its what I got. None of this hasle of having to buy cards, activate them and then running out of minutes in the middle of a conversation.

 

I used to work at a cell phone store and we sold a lot of brands.

Do not get prepaid unless you have to or you are planning on using very little minutes. Prepaid is a big rip off. Look at a regular cell phone plan and do the ratio between minutes to dollars. Then do the same for prepaid. yeah... Bad news right. You usually also loose free nights and weekends and such.

If you don't have credit not a bad way to get started.

you can buy cell phones on ebay for cheap! then get a plan. or if you can't get a prepaid.

All prepaids that I have worked with charge you for incoming and outgoing just like a regular cell phone.

Hope that helped

 

prepaids are great if youre just using it to call check in with your parents or call someone where theres no payphone or use it for quick phone calls.. but if youre gonna use it alot, like a few hours a nite or whatever.. dont get it.. way too expensive

 

yeah.. then prepaid would be for you. the only time id be on for mor ethen 10 minuites is if im camping or soem **** and im boredout of my mind and i wanna call someone

 

I use the Virgin phone too, "Party Animal", the cheapest one. I am a low usage person, so it suits me just fine.