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Step 1
Make a list documenting what you expect from your prepaid cell phone plan. This includes how many minutes you expect to use, your monthly budget for cell phone minutes, level of cell phone coverage and the ability to send text messages.
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Step 2
Check out the coverage area. Consider where you will be using your prepaid cell phone, where and how often you travel. A cell phone plan will be of no use to you if you travel outside their area of coverage and can not receive any service.
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Step 3
Compare the price per minute between prepaid cell phone plans based on your estimated usage. The general rule of thumb is the more minutes you use the cheaper the rate will be. However, next to the price of the cell phone the price paid per minute of usage will be your highest expense and this can vary greatly between companies and cell phone plans.
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Step 4
Find out if the unused minutes for your prepaid plan carryover to the next month or if they expire. If you do not use your phone frequently and your minutes expire, you are wasting money on your phone. Also, some companies require you purchase minutes every 30, 60 or 90 days or your prepaid service will be cut which will cost you additional money for reactivation.
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Step 5
Ask about the activation fee. Many prepaid cell phone plans come with an activation fee to turn your cell phone on. Find out if the brand you prefer has one and how much it will cost you.
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Step 6
Ask about additional fees regarding reactivation (if your service is cut), daily fees, roaming charges, international calls, and text messaging. Any one of these fees can use your minutes more quickly than expected and cause you to incur unnecessary charges. As a result you may end up spending more on your prepaid phone that your budget allows.
Comments
mweise said
on 7/5/2009 This is a great process for choosing a prepaid cell phone plan. Good job!