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
- Inexpensive
- Uses TracFone's high-rated network
Cons
- Customer service complaints
Net10 is a spinoff of TracFone (*Est. $10 for 30 min. and up), a Best Reviewed prepaid wireless carrier that gets especially high marks for call quality and its nation-spanning network. Net10 uses this same network, but oddly enough it gets better ratings for fees and plans in a 2012 roundup of prepaid cell phone services by TopTenReviews.com. Net10 used to charge a flat 10-cent-per-minute rate, but now it offers some discounted plans. A $15 card has 200 minutes good for 30 days, up to a $100 card with 1,500 minutes good for 180 days. Unlike TracFone, Net10 also offers monthly plans, including a 30-day unlimited talk, text/picture messaging, web/email and 411 plan for $50. The drawback to Net10 is its customer service, according to reviews written by frustrated users.
J.D. Power and Associates includes Net10 in its prepaid wireless ratings, based on a nationwide consumer survey. Users post their own reviews of Net10 at PrepaidReviews.com. An article at MSNBC.com mentions Net10 as a good value.
Our Sources
Net10 comes in at fourth place in this survey of about 6,400 prepaid wireless cell phone users. It loses out to Boost Mobile and MetroPCS as the most highly reviewed prepaid phone service.
Review: 2011 Wireless Non-Contract Customer Satisfaction Index Study, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates, March 31, 2011
The editors of TopTenReviews.com state that it offers a better selection of fees and plans than its parent company, TracFone. Its phone selection, features and customer service receive average scores. Be aware, however, that 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, January 2012
Editors at PrepaidReviews.com give Net10 an impressive 4.5-star rating (out of 5), citing its straightforward pricing plan (although minutes are no longer 10 cents). Subscriber comments give it a lower 2-star rating, with subscribers either being very impressed or terribly unimpressed with Net10's call quality, coverage and customer service.
Review: Net10 Prepaid Cell Phone Service, Editors of PrepaidReviews.com
4. MSNBC
This article from 2009 weighs the pros and cons of prepaid wireless plans versus contract plans. It mentions Net10 as one of a few good prepaid choices, based on its flat fee (now with discounts) with no hidden charges.
Review: Prepaid Cell Plans May Be Your Best Bet, Herb Weisbaum, March 19, 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…