GoPhone questions

[zoemurr]

OK.. we have had tracfone for years and I know how that works.. My DD is 13 and doesn't use the phone a ton. She has a double minute tracfone.

I'm trying to decide between a triple min phone or a GoPhone. Still trying to figure out how the GoPhone works.

For Tracfone I can pay $100 and we're set for the year.
For GoPhone for $10 a month she can have 1000 texts right? Do I have to remember to do this every month? How do we get the 10cents a minute also?
Can she keep the phone # she has now?

Thanks!

 

[Nayan]

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/plans/prepaidplans.html

 

[zoemurr]

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/plans/prepaidplans.html

there of course but didn't see the answers to my questions.. if they are there could you please point them out?

Does anyone have one of these that they can help? Thanks.

 

[mrodgers]

Sorry, I saw your PM to me a while ago, but I was at work. I haven't had much time on the computer since and forgot about the PM. I was going to respond to you, but then had to run away from the computer (at work... shhhhhh..... )

Yes, you can upload $100 to your GoPhone account. $100 is good for 365 days.

Other amounts you can upload is, $15 for 1 month, $25, $50, and $60 good for 3 months. If you don't reupload when the time is up, you lose the money.

Yes, you have to buy the feature packages every month from the account balance (you buy the 1000 texts for $10 each month.) It is on a 30 day rotation, so it won't be the exact same date every month. You will get a text several days before the 30 days is up.

I think it will automatically be $0.10/minute if you do not purchase a calling package. I bought my 3 phones at the AT&T store and told them I will just do the $0.10/minute, so they set it up for me so don't quote me on that, but I think it would be automatic.

If you get one of the smart phones, then you can only have data if you have at least the $25 calling plan. I had data on my wife's and my phone, but they changed that back in April. I never used any data anyways. Now we have 3 phones and no data on any of them since we are $0.10/minute on all the phones.

Hope that answers it for you. Any more, just ask. Have had ours since last Christmas and just got the 3rd one for our daughter last month.

 

[zoemurr]

I think I'm getting closer. The guy at Best Buy said I could tie it to my cc and have the $10 taken off automatically every month.. you don't do that?

Do you just click on the phone what you want to do? What would be the benefit of putting $100 on at a time then if you still have to remember to do it every month?

Do you think she can keep her #?

She doesn't really like any of the GoPhone options even though she would get more texts, so not sure she wants to switch anyway.

Thanks!

 

[Nayan]

I grab a $15 card at Walmart and put minutes on my phones that way. If you want a texting plan then I think you have to use a CC but I don't text so I'm not sure about that. You can do the same as you do now and put $100 and it'll last for the year.

 

[mrodgers]

I think I'm getting closer. The guy at Best Buy said I could tie it to my cc and have the $10 taken off automatically every month.. you don't do that?

I think you stated wrong when you say "cc". The text package or calling package can be auto renewed from the GoPhone account (that you've uploaded money or activated a store bought GoPhone card) but I've read a good bit at the Howard Forums about how it gets screwed up and renews directly after the expiration of the previous months. That means you lose the previous months text/minute balance. Renewing yourself prior to the midnight (I think) deadline rolls previous text balance over.

Do you just click on the phone what you want to do? What would be the benefit of putting $100 on at a time then if you still have to remember to do it every month?

Do you think she can keep her #?

I don't know if you can do it on the phone. You will be able to log into the account online (phone number is the account number you log in under.) I upload money to the account online then buy the monthly feature I want from the money that is in the account.

No benefit to putting $100 on vs. $25 since it would be the same amount within a year (the $25 is for 3 months.) If you do 1000 texts every month, then $25 isn't enough for 3 months nor is $100 enough for a full year. I stagger and some months do 200 texts because we don't use a full 1000 each month.

For the phone number, I don't know how to do it online myself, but at the AT&T store, they asked if I had an old phone number to keep. I just got new numbers for our phones.

I grab a $15 card at Walmart and put minutes on my phones that way. If you want a texting plan then I think you have to use a CC but I don't text so I'm not sure about that. You can do the same as you do now and put $100 and it'll last for the year.

You don't need a CC. You purchase text just the same as you purchase minutes. You buy a $15 card and activate it putting $15 into your account and buy calling minutes that way. I log in online and upload $15 from my bank/cc account to the GoPhone account and then purchase my texts the same as you buy a calling plan. You purchase everything from the GoPhone account balance and don't need a CC to purchase. The only reason for the CC is to upload a set amount of money to the account instead of buying the cards as you do.

 

[zoemurr]

I think you stated wrong when you say "cc". The text package or calling package can be auto renewed from the GoPhone account (that you've uploaded money or activated a store bought GoPhone card) but I've read a good bit at the Howard Forums about how it gets screwed up and renews directly after the expiration of the previous months. That means you lose the previous months text/minute balance. Renewing yourself prior to the midnight (I think) deadline rolls previous text balance over.


I don't know if you can do it on the phone. You will be able to log into the account online (phone number is the account number you log in under.) I upload money to the account online then buy the monthly feature I want from the money that is in the account.

No benefit to putting $100 on vs. $25 since it would be the same amount within a year (the $25 is for 3 months.) If you do 1000 texts every month, then $25 isn't enough for 3 months nor is $100 enough for a full year. I stagger and some months do 200 texts because we don't use a full 1000 each month.

For the phone number, I don't know how to do it online myself, but at the AT&T store, they asked if I had an old phone number to keep. I just got new numbers for our phones.


You don't need a CC. You purchase text just the same as you purchase minutes. You buy a $15 card and activate it putting $15 into your account and buy calling minutes that way. I log in online and upload $15 from my bank/cc account to the GoPhone account and then purchase my texts the same as you buy a calling plan. You purchase everything from the GoPhone account balance and don't need a CC to purchase. The only reason for the CC is to upload a set amount of money to the account instead of buying the cards as you do.

I just came from the AT&T store and 3 people told me that if I buy 1000 texts for $10 that there is no way to roll over the unused texts to the next month.. ("we used to do that but not anymore") but that is not what you guys are telling me, right? I went to two different stores and their service and knowledge was not at all impressive. They weren't sure if she could keep her tracfone phone # either.. what a waste of time.