Talk to me about

[Diamond]

prepaid or no contract phones - I have Virgin Mobile and just found out I can no longer transfer money between my two phones so I need to find a new carrier that I do not have to top up as often so the second phone does not build up so much value or will let the two phones share.  I do not use my phone enough to have a big carrier monthly plan so not going there.

Here have some for your help and input.

[SunPony]

I have used Tracphone for the past 5 years.  Somehow at the beginning I did something that means that now, every time I add minutes, I get double minutes.  Which is great.  I usually buy 200 minutes at a time, which means 400 minutes for me.  But you can buy many fewer or many more minutes at once.  The coverage is great, anytime I am with a group of people with various carriers, if they have service I have service.  And sometimes I have service when they don't!  However I don't use data or anything, all I do is calls and texting.  I'm not sure what the capabilities are as far as that.  I got my original phone at RadioShack, they were really helpful.  When that one died (I brutalize my phones, leaving them in hot trucks in the summer ) I got a replacement one there too and had a good experience. 

Sorry, I'm not sure about sharing minutes between two phones

Good luck 

[brittney_rochelle]

I have my iPhone set up as a AT&T prepaid GoPhone for $50 a month. I used tracfone in the past for MANY years. Only reason I switched was because the iPhone was a gift.

[northstar3184]

I used Tracfone for like 6 years (I just recently decided to go without a cell). It worked wonderfully for me. I hardly ever used my phone so a 120-min card would last me quite awhile and the cost of those cards is only like $20-$30. Plus, there are cards you can buy, and some phones come with them, that double all minutes that you add to your phone for the life of the device. To retain service there are a couple of options: 1) buy a new phone card at least once every 90 days or 2) There's a plan you can enroll in that keeps service on your device for $6.00 or $7.00 a month. That option doesn't give you added minutes or anything, but if you go more than 90 days without buying a new phone card the $6.00 monthly fee will prevent your service from being terminated and allows you to keep the minutes you have. Additionally, the phones are really inexpensive: $10 & up. I had one phone the whole 6 years I had Tracfone and it was a used one given to me by my brother.

[kaoskat]

I'm afraid I have no clue but good luck!

[Diamond]

I have used Tracphone for the past 5 years.  Somehow at the beginning I did something that means that now, every time I add minutes, I get double minutes.  Which is great.  I usually buy 200 minutes at a time, which means 400 minutes for me.  But you can buy many fewer or many more minutes at once.  The coverage is great, anytime I am with a group of people with various carriers, if they have service I have service.  And sometimes I have service when they don't!  However I don't use data or anything, all I do is calls and texting.  I'm not sure what the capabilities are as far as that.  I got my original phone at RadioShack, they were really helpful.  When that one died (I brutalize my phones, leaving them in hot trucks in the summer ) I got a replacement one there too and had a good experience. 

Sorry, I'm not sure about sharing minutes between two phones

Good luck 

Thanks, good to know you have such good service with it.

I used Tracfone for like 6 years (I just recently decided to go without a cell). It worked wonderfully for me. I hardly ever used my phone so a 120-min card would last me quite awhile and the cost of those cards is only like $20-$30. Plus, there are cards you can buy, and some phones come with them, that double all minutes that you add to your phone for the life of the device. To retain service there are a couple of options: 1) buy a new phone card at least once every 90 days or 2) There's a plan you can enroll in that keeps service on your device for $6.00 or $7.00 a month. That option doesn't give you added minutes or anything, but if you go more than 90 days without buying a new phone card the $6.00 monthly fee will prevent your service from being terminated and allows you to keep the minutes you have. Additionally, the phones are really inexpensive: $10 & up. I had one phone the whole 6 years I had Tracfone and it was a used one given to me by my brother.

Now that sounds promising. 

Thanks gang, I did email Virgin Mobile someone emailed me back and told me to call but did not give a direct line or extension so I emailed em back with all the details and told em unless he was giving me his extension it was not worth my time to call as it is a pain to get to a person on VM 800 number.

[Cumberbatch2012]

I use Straight Talk.  It's $45 a month for unlimited everything.  You buy the service cards from Wal-Mart.

[melodys_angel]

Wish I could--but im not a US citizen nor am I in the loop anymore.

