How do I activate an Iphone without a service contract

[runwad]

Well the time has come, I can't put it off any longer, my 3 teenage kids want Iphones and they're all willing to pay for them. We checked out Verizon and for all 3 of them to be on a plan it would run then roughly $50 each a month. Ugh I know I'm in the minority but I just think that is so much and hate to see them start down that path. So what's a cheaper alternative? I see we can buy the Iphone 5C for $99 from the apple store. Now what can we do with it? Any pay as you go plans we can use that use the Verizon towers? Cause honestly that is what we get the best service on in our area. We don't need big data, they will use Wi-Fi, but I just don't want to start down the path of big cell phone bills for them in a contract. Anyone have any tips for us? Thanks!!

 

[mickeymaker2003]

The price at the apple store includes a contract. You can't just buy the phone for $99 without signing a two year contract with a carrier.

 

[wilkeliza]

Verizon has a pay as you go plan or at least they use to. It is still about 50 a month for each of them though. Also you don't get discounted phones.

As the previous poster mentioned the $99 for a 5C is with a 2 year agreement. You may just be better getting them Ipod touches. The new ones look exactly like iphone 5s and can do anything an iphone can as long as over wifi especially if you download google voice.

 

[Burnedout]

We have the 4 for $160 plan and then added my mom and one more for $15 a piece. 10gb to share and since we all have wifi at work or school we don't even tough that amt.

Lol forgot to add that I believe verizon has a similar plan!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Verizon has a pay as you go plan or at least they use to. It is still about 50 a month for each of them though. Also you don't get discounted phones.

As the previous poster mentioned the $99 for a 5C is with a 2 year agreement. You may just be better getting them Ipod touches. The new ones look exactly like iphone 5s and can do anything an iphone can as long as over wifi especially if you download google voice.

It's completely impractical to have an iPod Touch as a phone replacement. I can't imagine only being able to make or receive phone calks when wi-fi is available.

 

[DisneyCrazyX5]

Love my iTouch. It worked great for me at WDW. I could send messages and facetime with no bill. I am fine anywhere we have wi-fi and I can use my oldest son's hot spot when we travel. Maybe you only need one iPhone with a hot spot on it.

 

[Jeff_G]

Purchase the phone from an apple store at full price. Then you can use any carrier and their plan. DW is using a pay as you go plan from T-mobile.

Or talk then into an android phone with a prepaid plan.

 

[sm4987]

My son brought his iPhone from Virgin Mobile and it is pay as you go. Of course you have to buy the phone full price, but he save and now he's only paying $33 a month and that's with tax.

 

[wilkeliza]

It's completely impractical to have an iPod Touch as a phone replacement. I can't imagine only being able to make or receive phone calks when wi-fi is available.

They asked for alternatives not necessarily practicality and something that would their kids monthly.

I have no clue where the OP lives but where I live and travel you can rely on wifi because between Starbucks, hotel free wifi, our home wifi, my office wifi, and even WDW wifi when we are there I can use just my google voice account or my call over wifi feature on my S5 if using my Galaxy instead of my deactivated iPhone 5.

 

[EMode]

My dd uses an iphone 5 on Page Plus for $30 a month, they use the verizon network. She got the phone for Christmas and I had to pay full price (from Straight Talk).
I could have purhased a used Verizon iphone but I wanted her to have new.
Verizon now allows Iphone 4 and 4s to be activated on Page Plus so that is an option.

 

[runwad]

No we need phones, they do have the touches. My oldest is going to be commuting to college so she needs a phone. So were do I buy a full price iphone and is there anywhere to get it at a good price?

 

[ellochka]

If you are concerned about $50 phone charge per three lines, you are not going to like full price iPhone prices. The 5s at Apple start at $650 each. If you want a cheap one, search for a used one on eBay. There are out of contract phone being sold for $100 to $200 for a 4s.

 

[ellochka]

My dd uses an iphone 5 on Page Plus for $30 a month, they use the verizon network. She got the phone for Christmas and I had to pay full price (from Straight Talk).
I could have purhased a used Verizon iphone but I wanted her to have new.
Verizon now allows Iphone 4 and 4s to be activated on Page Plus so that is an option.

