Prepaid plans eliminate the chance of overages.
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Prepaid mobile service providers give you some advantages over their postpaid counterparts. While you have to pay before ever using your phone, you don't have to worry about a bill hanging over your head or incurring overage charges. You also don't have to submit to a credit check or sign a contract when you begin service. Multiple prepaid companies offer a variety of plans.
Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile, a company owned by Sprint wireless, offers three basic plans. All offer unlimited calling, messaging and data usage. At the time of publication, the monthly versions of these are $50 for standard mobile devices and $60 for BlackBerry devices, A third plan calls for $2 per day for unlimited use. International calling privileges are available for $5 more per month with the monthly plans. Boost Mobile offers multiple phones including the touch-screen Samsung Galaxy, PDA-style BlackBerry Curve 8530 and clam-shell style Sanyo Innuendo.
Straight Talk
Straight Talk offers two service plans as of 2011. The first is $30 per month and comes with 1,000 anytime minutes, 1000 text messages, free 4-1-1 information calls and 30 megabytes of data usage. The second includes unlimited calling, messaging, data and 4-1-1 calls for $45 per month. Among the available Straight Talk phones are the LG 420G flip phone, Samsung T340G slider phone and Samsung R355C full keyboard phone. To renew your package, you can call Straight Talk's customer service line or buy a card at a participating retailer.
Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile offers three calling plans. Each costs $10 more if it being used with a BlackBerry device. The $25 per month plan includes 300 minutes of airtime with unlimited messaging and data usage. The next step up is $40 per month for 1,200 minutes of calling and unlimited messaging and data. The $60 per month plan allows for unlimited calling, data and messaging. Virgin Mobile offers devices such as the touch-screen LG Optimus V, the full keyboard Samsung Intercept and the BlackBerry Curve 8530.
Tracfone
Tracfone offers less expensive plans with lower minute amounts. You can get 50 minutes per month for $10 or 125 minutes per month for $20. The $30 per month plan offers 200 minutes. Tracfone also has family plan add-ons for multiple users. You can add a second line with 50 more minutes per month for $10. Any lines after the first two are $6 monthly for 40 minutes. Tracfone carries phones such as the touch-screen Motorola EX124G, flip style Motorola W370 and bar style Motorola W175g.
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Photo Credits
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