Are TracFones Prepaid Phones Right for You?

TracFone Wireless makes TracFones, a unit of the Mexican telecommunications company America Mobil. They are sold at regular stores like OfficeMax, Target, Office Depot, Wal-Mart, and are also available at other electronics retail outlets across the country. TracFones are designed for the prepaid cellular market, which has an estimated 10 million consumers and an estimated $6 billion in annual revenue. Most people think that prepaid mobile phones are expensive if they are to be used as a normal mobile phone.

The truth is that all GSM model TracFones are “flat rate” (ie no roaming charge). Depending on the phone, a TracFone will often have better text messaging rates than a T-Mo. By paying for everything up front at a specific rate, you know exactly where you are. Any new TracFone you buy these days will be a flat-rate phone, because old standard-rate phones for sale aren’t new anymore. Long distance calling plans are also available if you make frequent international calls, but depending on the plan, you will also be charged for domestic long distance calls that would normally be free with regular TracFone service.

TracFone does not have its own network and only uses well-established carriers like Verizon, Alltel, Cingular, Suncom, AT&T, etc. Many telephone companies around the world resell the services of other telephone companies. They buy circuits from the established carrier at wholesale price and resell them at retail price to people like you and me. For example, you may have heard of PAETEC Communications or US LEC. Both companies only own switches there, they don’t own any network, so they resell the BellSouth (AT&T) network or the Verizon network. Bell South and Verizon and similarly Cingular, Verizon Wireless, AllTel, T-Mobile have their own wholesale sales departments serving companies like TracFone. Also, on the other hand, all those companies buy wholesale from each other to complete the network. It is a common practice among telephone companies.

TracFones are great for people who don’t want a contract or only use their phones for emergencies. They’re also great if you don’t use your phone much. You get 10 cents per minute if you get the double min card and then a 400 min card for $80. TracFones are a good alternative to a regular cell phone if you don’t use many minutes each month or if you have poor credit and can’t get a contract with a standard cell phone company.

I don’t know who these people are who say TracFones are “cheap” and don’t have good service, but as someone who has used them since they came out, I can say without fear of credible contradiction that they are just as good as any phone out there. there. I would say that if used correctly as occasional cell phone users, Tracfones are almost always cheaper than paying for a plan on a regular phone.