Last phone I had was around 2008ish and NOT a smartphone (but within the same generation as the early ones).  I got on by with pay as you go and cant wrap my head around todays kids (and adults it seems?) needing to use their phone for more then just calling someone.

Its a phone, NOT a computer o.0  but im rambling off >>>

[Niksilp]

I use Straight Talk.  It's $45 a month for unlimited everything.  You buy the service cards from Wal-Mart.

I also use Straight Talk (AT&T)! I think they're pretty good for the price.

I would also recommend checking out either MetroPCS or Tmobile's prepaid ($30) option.

It all really depends on which carrier provides the best service for your area. I personally can't get anything running off Tmobile because there's no service for them at my house, so I went with StraightTalk through AT&T (StraightTalk also offers plans through Tmobile).

[Diamond]

Thanks, not looking for a monthly we do not use our phones that much.  Shall check out Trachphone coverage in my area though. 

[True]

Iv been using tracfone for a long time as well, because i also dont use my phone much, so paying almost $60 a month for whatever plan I had before, was a big waste of money.

Most of the phones will double or triple your minutes. I had the cheapest $10 phone for many years, and that doubled all the minutes i ever added to it. Then I recently upgraded to a LG 306G. But it triples all minutes I add. So I usually can get away with buying a 60 minute card, and it lasts a few months for me. xD

If you plan on switching to tracfone, check store adds, because the more expensive model phones go on sale ALLLLL the time! I got mine for $20 which was half the original price.

It will say on the phone packaging if it doubles or triples your minutes, those ones will double/triple your minutes for the life of that phone! You cant transfer minutes between two phones, but if you have a phone that triples, then just buying a 60 minute card will mean you have 180 minutes, Iv never felt that the prices where too bad just based on that one perk lol.

Do your homework on the different phone models, sometimes tracfones can be great and last forever, like my $10 brick phone, but others not so much. I would not recommend the LG 306G as it seems kinda bad quality, I wanted the Samsung galaxy they offer but, they were out at my store and I did not have the option of waiting around without a phone lol.

[dashesndots]

We have a trac fone but I keep forgetting to renew the service on time, so the number keeps changing.  I also HATE their website.  It's good to hear that the rest of you have had good experiences; I just wish they would fix their damn website so you could do everything online like you are supposed to be able to. 

At this point I've let it run out completely but keep it on me - I found out recently that they can't prevent you from dialing 911 even if you don't have "service" - and since that's what we will probably only ever use it for anyways, at least we have it for that.

[True]

We have a trac fone but I keep forgetting to renew the service on time, so the number keeps changing.  I also HATE their website.  It's good to hear that the rest of you have had good experiences; I just wish they would fix their damn website so you could do everything online like you are supposed to be able to. 

At this point I've let it run out completely but keep it on me - I found out recently that they can't prevent you from dialing 911 even if you don't have "service" - and since that's what we will probably only ever use it for anyways, at least we have it for that.

I think I heard someplace that ALL inactive cell phones can be used to make emergency calls. even my household phone can be used in an emergency even if I don't have service turned on. Which is a really nice feature, I keep my old cell charged but turned off in my car just in case. :p

[dashesndots]

We have a trac fone but I keep forgetting to renew the service on time, so the number keeps changing.  I also HATE their website.  It's good to hear that the rest of you have had good experiences; I just wish they would fix their damn website so you could do everything online like you are supposed to be able to. 

At this point I've let it run out completely but keep it on me - I found out recently that they can't prevent you from dialing 911 even if you don't have "service" - and since that's what we will probably only ever use it for anyways, at least we have it for that.

I think I heard someplace that ALL inactive cell phones can be used to make emergency calls. even my household phone can be used in an emergency even if I don't have service turned on. Which is a really nice feature, I keep my old cell charged but turned off in my car just in case. :p

Makes perfect sense, but for some reason I didn't know this!  I'm glad there's no way they could deny you access to help if you needed it.

[Psivampyr]

I use Boost, it's 45 a month, unlimited everything, it works off of the sprint towers so I don't get roaming or anything and I travel all over the country. The phone I bought was a LG Realm, the guy at the Best Buy told me it's equal to a Galaxy S3/S4. I paid 40 for the phone and it's a great size.
Also straight talk and some other places do allow you to bring your own phone as long as they take a sim card to carry over to the new carrier.
Good luck with your phone.