Best Reviewed
Prepaid Cell Phone Plans
- Prepaid cell phone plan with advanced phones Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk *Est. $35
- Best prepaid phone plan for occasional use T-Mobile Prepaid *Est. $10
- Prepaid phone plan with international calling TracFone *Est. $10
- Best as an emergency phone T-Mobile Prepaid (annual plan) *Est. $100
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Pros
- Low-cost service
- Simple flat-rate unlimited minute plans
Cons
- Regional coverage
- Customer service complaints
- Low marks for performance/reliability
MetroPCS ranks in second place among prepaid wireless providers in the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates national survey, where it is rated against Virgin Mobile, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and other carriers. Customers at PrepaidReviews.com also complain about MetroPCS's customer service and limited regional coverage, although editors like that MetroPCS uses a flat-rate, unlimited-minutes system, which eliminates the need to monitor usage. A monthly plan with unlimited local and long-distance calls, text and picture messages and MetroWeb (with access to most websites) costs $40.
For $5 more, you can add unlimited international text messaging and more; another $5 adds unlimited email access, instant messaging and MetroNavigator GPS navigation. BlackBerry service costs $10 more. Like Virgin Mobile, MetroPCS offers some advanced handsets, such as the Samsung Galaxy Attain (*Est. $220) running Android 2.3. Virgin Mobile's Beyond Talk Unlimited plan (*Est. $60 per month) costs more than MetroPCS for unlimited talk, text and data, but Virgin Mobile (on the nationwide Sprint network) gets better ratings for performance and customer service.
J.D. Power and Associates rates MetroPCS based on a poll of about 6,400 prepaid wireless users, and PrepaidReviews.com posts feedback from more than 200 MetroPCS users. ConsumerReports.org places MetroPCS near the bottom of the pack, and TopTenReviews.com puts it in eighth place in their review. Rounding out our list of reviews is CNET, which evaluates MetroPCS along with eight other prepaid wireless carriers.
Our Sources
In this survey of about 6,400 prepaid wireless cell phone users, MetroPCS is in second place out of nine carriers reviewed. It is beaten by Boost Mobile and, in turn, ranks higher than TracFone, Net10 and Virgin Mobile, among others.
Review: 2011 Wireless Non-Contract Customer Satisfaction Index Study, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates, March 31, 2011
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
In this survey of over 66,000 respondents, Metro PCS falls behind all other prepaid service carriers reviewed, except for AT&T GoPhone.
Review: Recommended Cell Phone Services, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, January 2012
MetroPCS is in eighth place in TopTenReviews.com's 2012 roundup of prepaid phone services, receiving 2.5 stars out of 4. The editors state that its monthly plans are among the best that they've evaluated, but the service has limited coverage outside its home areas, incurring extra fees for usage in these regions. Its customer support service, which the editors tried out, and its phone selection received praise. However, TopTenReviews.com's evaluation of prepaid cell phone providers is based only on features and doesn't look at how each phone service performs.
Review: 2012 Prepaid Cell Phones Comparison, Editors of TopTenReviews.com
MetroPCS receives a 4-star rating (out of 5) at PrepaidReviews.com, although editors say the carrier's biggest setback is its limited coverage. Subscribers aren't as impressed. A number complain about poor customer service, limited coverage and call quality.
Review: MetroPCS Prepaid Cell Phone Plans, Editors of PrepaidReviews.com, March 19, 2009
5. CNET
As of 2009, MetroPCS's flat-rate unlimited monthly prepaid wireless plans are "the best value" for people looking to replace their contract plans, CNET says -- but only for those within MetroPCS's limited coverage area. CNET evaluates nine prepaid wireless carriers in all, but doesn't pick a favorite.
Review: Prepaid Wireless: In Search of the Perfect Bargain, Marguerite Reardon, May 15, 2009
Prepaid Cell Phone Plans Runners Up:
Net10 *Est. $15 for 200 min. and up
4 picks including: J.D. Power & Associates, MSNBC…
Boost Mobile *Est. $50 per month
3 picks by top review sites.
Straight Talk *Est. $30 for 30 days and up
2 picks including: The New York Times, Viewpoints.com…
AT&T GoPhone *Est. 10 cents per min. and up
1 pick including: J.D. Power & Associates…