Alternative Prepaid Cell Phone ProvidersSearch This Site:
There are many alternative prepaid cell phone providers if you don't want to go with the major ones. These alternative providers are often MVNO's (mobile virtual network operators): like many of the major providers, they rely on the network of companies like Sprint, AT&T etc. These providers differentiate themselves based on their services. Airvoice WirelessAirvoice Wireless provides good rates and offers both CDMA and GSM phones. The phones are available only through local dealers, but you can buy airtime refills online.Amp'd MobileAmpd Mobile had an interesting package of services targeted at young hipsters. It was quite popular, but apparently their customers didn't pay their bills, and then neither could they.Beyond Wireless (GSM)Beyond Wireless has a basic rate of 15 cents per minute plus different bonuses for buying different denominations of airtime cards which can drive the rate down to about 9 cents per minute.Centennial WirelessAre you from Michigan, Indiana or Ohio, or from Mississippi, Louisiana or Texas? If so, then you may be able to choose Centennial Wireless as your prepaid provider. It is a regional cell phone company with a basic prepaid option.Consumer CellularConsumer Cellular provides simple no-contract plans and reasonably priced high quality phones for seniors. They even offer a free no-contract phone.Cricket PhoneDo you use your cell phone a lot, but don’t want or don’t qualify for a standard cell phone contract. Cricket Cell Phone Plans offers several no-contract options ranging from $30 per month up to $60 per month.i-Wirelessi-Wireless prepaid cell phones are available at Kroger supermarkets throughout the US. Each phone costs between $50 and $100 and comes with 500 anytime minutes of airtime to use within the first three months.JitterbugJitterbug makes large button cell phones perfect for seniors. A well-thought out phone and service incorporates advanced features without looking like a basic phone.Jolt Prepaid WirelessWith a claimed airtime rate as low as 7 cents a minute, it's worth taking a good look at Jolt Prepaid Wireless. Nice name, too.Jump MobileThis provider has two especially attractive features. You can get free incoming calls and free incoming and outgoing text messages on Jump Mobile as long as you're not roaming.Liberty WirelessLiberty Wireless plans start at $30 a month for 300 minutes and a flat 10 cents/minute for any minutes over 300.Mingo Wirelessmingo Wireless is a new no-contract/prepaid provider whose goal is to be community-oriented and provide excellent customer service. They even have a free plan that gives you 20 airtime minutes per month!Mojo MobileMojo Mobile is a new and relatively expensive prepaid cell phone plan which offers free unlimited night and weekend minutes as long as you’re willing to spend at least thirty dollars a month.Omni PrepaidOmni Prepaid offers a single prepaid plan which offers service at a cost of 14 cents per minute.Page Plus CellularPage Plus Cellular used to be just a regional provider, but they've now expanded to cover most of the US with just a few pockets of roaming left. Their standard plans offers prepaid airtimes rates from 6 to 12 cents per minute. Airtime expires after 120 days.PlatinumTelPlatinumTel offers 5 cents per minute voice calls and other low rates on texting and mobile web data. They also have nights and weekends and unlimited and Android plans.Red Pocket MobileRed Pocket Mobile offers good rates to China and other Asian countries. Their unique feature is Chinese character text messages. Their unlocked Razr phone is a good deal.Revol WirelessRevol Wireless offers unlimited monthly no-contract service for customers based in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Similar to Cricket, its plans start at $35 a month for unlimited talk and text.SouthernlincSouthernlinc is a niche wireless provider with a 127,000 square foot coverage area that includes Georgia, Alabama, southeast Mississippi and northeast Florida. It has two prepaid plan which are described in the review.STi MobileThe best (or worst) thing about STi Mobile is that it’s focused on talking (and texting) as opposed to downloading ringtones, music or games.Suncom GoodcallSuncom Goodcall was a good 10 cents per minute regional prepaid wireless plan which gives you the option of paying for a few extra features if you need them. The plan serves North Carolina, South Carolina, and portions of Tennessee and Georgia. They were bought by T-Mobile. The review was written when they were still independent.Total Call MobileSimply put, you should pick Total Call Mobile if you want a 10 cents a minutes prepaid cell phone provider that offers customer service in Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean and Tagalog.Trumpet MobileYou can make a Western Union money transfer directly from your Trumpet Mobile phone. If you transfer money frequently, then this is a useful (if somewhat expensive) feature.Tuyo MobileTuyo Mobile is a prepaid cell phone service from IDT targeted at Hispanics in the U.S. The phones and airtime cards are sold online and at over 300,000 "bodegas" (small shops). Tuyo Mobile offers a combination of low domestic rates, international calling add-ons, and "culturally-relevant content customized for 16 Latin American countries".US Cellular PrepaidIf you’re looking for a company that keeps its customers, then you may want to consider a US Cellular prepaid plan. They have a variety of plans but their realistic plans start at $45 per month, for which you get some unlimited minutes.Vingo WirelessNote: Site is down on 12/31/2011 thru 1/13/2012. Vingo Wireless offers no-contract unlimited plans starting at $29.99 per month. They have an interesting set of CDMA phones, so they're probably using Sprint's network. Review upcoming (actually, not until they fix their site).Xe MobileXe Mobile was a pretty good prepaid provider that has now gone out of business.Return to the Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plans home page.
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