Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plan: basic features of prepaid phone plan
With their capability to take and make calls from almost anywhere, cell phones have become a main thing in this modern life. Cell phones add an element of flexibility, allowing us to talk, text and even browse the Internet on a whim with no wires, no physical connections and--as is increasingly common--no monthly bills.
Explore several aspects of best prepaid cell phone plan, including the history of prepaid phones, types of plans, and some benefits and considerations regarding their use. FunctionWhen a customer acquires and activates a new best prepaid cell phone plan, the new line is provisioned by the carrier in much the same way as traditional post-paid accounts. Basic information is taken from the customer, the mobile handset's electronic serial number (ESN) is recorded and a telephone number is assigned to the set.
Rather than submitting the best prepaid cell phone plan to monthly billing, however, an up-front charge is collected from the customer and placed on the account.
Proprietary software monitors the usage of the phone, deducting charges (defined in the prepaid cell phone user agreement) from the account as the phone is used.
When the account reaches a low balance, the software warns the customer. When the balance reaches zero, the software disables functionality of the cell phone.
In some cases where the customer agrees in advance, the software may also attempt to automatically replenish the account using a provided credit or debit card in order to prevent service interruptions. Features
Best prepaid cell phone plan have traditionally afforded their users somewhat sparse services, allowing voice calls only and often at a significantly higher cost than billed services.
The popularity of prepaid cell phones, however, has prompted carriers to offer more services in prepaid cell phone plans, and many carriers now offer text messaging (texting) and data services to prepaid customers.
Many plans debit the prepaid account for each minute of voice talk time or data usage, and debit the account a separate--usually lower--charge for incoming and outgoing text messages.
Some carriers also offer unlimited usage of some services for an additional prepaid fee, such as unlimited data usage or unlimited off-peak voice talk time for around $1 per prepaid day. Advantages
Prepaid cell phones afford mobility to customers who do not qualify for traditional post-billed services due to lack of credit, low income or lack of permanent address. They are often inexpensive and easy to obtain, and many do not require credit checks or extensive information to activate.
Once activated, prepaid cell phones allow users to control spending; rather than accumulating massive (and sometimes unexpected) bills, prepaid cell phones simply stop working when a customer reaches the pre-set spending limit.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, customers who rarely use their phones--like customers who maintain a mobile phone account for emergency use only--can use prepaid accounts to avoid high recurring bills for phones that are rarely used.
Finally, the nature of best prepaid cell phone plan means there is no contractual obligation to keep the phone for any length of time, and prepaid customers are not subjected to the early termination fees that haunt post-paid customers. ConsiderationsWhile there are many advantages to a prepaid cell phone plan, these plans are not suitable for all mobile phone users.
Prepaid customers often face a very limited choice of phones, with most "cooler" or "trendy" phones reserved for post-paid account holders. Prepaid phones are often more expensive, too, as the profits carriers reap from post-billed accounts help subsidize the initial purchase price of the cell phone handset.
Finally, prepaid cell phone plans can be considerably more expensive for heavy users, as per-minute and per-message charges are generally higher for prepaid users than for post-billed consumers. Return From Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plan To Best Homepage |