pay as you go cell-phone ?

[danalee]

So anybody have one? Like it? Hate it? Good Deal? Some better than others?

I have a cuz who wants one for her daughter, a cell plan just isnt in the cards for her at the moment. So we have been checking these out, and well were confused! she was looking at the AT&T, Net something or other, SmartPhone and another I cant remember
Her DD wants it to text with.

any info anyone can share would help

 

[Imzadi]

You will probably get and find more results on the Budget Board.


I've had various Tracfone models for over 8 years. I absolutely love them.

Here is a recent thread I posted in which I reviewed the latest Tracfone I have. It is a camera cellphone, with some web capability and can also be used for texting, although it does not have a QWERTY keyboard.

Tracfone web & picture capability for same price of REGULAR Tracfone service!!!

The DD can have service as low as $10 per month or as many minutes as her mom will budget & allow.

Make sure she gets a "Double Minutes for Life" Tracfone model and always use a bonus promotional code for extra free minutes. It can bring the minutes down to 10 cents per minutes. Texts are less at .3 units. Every 3 texts equals a full minute. Sending picture to an email or another phone are about 1.5 - 2 minutes per picture, unless they are downloaded directly to the computer. (Directions are in my link above.)

Here are pictures I took with it this weekend:
Brag post: Macy's fireworks from MY window!

 

[golfgal]

Does the mom have a cell phone? If so, adding another line is usually only $9.99/month. What ever you do, don't load up on the talking minutes and get the unlimited texting plan-kids don't talk on the phone, they text. Usually adding a line on a family plan is less expensive then a pay as you go.

 

[CleoPahd]

When my daughter was younger and didn't text as much I swore by tracphone as a good starter phone because she was able to get the double minutes. Now that she's in high school all she wants to do is text. For her birthday we bought her an AT&T go phone. I did a lot of research on this to find the best deal. There are no contracts. For $10 a month she can have 1000 texts, and if she doesn't use them all, they will roll over into the next month. For $20 a month you can get unlimited texts. These plans are great IF you don't use the phone for voice calls. Otherwise it's $ .25 per minute, so it will add up quickly. The only catch is you have to make sure you upload money to the phone before the expiration date. The amount of the phone card you buy will determine how long it will be before the money expires. A $25 or $50 card will give you 90 days of service but a $100 will give you 365 days of service. They do charge a small monthly amount for taxes & fees. As long as you add a new card before the old one expires, all of your money will roll over as well to the new expiration date. It's really easy to understand, and you set up a web account to go with the phone so you can always see how much money you have, how many texts you've used, etc.

 

[luvmy3]

My dd has Verizon prepay right now. We pay $15 a month, $10 of it goes to her texting plan which is unlimited texts to other Verizon customers plus 250 texts for people on other networks. It works out well because most everyone she texts has VZW and she does not use her phone to make calls.
She had Virgin Mobile Texter's Delight Plan for awhile the same amount for 1000 texts a month, you could also do $20 a month for unlimited texts, phone calls were billed seperate at 10 cents per minute. She was unable to use the phone due to lack of coverage at our address so we switched her.

 

[jillyb]

I have a Tracfone and like it. It's nothing fancy but I can text with it. It does have Double Minutes for life and I use the booklet with the codes. I just add airtime as needed. If I send or receive a text it deducts 30 minutes from my minutes. The main thing I like about it is that if I don't use all my minutes by the end of the month I don't lose them. I think with most contract phones the lowest amount of monthly minutes you can get is 450. I never use that many minutes in a month so it was a waste of money.

I do have a Verizon LG ENV that I absolutely loved. Wish there was a way to be able to use it with Tracfone minutes!

 

[Imzadi]

I have a Tracfone and like it. It's nothing fancy but I can text with it. It does have Double Minutes for life and I use the booklet with the codes. I just add airtime as needed. If I send or receive a text it deducts 30 minutes from my minutes. The main thing I like about it is that if I don't use all my minutes by the end of the month I don't lose them.

You mean .30 minutes.

Every 3 texts = 1 full minute.

Yes, the minutes roll over if not used.

