Tracfone

Network: Various, mostly AT&T for GSM and Verizon for CDMA

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Website: www.tracfone.com
Customer Service: 1-800-867-7183

Claim to fame: Their patented airtime balance display (the Trac in Tracfone) shows minutes and service days available at a glance, and on-phone minute tracking allowed them to for years be the only prepaid provider to offer the same coverage as you’d get with a contract cellular plan, with no double-dialing required. Now, no roaming charges and cheap text messaging set them apart from the pack. Also, Tracfone nearly always has promotional codes available to give avid shoppers more minutes for their money. Last but not least, Tracfone uses different wireless providers in different areas (mostly Verizon and AT&T, but also T-Mobile, US Cellular and other smaller carriers) to make sure any Tracfone has a local number and great coverage where it’s activated.

Overview: Tracfone is the oldest prepaid service provider boasting over 10 million subscribers today. The Tracfone service is designed to meet the needs of all types of customers, but is especially popular with the older folks and infrequent or low volume users. With any Tracfone digital model phone, you receive free long distance, free voice mail, free caller ID and free call waiting. Tracfone rates are fairly expensive, unless you are using a Tracfone promo code to get bonus minutes with each airtime purchase. You can find the most current Tracfone promo codes here.

The Double Minutes For Life card, for $49.99, is a smart way to go, especially if you are purchasing the $99.99 annual plan and will use 1000 or minutes in a one year period. For $139.99 you can get both the Double Minutes card and a 1-year card bundled together.  The plan is not easily transferable to another Tracfone. So make sure you don’t lose or break your phone after you buy your Double Minutes PIN.

Tracfone has great phone offers on their website starting at $19.99, but you get a $19.99 airtime card making it virtually free.

Pros: Tracfone is know as a very reliable provider with many loyal customers. They operate on two reliable networks with Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Every phone comes with an airtime display and they offer rollover on their minutes. You can find great phone deals always on their website.

Cons: The airtime prices are among the highest in the industry, especially if you are not using the double minutes plan or adding a Tracfone promo code with each airtime purchase.

Recommended: If you are not a high volume user Tracfone can be a great choice. If you don’t use your mobile phone then Tracfone can also be a good choice.

PLAN SELECTION
Minutes are charged at 1.0 “units” per minute*
Text messages are charged at 0.3 units per message**
Web access (if available) is charged at 0.5 units per minute
MMS messages (if available) are charged at 1.0 units per message, plus web access costs
*Older non-GSM phones may charge 2.0 units for roaming minutes
**Older phones may charge 0.5 units per message (non-GSM) or not charge for incoming messages (GSM)

Artime cards available (90 day expiration)
60 units – $19.99 (33.3¢/unit)
120 units – $29.99 (25¢/unit)
200 units – $39.99 (20¢/unit)
450 units – $79.99 (17.8¢/unit, not available everywhere)

Airtime cards available (1-year expiration)
400 units – $99.99 (25¢/unit)
400 units + double minutes for life (doubled to 800 minutes) – $139.99 (17.5¢/unit, currently on sale for $124.99 on Tracfone’s website)

All airtime cards except 400 units + double minute for life can be doubled in unit value via the double minutes for life card ($49.99, currently on sale for $24.99 on Tracfone’s website).
Double minutes for life (DMFL for short) can only be added once to any phone, and comes included with higher-end new phones.

Monthly Value Plans
20¢ per unit
Available in 50, 100 and 150 unit denominations ($9.99, $19.99, $29.99)
“Family Plan” available with 50 units per month for the first line, 30 units per month for additional lines
“Service Protection” available for $5.99 per month, applied whenever service would otherwise expire due to reaching the expiration date without a refill
Additional minutes available in 50 or 100 unit denominations while on a Value Plan

PHONE SELECTION (GSM unless stated otherwise)
Samsung t301g (Bluetooth slider cameraphone with double minutes for life) – $49.99
LG 600g (Bluetooth camera flip phone with DMFL and external screen) – $49.99
LG cg225 (camera phone with DMFL and external screen) – $39.99
Motorola w376g (Bluetooth camera flip phone with DMFL) – $29.99 (new), $19.99 (refurbished with 60-minute card)
LG 200c (CDMA flip phone) – $29.99
LG 410g (flip phone with external screen) – $19.99
Motorola w260g (flip phone) – $17.99
Samsung t101g (bar phone) – $14.99
Kyocera K126c (CDMA black-and-white bar phone) – $14.99
Motorola w175g (bar phone) – $9.99
Other phones (may not be available for sale in many areas)
All phones include text messaging and speakerphone unless stated otherwise

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