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Enjoy the Flexibility of No-contract Cell Phones, Cheap Prepaid Cell phones Plans

Enjoy the Flexibility of No-contract Cell Phones, Cheap Prepaid Cell phones Plans

Just a few years ago, most cell phone consumers wanted a contract deal; paying a set amount each month for their calls, texts, and data with a brand new handset thrown in for good measure. However, more and more of those same consumers are now making the switch to no-contract cell phones or prepaid phone plans, in order to take advantage of the cheaper deals and greater flexibility that these options offer.

With a no-contract or prepaid cell phone deal, you will soon notice that you are paying a lot less each month than you used to under your old contract. This is for the simple reason that you are no longer paying towards the cost of the smartphone handset that the network provider threw in with your deal when you signed up or upgraded. Of course, the other side of this is that when you ditch your old contract for a no-contract or prepaid deal, you will have to provide your own handset. However, many of the best models from recent years can be bought relatively cheaply online or from reconditioning stores in your local mall – it is only the most up-to-date models that will cost you several hundred dollars apiece.

instant adjustments

Owning your own phone and using a no-contract or prepaid deal does give you a lot of flexibility, however. You can make almost instant adjustments to your spending if you realize that you aren’t using as many minutes or texts or as much data as you expected, and if you don’t need to use your phone for a couple of months – perhaps because you are going away on holiday or working abroad – then you won’t have to keep paying for a phone that is lying unused in a drawer.

Another great aspect of the flexibility offered by non-contract or prepaid deals is that if you move to new areas and find that the coverage for your current provider is no longer up to standard then you can simply switch to another provider without having to wait or pay any penalties for ending your contract early.

At&T Wireless plans & At&T Go Phone

AT&T is one of the largest cell phone providers in the US, so it is hardly surprising that they have also made an impact on the no-contract and prepaid cell phone market. The AT&T no-contract plan is called GoPhone and the company now allows you to use your own unlocked handset or buy new and restored handsets directly from them, to allow you to take advantage of the great deals they are offering. GoPhone offers a variety of no-contract prices, depending on how often you use your cell phone and what you use it for.

For example, if you mainly use it to receive work calls, and only make infrequent outgoing calls or send the occasional text, then you might be interested in their 25 cents per minute or 20 cents per text deals. However, given that most people use their smartphones to access the internet, it is more likely that the GoPhone package deals are going to be of interest. For example, the $40 per month deal gives you 6GB of data, as well as unlimited calls and texts within the US and to and from Mexico and Canada; if 6GB doesn’t sound like enough data, then the $60 per month deal gives you the same call and text deal with unlimited data.

 

My T-Mobile 

T-Mobile is another well-known name in the cell phone market, and they have a range of prepaid and pay as you go deals starting from just $3 per month, up to as much as $75 per month. The cheapest deals offer just limited calls and texts, though you do have the ability to add data bundles onto this deal by the day or by the week if needed. If you’re going to be using a lot of data, however, you’d be much better spending a little more every month to get the best value deal.

All of the premium T-Mobile prepaid plans include unlimited calls and texts; the $45 per month deal gives you 4GB of 4G data each month, while the $65 per month package provides 6GB of 4G data and the monster $75 per month price secures unlimited 4G data, as well as unlimited calls and texts to and from Mexico and Canada. Calls and texts to and from Mexico and Canada can be added to the two cheaper T-Mobile prepaid plans for just $5 per month- if you travel further afield you can add international calls and texts to another 30 countries for $15 per month. This is a great option if you are going on holiday and want to be able to keep in touch with the family, as well as updating your social media with your latest holiday photos!

 

Jitterbug Cell Phone Plans

Jitterbug may not be as recognizable a name as AT&T or T-Mobile, but if you are a senior or are shopping for a cell phone for an elderly relative, then this is the company for you. You won’t find iPhones or the latest technological innovations on the Jitterbug website; what you will find is a simple, reliable and easy-to-use Jitterbug cell phone, with a range of great monthly prepaid deals to help seniors keep in touch with their friends and family.

Most seniors have a cell phone for emergencies only or make a few calls each week at most. Very few send texts and even fewer use need to have access to the internet on their cell phone. That is why Jitterbug has developed a range of simple flip phones, with prepaid deals from just $14.99 per month for 200 minutes up to $49.99 per month for unlimited calls and texts.

If you buy a Jitterbug cell phone, you aren’t just buying a reliable and cheap handset, however; even their customer service is designed with seniors in mind, and you can rest assured that your elderly relatives won’t be bothered by sales calls from Jitterbug staff trying to get them to increase their monthly deal. You can even pay extra per month to have Jitterbug staff check in on your relative with a weekly call, and automated calls every day, plus reminders for medication and important appointments.

