Dumb question - any pre-paid smartphones?

[Karenj2]

Here's the reason for my dumb question - our non-profit organization sells merchandise at events to offset our costs, and we've wanted to be able to accept credit cards for a long time now, but don't want the traditional swipe machine because of the merchant service fees they charge.

One of our members saw an ad for "Square" (?), which is a card reader that attaches to your smart phone as part of a merchant service. The rates weren't too bad, and there was no monthly fee. The downside is that not that many of our volunteers have smart phones that work with the card reader... So, we were contemplating getting a smart phone JUST for our events, but we don't want to have to pay a monthly fee for the phone (or realistically, we'd like to pay as little as we have to.)

Are there any smartphones out there (like Droid, iPhone, etc.) that can be run on a pre-paid basis, and not a annual contract?

 

[plummer925]

Here's the reason for my dumb question - our non-profit organization sells merchandise at events to offset our costs, and we've wanted to be able to accept credit cards for a long time now, but don't want the traditional swipe machine because of the merchant service fees they charge.

One of our members saw an ad for "Square" (?), which is a card reader that attaches to your smart phone as part of a merchant service. The rates weren't too bad, and there was no monthly fee. The downside is that not that many of our volunteers have smart phones that work with the card reader... So, we were contemplating getting a smart phone JUST for our events, but we don't want to have to pay a monthly fee for the phone (or realistically, we'd like to pay as little as we have to.)

Are there any smartphones out there (like Droid, iPhone, etc.) that can be run on a pre-paid basis, and not a annual contract?

I have two suggestions for you!

First - we have a merchant account through Propay (www.propay.com) - it is a one time annual fee, no other fees unless you process - the fees are AMAZING (better than any local bank here in Maine!) and I bought a swiper from them that does NOT need a phone - I think it was $99 for it - I can take it to craft shows and stuff - it stores up to 70 transactions then you hook it up to your computer when you get back. If you have wi-fi where you are, you can keep it hooked to the computer and not have to store the transactions.

Second - we have our phones through Straighttalk - they do have smartphones available.

Good luck!

 

[Nayan]

Make sure first that it will work with a pre-paid.

 

[timmac]

First the simple answer: yes, there are android and iPhones that can be had outside of a contract, that you can use with a prepaid service. The downside is that you won't get the carrier supplement on the purchase price of the phone, that you normally get when you sign a 2 year contract. Thus, your purchase price for the phones themselves will be significantly higher. (Depending on the model, anywhere from $100-700)

 

[dobirdsmommy]

Everyone in my family has boost mobile and have had it for years. We have blackberries smartphones. They shrink your plan every 6 months by 5 dollars. I am currently paying 55 a month unlimited everything. Bb start at 60 and drop 15 max. just another option. Boost is owned by sprint

 

[letsgoreds]

I purchased a Samsung Nexus Galaxy direct from Google for $400 that is factory unlocked, meaning I can use it with ANY carrier (GSM). I use this phone with T-Mobile who has a $30 monthly unlimited data, unlimited text + 100 minutes. There are other options for sure.

Tracphone also has 'smart' phones...not sure how smart they are. I would check out the Tmobile website. Craigslist is loaded with smart phones. Some are tethered to certain carriers, but many can be unlocked/etc.

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

Verizon overs prepaid smartphones.

 

[Nayan]

Since no one ever Googles questions anymore, I did. It will work with Pre-Paid phones and many suggest either Boost or Virgin Mobile.

 

[JB2K]

Are there any smartphones out there (like Droid, iPhone, etc.) that can be run on a pre-paid basis, and not a annual contract?

Simple, 5-second answer is "yes" -- from most major carriers, too (the easiest way to see for yourself is to check-out the racks at Target or Walmart).

 

[DisneyEater]

If you have wi-fi where you will be accepting the payments, you may not even need the service, just phones or tablets. That way you can check out Ebay or something to possible get the phones you need cheaper.

 

[megveg]

Virgin Mobile offers pre-paid Android phones and will offer the Iphone soon as well. For $35 a month, you get 300 talk mins and unlimited data and messaging. Square is an app you can get and it works really well. You can take cash, swipe cards, or even type in the credit card number. It takes a few days to deposit to the account you link it to, and there are some fees, but overall its not hard to use. With the phone, you can buy one on ebay or amazon for cheaper than what VM is selling them for. Good luck!