Last Update: 8/2007

1) The Truly Free Option: Find any old cell phone that supports analog, and get a car charger for it. Carry it around with you without paying for service. Calls to "911" for life-and-death emergency will still go through even if the phone has no service. This is something I recommend even to those who cannot afford cellular. Obviously, this is not a good option to call a tow truck so read on for more inexpensive options.

2) T-Mobile to go: My family that use this service love it. T-Mobile is one the few largely post-paid carriers that treats their prepaid customers really well. This option makes the most sense for someone just starting out with cellular due to the excellent customer service included. Their plans are decent too, just be sure to study their coverage map before signing up. T-Mobile may or may not cover any area considered rural (and often do not). Most recently, a family member of mine started service with a new Nokia phone for $29.99, and 1100 minutes for $100. The $100 point makes you a "gold rewards" customer immediately and doesn't expire air time for 12 months. Gold rewards just means that future refills will include slightly more minutes.

3) Cellular 4 Less Inc.: Verizon network reseller for Oregon and Washington and (UT, ID, AZ, NM, CO, NE, IA, MN):

4) Consumer Cellular (www.savecell.com) Resellers of AT&T/Cingular network minutes. Oregon and Washington and (OR, WA, CA, AZ, CO, ID, IA, IN, MN, ND, NE, NV, NM, OH, UT, WY) Price plans as low as $10/month with no contract.

Important Note About this Page: I have largely given up on listing pre-paid options. The ones I list above, specifically #2 and #3 are ones I know work well for my family. #4 is just another option I don't always see published- also tends to be advertised for retired folks (i.e. AARP) which may mean they have decent customer service.

Great External Resources for Prepaid Options (since these exist, I don't have to have my own):

What's the Catch? If you buy airtime from a reseller, you cannot call the network provider (Cingular or Verizon) for help. At that point you are their customer. This can be fine, or not so fine depending on how much help you need and what they provide. If you're new to cellular, you may wish to startout with one of the bigger companies (and you can still do so without a contract in the case of Verizon etc.) If you know the ropes, you may be able to save some money by selecting an alternate method to get the cellular service you desire. Cell phones are actually extremely expensive and routinely sold at subsidized prices. The idea being the carrier will sell you a phone at a loss, because they know they'll get your money over time anyway. The subsidized prices only apply to cell phone service under contract and not prepaid. For this reason, don't expect to get any low prices on cell phones for prepaid service, and in fact, the carrier may only offer one specific phone for their prepaid service (which is typically their cheapest phone). Anyway, if you just want basic service, none of this is a problem. If you want a new phone every year or two, and want the low advertised price, then you probably want the contract based service.

Prepaid vs. Postpaid: In most cases, prepaid is only a good deal if you don't use the phone very much. If you know you plan to regularly use your phone, then the best value will go to "normal" postpaid plans. Prepaid will enable you to carry a phone for the lowest per-month rate, albeit with more hassle, and very few included minutes. If you want a cool new phone model at a subsidized price, and the ability to swap out your phone every couple of years (or more) at best pricing then go post paid. If you anticipate swapping out your phone somewhat frequently, a one year contract is the way to go. i.e. You probably qualify for posted (already discounted) prices on a new phone after 10 months. If you go with a 2 year contract, you cannot buy a new phone for any reason within the first 2 years (at the posted prices). If you do, you would then have to pay full retail, or find a used phone on ebay.

Postpaid: Your phone never stops working because it ran out of minutes. You may get a huge bill for using more than your allotted minutes, but you won't get cut off mid-sentence on an important call. You may have better roaming capabilities (this one is hit or miss). Customer service is typically very good. Large set of cellular features are included at no additional charge. Postpaid is generally going to be more convenient for the user, but the minimum cost to carry a phone will be higher than prepaid. Many postpaid plans (but not all) will require a one or two year contract. There are post paid plans listed on this page that do not require a contract. A postpaid phone will typically allow simple dialing even when roaming. By simple dialing, I mean you just enter the number, and press "talk" like you normally would. Prepaid users may have to dial a bunch of extra digits when making a call while roaming.

Prepaid: Minutes typically roll-over as long as you add airtime on a regular basis (typically every 30, 45, or 90 days). Per month cost to carry the phone can be minimal. No monthly contract. Recharging your airtime may be a complicated process. Customer service may not be good. You need to keep track of how much time you have left, and when to recharge. Dialing a number when roaming can be a complex operation which is not required of postpaid users. In some rare cases, the prepaid user can place a call where a postpaid user cannot. For example, if you get the "american roaming network" intercept which prompts for a credit card, you may also have the option to enter your prepaid phone number and PIN. Prepaid and other airtime resellers on this page may allow you to activate analog or older technology cell phones, even if the carrier will not do so directly for their contract service.

Prepaid Trick for Roaming: Create a special entry in your phone book called "ROAM CALL" or whatever you like, which dials the mandatory extra digits for you. i.e. "111pp1p5035551212pp1212" where "5035551212" is your phone number, and "1212" is your password.) On a Nokia, you can generate the "p" or 2 second pause with the "*+" key -- you hit it several times in succession until you see "p."

If you know any interesting prepaid tricks, please contact me with the details and I'll share the information. Just for your information, I am no longer interested in keeping a list of prepaid vendors so that isn't a tip I'm looking for.