That would be ~$90 for three lines, since they don't have family plans. All of the sudden $50 for three lines starts to look like a bargain...

 

[kimk2230]

I bought my ds a used iPhone 4s on ebay for Christmas. I paid 200.00 for the phone and it is in perfect condition. We have him on page plus that use verizon towers. For 12.00 a month he gets 250 min/250 texts and 10mb of data. He is mostly on wifi but he does go thru the data pretty quick. To sent him a text from my iphone I can't send him one thru iMessage I have to change it to a text and it works fine .

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

They asked for alternatives not necessarily practicality and something that would their kids monthly [?]

I have no clue where the OP lives but where I live and travel you can rely on wifi because between Starbucks, hotel free wifi, our home wifi, my office wifi, and even WDW wifi when we are there I can use just my google voice account or my call over wifi feature on my S5 if using my Galaxy instead of my deactivated iPhone 5.

Sorry, substituting an iPod Touch for a cell phone is not only impractical, it's not an alternative. Sure, you can get wi-fi at home and at Starbucks, but how are you going to make a call from your car? Or walking down the street? What if there is an emergency? It doesn't matter where the OP lives; free or even paid wi-fi coverage is very spotty.

OP, I agree that you should look for a good used out of contract iPhone on eBay. Only buy from a seller with a lot of excellent feedback for selling phones.

 

[EMode]

That would be ~$90 for three lines, since they don't have family plans. All of the sudden $50 for three lines starts to look like a bargain...

The OP said that it would run them $50 each a month, so Page Plus would actually be $20 cheaper each month for each of them.

 

[HM]

Virgin Mobile No Contact
$30 a month if you put a credit card on the account. $35 if you use top up cards.
300 phone minutes/unlimited data and text

Best deal we've found. We bought both our children (and later my DH) iPhone 4s (now on sale).

 

[hsmamato2]

OP, no offense, but it sounds like you haven't done much research.... You really,really need to read,esp. the fine print on these things. In short, you have a few options-
1- pay FULL price for a new iphone-(500-600.00) without a contract, but you save by using a prepaid service such as Virgin Mobile,straight talk,Pageplus,etc.
2- Buy a new iphone for discount ,say 99.00,and pay through the nose for at least 2 years on the contract (in effect you pay for the phone that way) Don't forget, that simple contract you start with ALWAYS adds extras,fees,etc every mont to that price.
3- buy used Iphones from somewhere (ebay maybe) pay approx 200.00 for a 4s, pay approx. 30 per month per line on a prepaid. But then you get into the whole "what if it's broken/stolen/a scam' problem buying 2nd hand. It happens.
either way, you WILL pay for that iphone,upfront,or over time in contract costs.
If 50.00 a month sounds like a lot,well, that's why I recommend you really start researching this stuff. It is expensive to do what you're proposing for 3 kids.
Personally I use DH's hand me down iphone 4s on Pageplus,and I keep the data shut off mostly on a 30.00 per month plan. works for me. (I've been burned by a bad ebay used Iphone purchase before)

 

[ellochka]

The OP said that it would run them $50 each a month, so Page Plus would actually be $20 cheaper each month for each of them.

Here is the exact quote: "We checked out Verizon and for all 3 of them to be on a plan it would run then roughly $50 each a month."

I have read that $50 is for "all 3 of them", which was consistent with a going rate of ~$15 per additional line, and they can share the family data plan. However, it may be true that they are $50 each, which probably means that she wants to give them all three a very large individual data plan, which makes no sense.

 

[HM]

Here is the exact quote: "We checked out Verizon and for all 3 of them to be on a plan it would run then roughly $50 each a month."

I have read that $50 is for "all 3 of them", which was consistent with a going rate of ~$15 per additional line, and they can share the family data plan. However, it may be true that they are $50 each, which probably means that she wants to give them all three a very large individual data plan, which makes no sense.

The latter part of the sentence is the actual clue to what she means..
"roughly $50 each".