By Shannen Lee
The number of people buying no-contract prepaid cell phone services has been increasing rapidly in the last year according to various newspaper reports. More and more, people are realizing that this is a great alternative to regular contract-based plans. There are no annual commitments, credit checks or cancellation penalties. Buying prepaid cell phone services is flexible and easy - for as little as $10, you buy and own the cell phone outright and then prepay only for the service time that you plan to use.The problem is that as more companies are now offering prepaid cell phone services with different options, it has become confusing for consumers to shop for the best deals. To simplify your prepaid cell phone shopping, here are 4 tips that will help you:
1. Do your research online. With prepaid cell phones (alltel prepaid cell phones) available in nationwide stores like Walmart, Target and 7-11, you can easily pop into any of these stores and get a phone and phone usage cards. However, you will generally find a wider selection of phones and better prices online. Even if you plan on buying something at a retail store, at least check out your options online first to make sure you are not missing out on anything major.
2. Check out the top prepaid phone companies. Nowadays, many phone companies are jumping on the prepaid bandwagon because of its popularity. One way to cut through the confusion of offerings is to review what is available with one or two top recognized players and use their standards as a purchase benchmark. According the JD Power and Associates' 2009 Prepaid Wireless study, the top prepaid cell phone companies in order of rank are:
#1. Net10 (award winner)
#2. TracFone
#3. Boost Mobile
#4. Virgin Mobile
#5. Alltel
#6. T-Mobile To Go
If you are interested in a solid and basic prepaid cell phone, Net 10 and TracFone are best bets. For fancier phones, I would recommend companies like Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile and T-Mobile.
3. Get a clear picture of your cell phone usage level or the usage level of your family members if you are buying this for everyone in the household. How many minutes do you use for talking on the cell phone each month? What about text messaging? Do you need roaming service so you can make calls when you are travelling? Do you have other needs like international calling? There is no one single "best" plan out there that caters to all needs. Some plans work better for some while something else will work better for others. Only with a clear understanding of your needs will you be able to pick the best prepaid plan for you and your family members.
4. Check out both the phones and the price of usage. Once you have gone through the websites and checked out a couple of phones that you like, also factor in how much it will cost to keep the phone running. Getting a complete picture will allow you make a better purchase. If you are a heavy phone user, consider unlimited or high volume monthly plans from Boost Mobile or MetroPCS. If you are a light to moderate user, TracFone with its Double Minutes for Life benefit offers flexible refill options that go as low as 10 cents a minute. Net10 always charges 10 cents a minute to use its service and have plans starting at $15 a month.
Using these 4 tips, you will have a fast start in choosing and purchasing a prepaid cell phone package that works for you.
If you are looking to quickly cut through the confusion and choose the best value prepaid cell phone package for yourself, check out more reviews at my Buy Prepaid Cell Phone Services blog located at http://www.buy-prepaid-cell-phone.com
Have fun with your phone shopping!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shannen_Lee
alltel prepaid cell phones
Although it's true that Alltel was purchased by Verizon in January of 2009 and that since then much of Alltel's market has migrated to Verizon, there are still many markets in which Alltel continues to operate. One of these markets is that of their prepaid service.
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