A Comparison of Prepaid
Cell Phones and Service

Prepaid cell phones can be a great alternative for those who rarely make calls, or would like a cell phone handy for emergencies.

They're also a safe choice for parents who would like more control in budgeting their child's cell phone usage.

And, because a prepaid service does not require a contract, people with less than stellar credit can easily sign up for wireless service.

What are the cons of going prepaid?

Until a few years ago, there were very few cellular providers that offered prepaid service. And, many of those carriers provided only limited regional coverage.

As pay-as-you-go services began to grow in popularity, more and more wireless providers have "thrown their hats into the ring".Some of the newcomers are major wireless carriers.

Major Wireless Carriers with Nationwide Coverage

Prepaid cell phones through major wireless providers utilize the same network as contract phones. However, because few providers offer the ability to roam, your service area may be more limited.

• Verizon's INpulse, offers both regional and nationwide prepaid service. Phones have the ability to roam out of network, but there's a roaming fee.
• AT&T's Go Phone, provides nationwide coverage. Roaming is available for free. However, if you roam to another carrier's network 50% of the time or more, in two consecutive months, AT&T has the option to terminate service.
• T-Mobile's To Go Phone also provides national coverage through their GSM network. Out of network calls are not permitted.

More Prepaid Carriers with Nationwide Coverage:

Besides major wireless carriers, there are a few other nationwide pay-as-you-go companies who are also competing for your business. They are:

Tracfone has been around for some time, and provides nationwide coverage primarily through their own network, but provides roaming through partnerships with 30 CDMA and GSM networks. Roaming is free on select GSM handsets. CDMA phones and other GSM handsets are charged double the minutes used.

Net 10 is a sister network to Tracfone, and offers virtually the same network coverage and service plans. Free roaming is provided on both CDMA and GSM networks.

*We highly recommend choosing a provider who offers roaming capabilities for emergency use prepaid phones

Prepaid Cell Phone Carriers with Limited Coverage:

The following prepaid carriers do not own their own cellular network. Instead, they lease cellular space from one or more established mobile providers. They are known in the wireless industry as Mobile Virtual Network Operators, or MVNOs.

Most MVNOs use Sprint's all digital network for their service. Because it's difficult to gauge roaming usage on prepaid networks, most MVNOs prohibit off network roaming.

Lesser Known Prepaid Cell Phone Providers