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Prepaid Reviews

Best Rated Pay as You Go Phone Plans

If you're looking for a pay as you go plan provider, you've come to the right place. Make sure that you don't buy a pay as you go phone before you've read our review of the provider or providers you have in mind.

Below you'll find our list of best rated providers - from the best (five stars) to the not so good (1 star). You can read our review on each prepaid cell phone provider and/or shop for the best deals from that provider.

Net10 still offers its simple rate that made it a prepaid wireless leader: 10 cents per minute and 5 cents per text message. But recently they've added more options, including a 50 dollar unlimited talk, text, and web plan. They have also reduced rates on their 600 and 900 minute cards, dropping them to 7.5 and 6.7 cents, respectively.
PlatinumTel is one of the highest rated prepaid cell phone providers on the market. Great prepaid plans at great prices.
Read our review of PlatinumTel Prepaid
T-Mobile prepaid offers an array of phones and plans that can fit anyone's needs and budget. Their pay-as-you-go plans offer flexible calling rates, while their Monthly 4G plans offer smartphones with prepaid plans.
Read our review of T-Mobile Prepaid
AT&T offers an array of prepaid plans that include pay-per-minute, pay-per-day, and pay-per-month options. With a large selection of phones, they cover the needs for most consumers.
Read our review of AT&T Prepaid
Boost Mobile uses the Sprint CDMA network to provide services across the United States. While they once focused on the push-to-talk walkie talkie feature, they have pushed that to the side in favor of flat-rate, unlimited plans that include smartphone service.
Read our review of Boost Mobile
MetroPCS offers a wide variety of both feature phones and smartphones, which satisfy a large array of users. They also offer 4G LTE services in select markets, with a number of Android handsets available.
Read our review of Metro PCS
Page Plus Cellular offers various plans that can meet different users' needs. These range from normal pay-as-you-go refill cards to monthly plans. They also activate Verizon Wireless cell phones, so users have more choice when it comes to devices.
Read our review of Page Plus Cellular
Ready Mobile is a Prepaid Cell Phone service that offers a number of plans to suit your budget. Click through to our review here and get detailed pricing and plan information.
Read our review of Ready Mobile
Total Call Mobile targets Americans with families overseas, providing them with cheap and easy international calling rates. Their domestic rates are also around the industry average, comparable to Net10.
Read our review of Total Call Mobile
One of the longest-running pay-as-you-go services in America, TracFone has continued offering simple prepaid options. By renting network space from all four major US carriers, TracFone is able to offer service to most regions of the country. TracFone starter kits and refill cards are available at many retailers nationwide.
Read our review of TracFone
Verizon's prepaid offerings have changed over the years. Their latest addition is a 50 dollar unlimited talk, text, and web plan that rivals many others on the prepaid market. They also offer some of their postpaid monthly plans on a prepaid basis.
Read our review of Verizon Wireless
Virgin Mobile offers one of the most feature rich plans available. Great coverage area and plan pricing is competitive, though it can be a little complicated.
Read our review of Virgin Mobile
Alltel offers several plans. If you talk a lot on your cell phone you may find one of the monthly or pay per day plans to be a deal. If you're not a frequent talker, AllTel's prepaid plans might be a bit high priced.
Read our review of Alltel Prepaid
Find great deals on prepaid cell phone service with Consumer Cellular. They offer a low cost service and even offer a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied.
Read our review of Consumer Cellular
Every parent wrestles with the issue of when to get their children cell phones. While kajeet doesn't make that decision any easier, they do offer parents an option for when they decide it's time. Kajeet's parental controls appeal to adults, while their plans, with a focus on messaging and data, appeal to the pre-teen, or tween, crowd.
Read our review of Kajeet
Simple Freedom is a prepaid wireless provider that is available in most Wal-Mart stores. With competitive pricing and good coverage, Simple Freedom is a worthwhile choice for people looking for simplistic prepaid service.
Read our review of Simple Freedom
Simple Mobile offers unlimited talk, text and web services. Get prepaid cellphone service from Simple Mobile.
Read our review of Simple Mobile
Straight Talk is a service of TracFone Wireless Inc., America’s largest no-contract cell phone provider in the U.S., with over 11 million subscribers.
Read our review of Straight Talk
US Cellular offers you prepaid service that mimics traditional cell phone plans with Talk Tracker. There are no minute plans, but their month to month plans are well priced and featured, though their phone choices leave a little to be desired.
Read our review of US Cellular Prepaid
In the past few years Cricket has expanded its network via roaming agreements with other carriers. They offer flat-rate plans that include unlimited minutes and messages, plus an allotment of 3G data.
Read our review of Cricket Prepaid
Earthtones is an MVNO of the AT&T network. They offer very basic, affordable calling plans, though their selection of phones is below average. All profits are donated to various environmental non-profit organizations.
Read our review of Earth Tones
Jitterbug offers flexible plans, and targets the baby boomers and older Americans. Multiple service tiers but expensive per-minute rates.
Read our review of Jitterbug
All the benefits of traditional service in a prepaid plan. A wide range of coverage areas, good customer service and cool features snag this provider a great rating from our editors.
Read our review of o2 Wireless
Red Pocket Mobile offers great international calling options while on a prepaid plan. Get all of the details regarding prepaid cellphone service from Red Pocket Mobile here.
Read our review of Red Pocket Mobile
Xtreme Mobile provides simple service with no confusion and calls are carried out on the Sprint PCS Network. Limited choices in phones and a per day access charge are drawbacks to this provider, but they have several pros like minutes that do not expire.
Read our review of Xtreme Mobile
Great plans that closely mimic that of a traditional cell phone provider - but without the hassle of credit checks, deposits or contracts. A ton of great features included, but customer service severely lacks.
Read our review of Liberty Wireless
Simple pricing plans make STI Mobile an uncomplicated choice. But lack of features and roaming capabilities make this phone provider a non option for people looking for sophisticated cell phone service.
Read our review of STI Mobile
Competitive plan pricing and no credit checks or deposits required. What Venture lacks on coverage in certain areas it certainly makes up for with ease of use and customer satisfaction.
Read our review of Venture Mobile
May 25, 2013
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