Prepaid Cell Phone Plans: Reviews

Updated April 2011

Prepaid wireless can save customers a lot of money - but it must also be reliable. Customer service plays a huge part as well. Editors first looked at large-scale customer surveys from reputable sources, followed by in-depth reviews from tech experts. User reviews are scarce, but still valuable.

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Prepaid cell phone plan with advanced phones

Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk

*Est. $25 per month and up Learn More

Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk looks a lot like a traditional cell phone plan -- only it's cheaper, with no contract and no commitment. You can get a prepaid BlackBerry or Android smartphone, with monthly plans starting at $25… expandfor unlimited texting and Internet, along with 300 voice minutes (or you can opt for the $60 plan which includes unlimited voice). T-Mobile Prepaid also offers smartphones, but its monthly plans have limits on data usage (web surfing, etc.). Virgin Mobile prepaid phones use the Sprint network. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org ranks six prepaid wireless providers -- including Virgin Mobile -- from best to worst, based on feedback from more than 58,000 cell phone users.

J.D. Power & Associates: In this survey of about 5,400 prepaid wireless cell phone users, Virgin Mobile rates average overall.

PCMag.com: In this annual survey of readers, Virgin Mobile rates average overall among prepaid wireless service providers.

About.com: After analyzing the costs of seven competitors, About.com's former cell phones guide Adam Fendelman concludes that Virgin Mobile offers the best prepaid wireless plans overall.

PrepaidReviews.com: Although editors at PrepaidReviews.com give Virgin Mobile 4 out of 5 stars, users aren't as enthusiastic, especially about customer service.

MSNBC: If you want a prepaid phone with no hidden fees, Virgin Mobile is one of your best bets, according to this article.

Savvy Senior: For seniors who want a cell phone for emergency or occasional calls, Virgin Mobile's pay-as-you-go PayLo plan is a good option, according to this syndicated column.

Best prepaid phone plan for occasional use

T-Mobile Prepaid

*Est. $10 for 30 min. and up Learn More

While an AT&T/T-Mobile merger is pending, the two will operate separately for at least the next year, so going with a T-Mobile prepaid phone plan is still a safe bet. Right now, reviewers say T-Mobile's pay-as-you-go… expandwireless service has an excellent combination of low-cost plans and good customer service. Its cheapest option is 30 minutes for $10, and minutes don't expire for 90 days -- a good deal if you don't use your phone very often. If you replenish your account before your minutes expire, unused minutes roll over. T-Mobile does offer monthly unlimited plans like Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk, but T-Mobile's plans have data-usage caps, and its prepaid cell phones aren't quite as advanced as Virgin Mobile's. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: T-Mobile is one of six prepaid wireless providers included in ConsumerReports.org's latest rankings.

J.D. Power & Associates: T-Mobile rates "about average" for overall customer satisfaction in this annual survey of about 5,400 prepaid wireless cell phone users.

PCMag.com: PCMag.com's annual survey polls readers about their prepaid wireless cell plans.

PrepaidReviews.com: Editors here give T-Mobile Prepaid 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Prepaid phone plan with international calling

TracFone

*Est. $10 for 30 min. and up Learn More

TracFone offers some unusual perks for a prepaid service -- like free international long-distance to 81 countries and a network that blankets nearly the entire United States. TracFone also has a variety of inexpensive… expandannual, monthly and pay-as-you-go plans to suit occasional callers and heavy users alike. However, unlike Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk and T-Mobile Prepaid, TracFone offers only basic handsets and no unlimited monthly plan. And while T-Mobile's prepaid minutes don't expire for 90 days, TracFone minutes expire in 30 days. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: TracFone is one of six prepaid wireless service providers ranked in this latest report at ConsumerReports.org, based on feedback from more than 58,000 cell phone users.

J.D. Power & Associates: TracFone ties for second place -- right behind its own subsidiary, Net10 -- in this survey of about 5,400 prepaid wireless cell phone users.

PCMag.com: In this reader survey, TracFone ranks first among six prepaid wireless service providers.

PrepaidReviews.com: Editors at PrepaidReviews.com give TracFone a 4-star rating (out of 5), praising its simple, low-cost phones and carry-over minutes.

Best as an emergency phone

T-Mobile Prepaid (annual plan)

*Est. $100 for 1,000 min. Learn More

Although an AT&T/T-Mobile merger is pending, the two will operate separately for at least the next year. And right now, T-Mobile still has the best deal if you mainly want a phone for emergencies. Most prepaid wireless… expandminutes expire in 30, 60 or 90 days, depending on the carrier and the plan. If you want to keep a phone on hand or in the car for emergencies, however, you don't want to have to worry about expiration dates. T-Mobile has the best prepaid annual plan, where $100 gets you 1,000 minutes that are good for a full year. TracFone has a similar plan, but $100 gets you only 400 minutes. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org polls more than 58,000 magazine subscribers, asking them to rate their cell service for call quality, handling of calls and complaints and billing problems.

J.D. Power & Associates: For overall customer satisfaction, T-Mobile ranks "about average" among nine prepaid wireless providers in this annual survey of about 5,400 prepaid wireless cell phone users.

PCMag.com: T-Mobile rates about average in this annual survey of prepaid wireless cell plan users, although it earns above-average scores for fees, plan options and customer support.

PrepaidReviews.com: T-Mobile Prepaid ties for first place with three other carriers in editors' rankings of 29 prepaid wireless providers.

Net10 *Est. $20 for 200 min. and up

3 picks including: J.D. Power & Associates, MSNBC…

Straight Talk *Est. $30 for 30 days and up

3 picks including: The New York Times, Viewpoints.com…

AT&T GoPhone *Est. 10 cents per min. and up

2 picks including: J.D. Power & Associates…