Prepaid Cell Phones

[myrdale]

I've been with Verizon for +20 years now. I only have (1) line. Unlimited talk / text and 2 gigs of data a month for $65.

I stopped by the local Verizon store earlier this week to discuss switching to Visible Wireless. $30 per month unlimited data. They knew Visible was owned by Verizon, but said it was their own separate thing and I would not receive any support through the Verizon store for it.

They mentioned their prepaid deal. Unlimited talk / text / and 5 gig data per month for $45 the first month, all the way down to $25 per month after 6 months. It's immediately less than what I am currently paying and less than half the price quickly enough. She made the comment though that prepaid is what people who want a burner phone get, it was weird how she stressed it.

Is there a reason not to do prepaid? I am not opposed to paying up an account $300 once a year and not having to deal with it.

Edit: I should note I seldom ever exceed 2 gig data.

[QuarterMillionMan]

With Verizon you get their fastest speeds. With Visible you’ll get slower speeds. Works the same with all the resellers (ie, Cricket, Boost, Metro, Mint, etc).

[QuarterMillionMan]

You should ask around for friend referral codes before signing up. YouTube is a good resource for that.

[ua_guy]

Prepaid was the way to go for people who really didn't use their phone for much of anything. We had my grandmother on a prepaid plan.

In general, prepaid plans offer slower speeds and plans that don't have as much value, but you may pay a lower cost. Prepaid is now popular for "burner phones" and those who can't pass a credit check.

For comparison, for just $60/month on TMO, you can get unlimited talk/text plus 50gb of 5G data at premium speeds, unlimited data thereafter. No annual contract.

2 Gigs of data is pretty light. But, I use my phone for a lot of things. If I use it as a hotspot while working I can burn a gig in a single day.

[kork13]

I've always been a fan of prepaid or MVNO cell carriers. Cost is almost always less than standard cell plans. The only real downside I've come across is that cell traffic from MVNO carriers are prioritized lower than prime carrier traffic. So in a high-density scenario (think natural disasters or state fair or sports event), the phone using an MVNO will have less reliable cell access than somebody on Verizon (or whatever prime carrier).

[crazyliblady]

Prepaid was the way to go for people who really didn't use their phone for much of anything. We had my grandmother on a prepaid plan.

In general, prepaid plans offer slower speeds and plans that don't have as much value, but you may pay a lower cost. Prepaid is now popular for "burner phones" and those who can't pass a credit check.

For comparison, for just $60/month on TMO, you can get unlimited talk/text plus 50gb of 5G data at premium speeds, unlimited data thereafter. No annual contract.

2 Gigs of data is pretty light. But, I use my phone for a lot of things. If I use it as a hotspot while working I can burn a gig in a single day.

To say "Prepaid was the way to go for people who really didn't use their phone for much of anything" is not correct imho and is over-generalizing. I also have excellent credit with a FICO of 822 because I know what I can afford and what I cannot afford. Since 2009, I have had prepaid cell plans and I use my phone a lot for talking and the occasional text. I just don't have a smart phone and don't need one. I also don't want to spend a lot on my cell plan every month, as I am trying to save money in emergency savings and retirement.

[ua_guy]

To say "Prepaid was the way to go for people who really didn't use their phone for much of anything" is not correct imho and is over-generalizing. I also have excellent credit with a FICO of 822 because I know what I can afford and what I cannot afford. Since 2009, I have had prepaid cell plans and I use my phone a lot for talking and the occasional text. I just don't have a smart phone and don't need one. I also don't want to spend a lot on my cell plan every month, as I am trying to save money in emergency savings and retirement.

No offense or over-generalization was intended, so I'm sorry if it came off that way. I think we are saying similar things though. I also think prepaid plans are a good way to go for someone, like yourself as you described, who doesn't have a smart phone and who has no want or need to spend more on a plan. If you get into using a smart phone and start using a lot of data, it can be more economical to go with a more conventional monthly subscription plan.