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Step 1
Consider your needs. You may need a few minutes or many minutes. Think about how you will use your cell phone. Is sending text messages a priority? Or do you prefer calling? Asking these questions will help you figure out whether you could use a payment plan that has you prepay in monetary increments whenever you'd like or pay a monthly fee without a contract.
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Step 2
Look into the differences in plans. Virgin Mobile offers an unlimited local and long-distance calls with no roaming charges for $50 at the beginning of each month and no contractual obligations. This is different from the traditional plan which ties you to a contract and bills you at the end of the month. Other providers such as T-Mobile and Tracfone allow you to buy minutes at a time. Consumer Search offers a breakdown of the top five prepaid cell phone plans in the United States. See the Resources for a link.
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Step 3
Go to a cell-phone retailer once you have decided which plan works best. Virgin Mobile allows you to order your phone online, and you can also buy prepaid cell phones at big-box stores such as Wal-Mart or Target.
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Step 4
Choose your cell phone based on your needs. You may want a cell phone that has a camera or a music player, or you may want the cheapest phone with the most basic features.
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Step 5
Purchase your cell phone either with a certain amount of minutes, or set up a plan to prepay monthly.
