Advantages and Disadvantages of a Prepaid Cell Phone Plan

            If you are scared of being tied into a service contract and facing a monthly expensive bill, a prepaid cell phone plan (also known as pay-as-you-go plan) will be the best for you. This type of cell phone plan is a best way to save money because of its practicality wherein you only pay for the minutes that you use. The use of a prepaid cell phone plan is just the same as a calling card. You just select what type of prepaid service you prefer and then put some credits on it. You can use the credits for calling until it runs out. Once the amount you have put in the account runs out, you then have to reload it again.

            A prepaid service plan is very simple to use. However, there are some people who don’t prefer this mode of plan because of its limited features or capabilities. Prepaid plans are good for those who would like to save and those who infrequently use their cell phones. You only pay for what you use. If you are applying for a prepaid cell phone plan, you do not have to submit any credit check which will be a great hassle especially if you have a bad credit score. There are a lot of prepaid services that you can choose from. Apart from that, you have the freedom to change phones or carriers anytime you want especially because you are not tied with a lengthy service contract. You have all the control with prepaid plans. You can control how much you are willing to pay for a cell phone service monthly or weekly without fearing an anticipated bill that is way over the limit.

            There may be a lot of advantages a prepaid cell phone plan can bring but for some people, this type of service plan does not fit their lifestyle. Some, on the other hand, considers prepaid plans more expensive in the long run than the typical postpaid plans. First, phone call rates per minute are more likely to be higher with prepaid plans than postpaid ones. If you want to save, you have to choose the best carrier that has low per minute rates of phone calls. Some carriers have limits in using the minutes that have been purchased. Some lasts for about 30-90 days while some allows users to use it up to a year. You have to be aware of the limits or the so-called expiry dates of the minutes that you have purchased. Cell phone options are more likely to be limited. Most prepaid plan carriers only offer up to four cell phones as options. It is also less likely to see a carrier offering the latest and greatest cell phone handset paired up with a prepaid plan service. Apart from that, you might also have the need to pay a little for the phone that you choose. You also need to pay for extra services such as sending and receiving text messages, checking email or surfing the web. Another sad thing about most prepaid plans is that they do not offer mobile phones that allow email services and web surfing.

            Now that you have some idea about what a prepaid cell phone plan is and to what extent it can help you with your mobile phone services needs, you have the freedom to choose between a prepaid service and a postpaid one. You may doubt about its capabilities and limits but if you just need a simple phone to call and not really an avid fan of using cellular phones, this may do for a while. This type of service plan is definitely worth a try.