These packages cost more per month, but could well be worth it for your peace of mind if you live a few hundred miles from your grandma or grandpa. These packages range in price from $24.99 – which also includes 50 minutes of outgoing calls – to the $59,99 per month package, which includes all the same weekly and daily checks, plus unlimited minutes.

Tracfone plans 

Tracfone is one of the newer cell phone companies, and they have bypassed contracts completely, to focus entirely on no-contract and prepaid cell phone packages. You can either bring your own unlocked cell phone handset to Tracfone, or you can buy a new and cheaper reconditioned cell phones from their online store, including some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Samsung, LG, and even iPhones. You choose your Tracfone monthly package based on whether you are using a basic phone or a smartphone – obviously, the basic phone packages are much cheaper. Tracfone sells cards which last for anything from one month to a year, and they also run an auto-refill service which offers customers a reduction.

Tracfone Minutes

Basically, if you sign up so that your monthly, six-monthly or annual card automatically “refills” at the end of its time period, then you save 10% on your costs. The cheapest deal for a basic phone is $9.99 for 60 minutes over one month and the most expensive are £199.99 for 3000 minutes over the course of a year- this works out at the equivalent of £16.44 every month.

If you want to go for a smartphone deal, then you can expect to pay a bit more for your Tracfone card; the cheapest package is $15 per month for 200 minutes, 500 texts and 200 MB of data – not a lot if you use your smartphone a lot to check and update social media. The $125 card, which is valid for a year, gives you 1500 minute, 1500 texts and 1.5 GB of data, plus you can always buy data add-ons if that isn’t enough for you. These cost $10 for 1 GB of data and don’t have an “expiry date” like the rest of the Tracfone cards. There is also an add-on for additional texts, and an international calls add-on card for when you go away on vacation.

Virgin Mobile Phones &  Plans 

Virgin Mobile phones are aimed at those consumers who have to have the latest smartphones – and who need a lot of data in their prepaid packages to keep them happy. You can bring your own device to the Virgin Mobile prepaid deals, but they also have some great offers on some of the top of the range smartphones, including the latest iPhone and Samsung Galaxy models.

Virgin is a reliable name in technology, with 99% coverage across the Us at the moment, and they are also well known for their great customer service, in the unlikely event that you have any problems getting started with your prepaid deal.

Virgin Mobile Unlimited Plans

Whether you are buying a new device or bringing an old smartphone to your Virgin Mobile phone deal, you can keep your old phone number – which saves all the hassle of letting friends and family know you have new contact details – and they also offer a guaranteed 7-day switching day service, so you can get started with your new no-contract deal as soon as possible.

Their two cheapest deals are $35 per month for unlimited calls and texts, plus 4GB of data and $45 per month for unlimited calls and texts and 10GB of data. Both these contacts also include limitless music streaming, so you can keep your tunes playing even after your “normal” data allowance has run out; definitely, a brand which is aimed at a younger market than Jitterbug! In addition, Virgin Mobile also offer a $60 per month deal, with unlimited calls and texts plus unlimited 4G data, optimized for streaming videos, either from social media platforms or on-demand TV channels and playing games; the perfect package for those who are plugged into their smartphone 24/7.

 

There are lots of cell phone and smartphone customers who are still paying over the odds for a contract – probably still paying towards a handset that they have paid for twice over already. However, lots of people feel a strange brand loyalty to the company they have always used or they think it is going to be difficult to switch to a prepaid or no-contract deal. The fact is that it couldn’t be easier; all providers are set up to make the process as easy as possible, allowing you to keep your old number and even your old handset if you want to.

upgrade every time

Shop around for a prepaid deal based on your current usage and the chances are you will find that you could save several dollars every month, especially if you are willing to stick with an old handset and don’t feel the need to upgrade every time a new iPhone comes out! The only disadvantage to these no-contract deals is that the cell phone itself is no longer covered by insurance from the provider. However, many home insurance policies cover cell phones, though you may need to check whether there are any circumstances in which your own policy won’t pay out for theft or damage – then you can make the decision as to whether it is worthwhile taking out additional insurance, though this is unlikely if you are using an old and well-loved cell phone.

Fact No-Contract Cell Phone

The simple fact is that prepaid and no-contract cell phone deals will save you money and will allow you to be much more flexible with your cell phone usage, adding extra data, texts or international calls as and when you need them.

These no-contract deals also give you added security that you, or your children, are not going to spend beyond their limits, as once you have run out of calls, texts or data, the cell phone simply stops working – until you buy an add-on or until the next month starts, of course. It can be too easy to run up huge bills on contract deals without even realizing it.

Whether you are a smartphone addict drawn to the unlimited Virgin Mobile deals or an elderly smartphone beginner who likes the look of the easy and simple Jitterbug packages, there is something to suit every budget and every level of usage when it comes to prepaid and no-contract cell phone deals and packages.