 

[dislal]

I would highly recommend tracfone. My two DD's have it, while it doesn't have unlimited texts, I think it has taught them a lot of responsibitlity. They know that they can only text so much ( whatever minutes THEY are able to buy with THEIR own money).


My DD15 has a friend who is alway losing or breaking her phone, I just think since she doesn't have to pay for it she is very irrisponsible with it. JMHO

 

[NotUrsula]

My family have been using Virgin Mobile for over 10 years now. They are now phasing out their per-minute charges and switching over to flat-rate unlimited-use monthly fees (no contract), but they have several texting plans.

The only caveat is that if you live in a rural area you may not get solid coverage. They use Sprint's network, and it has some issues in rural areas that are not near interstate highways.

 

[danalee]

thanks guys!!! Her DD had a trac phone but really wants a "slider" phone so thats why mom was looking for another one.

The mom has a cell, but its with her work so she cant add anyone~

We were looking at the AT&T Go Phone but like I said we were confused! I think we read to many boxes!

Thanks again I will pass the info along!!!

 

[jillyb]

You mean .30 minutes.

Every 3 texts = 1 full minute.

Yes, the minutes roll over if not used.

Yes...that's what I meant!

 

[Imzadi]

thanks guys!!! Her DD had a trac phone but really wants a "slider" phone so thats why mom was looking for another one.

The mom has a cell, but its with her work so she cant add anyone~

We were looking at the AT&T Go Phone but like I said we were confused! I think we read to many boxes!

Thanks again I will pass the info along!!!

The phone I linked to in my post above IS a slider phone. It's going for around $29.

It's about $20 more than their regular cheapie Tracfones for around $10. It's the first quality Tracfone I have gotten. I really love it. The fact that I have web capability, texting, a camera, and the regular phone service all for the same price as using a regular Tracfone makes it phenomenal. There are no extra web service charges with this particular phone.

Of course if DD is primarily going to be texting, you might want to go with one of the unlimited plans that others mentioned.

 

[lovetoscrap]

I found out about KAJEET cell phones from someone else on the DIS and I love it!!! They are company set up mainly for kids plans. DD's plan is $15 per month and she gets 60 minutes and UNLIMITED texts. She doesn't use much for minutes but boy does she use the texts! And no contracts and you can change your plan any time that you want to or cancel.

I have a Pay as you go phone right now (T-mobile) but am going to switch to a Kajeet plan also. And I want a slider phone also and they have refurbished ones right now for $129. I keep thinking that this really can't be true-- but we have had them for over a year now and have been very happy. DD just upgraded her phone from the basic model that she originally bought to a much nicer one.

You can check them out at www.kajeet.com

 

[Fire14]

Does the mom have a cell phone? If so, adding another line is usually only $9.99/month. What ever you do, don't load up on the talking minutes and get the unlimited texting plan-kids don't talk on the phone, they text. Usually adding a line on a family plan is less expensive then a pay as you go.

Tghis is what I found when getting a phone for my nephew. It was cheaper to add him to my plan vs buying pre paid.

 

[danalee]

I told her that the Dis Board folks would know there stuff!!!! you guys rock, thanks again for all the info!!

IMZADI- Wow I had a trac phone many moons ago and they have come a long way!! I did check out the link, but the slider phone she want slides..the other way, like long ways..I hope that made sense! kids, what can ya do!

LOVETOSCRAP- I never heard of those KAJEET phones! those are really nice for kids...I love the GPS tracking on them..plus the other parent features, very cool! I may have to switch my DS to that

CLEOPAHD- Your DD's AT&T Go Phone can she text other plans(verizon etc..) still with her $10 a month text plan? I know with plans sometimes its plan to plan, KWIM?
thats the phone the DD really likes, it was that one one and we think the Verizon, but one friend has Verizon and (get this) "she doesent really like her" so she wants AT&T Gotta love Girl drama!! So glad I have a boy!

I understand that adding her to moms plan would be cheaper but moms phone is with her work and she cant do that, and buying another phone with a plan to add DD would be kinda silly, at some point that may happen, who knows but not at the moment.

thanks again everyone!!!