Should you get a prepaid cell phone or a postpaid one?

Answer

A prepaid cell phone is very different from a regular post-paid cell phone. Let us see how:

Prepaid cellular With a prepaid cellular you do not have to sign any contract. There is no credit check done for prepaid as the service is already paid for. You do not have to pay monthly service fees as is the case with monthly post-paid cell phones. There is no security deposit either. Since the minutes in prepaid are paid for you can have better control over your cell phone usage and you will not receive exorbitant phone bills. The minutes in a prepaid cellular can be carried forward up to a couple of months, thus you can use your prepaid cell for a longer time and don’t have to pay for monthly airtime that you might not use.

So a prepaid cell phone seems like an ideal choice for people whose usage is not very high and who have a bad credit history which would make getting a post-paid phone difficult for them. It is also useful for people who travel a lot. Instead of paying for a roaming facility, you can just get a prepaid card at the place you are going to. A prepaid phone is a good idea especially for parents of teenagers as they can control the cell usage of their kids.

On the other hand, a prepaid cell also has certain disadvantages.

Prepaid minutes cost almost twice as much as those in a post-paid cellular, making it more expensive on a per minute basis. Long distance call charges with a prepaid phone are exorbitant. The service is also very basic and you may not be able to get advanced features like web surfing.

So the bottom-line is: If you need a cell phone mostly for emergencies or just as a means to be reachable then a prepaid cell phone is for you. If your monthly usage is very low and your needs are met by a basic cell phone then go in for a prepaid cellular. A prepaid might be the only option for you if you have bad credit standings. BUT if your cell usage is very high and you need a state-of-the-art cell phone, then you would be better off with a monthly billed post-paid cellular phone.

First answer by ID3400636332. Last edit by Chris. Contributor trust: 2326 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 144 [recommend question]