1. Electronics & Gadgets

Is Prepaid Wireless or a Monthly Contract Cheaper?

Analysis compares scenarios with 200, 400, 1,000 minutes across many carriers

From , former About.com Guide

Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless

Image © Verizon Wireless
    200 anytime minutes with AT&T:
  • $28 using eight $1 days at 10 cents per minute with no contract using GoPhone pay as you go
  • $29.99 with no contract using GoPhone pick your plan
  • $50 with no contract using GoPhone pay as you go with no daily access fee and 25-cent minutes
  • No monthly contract plan offered at this level (or $29.99 for seniors over 65)
We’ll now bump up this analysis from 200 minutes per month to 400 minutes.
    400 anytime minutes per month with Virgin Mobile:
  • 30-day minute pack with no contract: $30 or 7.5 cents per minute
  • By the minute with no contract: $46.99 or 10 cents per minute (including a $6.99 monthly fee)
  • By the minute with no contract: $80 or 20 cents per minute
  • Monthly plan with a contract (plus unlimited minutes on nights and weekends): $49.99
    400 anytime minutes per month with Boost Mobile:
  • Pay as you go with no contract: $40 or 10 cents per minute
  • No monthly contract plan offered at this level (but $50 for unlimited minutes)
    400 anytime minutes per month with Net10:
  • No pay-as-you-go pricing offered at this level (but $45 for 450 minutes with 90 days of service)
  • “Easy” minutes for $40 with no contract
    400 anytime minutes per month with Verizon Wireless:
  • $47.92 with no contract using eight 99-cent days (“Core” plan at 10 cents per minute), $35.92 using eight $1.99 days (“Plus” at 5 cents per minute) or $31.92 using eight $2.99 days (“Power” at 2 cents per minute) with various expirations
  • No monthly contract plan offered at this level (but 450 minutes for $39.99)
    400 anytime minutes per month with T-Mobile:
  • $48 using eight $1 pay-by-the-day days at 10 cents per minute
  • $50 on pay as you go
  • No monthly contract plan offered at this level (but 600 minutes for $49.99)
    400 anytime minutes with Tracfone:
  • $99.99 with no contract and 365 days of service (or $79.99 for 450 minutes with 90 days of service)
  • No monthly contract plan offered at this level
    400 anytime minutes with AT&T:
  • $48 using eight $1 days at 10 cents per minute with no contract using GoPhone pay as you go
  • $49.99 with no contract using GoPhone pick your plan
  • $100 with no contract using GoPhone pay as you go with no daily access fee and 25-cent minutes
  • No monthly contract plan offered at 200 minutes (but $39.99 for 450 minute “nation” minutes)
Finally, things get interesting as we bump the analysis up to 1,000 minutes per month.
    1,000 anytime minutes per month with Virgin Mobile:
  • 30-day minute pack with no contract: $50 or 5 cents per minute
  • By the minute with no contract: $106.99 or 10 cents per minute (including a $6.99 monthly fee)
  • By the minute with no contract: $200 or 20 cents per minute
  • No monthly contract plan offered at this level (but $79.99 for unlimited minutes)
    1,000 anytime minutes per month with Boost Mobile:
  • Pay as you go with no contract: $100 or 10 cents per minute
  • No monthly contract plan offered at this level (but $50 for unlimited minutes)
    1,000 anytime minutes per month with Net10:
  • “Airtime on demand” with no contract: $100 with 180 days of service
  • No monthly contract plan offered at this level
    1,000 anytime minutes per month with Verizon Wireless:
  • $107.92 with no contract using eight 99-cent days (“Core” plan at 10 cents per minute), $65.92 using eight $1.99 days (“Plus” at 5 cents per minute) or $43.92 using eight $2.99 days (“Power” at 2 cents per minute)
  • No monthly contract plan offered at this level (but 1,350 minutes for $79.99 or unlimited minutes for $99.99)
    1,000 anytime minutes per month with T-Mobile:
  • $100 on pay as you go
  • $108 using eight $1 pay-by-the-day days at 10 cents per minute
  • $39.99 without myFaves or $59.99 with myFaves (call five people unlimited on any network)
    1,000 anytime minutes with Tracfone:
  • No pay-as-you-go plan offered at this level (but 800 minutes for $139.99 for 365 days of service)
  • No monthly contract plan offered at this level
    1,000 anytime minutes with AT&T:
  • $108 using eight $1 days at 10 cents per minute with no contract using GoPhone pay as you go
  • $250 with no contract using GoPhone pay as you go with no daily access fee and 25-cent minutes
  • No plan offered at this level using GoPhone pick your plan (but $69.99 for 650 minutes)
  • No monthly contract plan offered at this level (but $79.99 for 1,350 “nation” minutes or $99.99 for unlimited minutes)
Continue reading for the winners on page three... You can also learn about all of the prepaid wireless plans.

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