| |
Hybrid Prepaid Comparison Chart
Last Update:
03/06/2012 10:53 PM
Hybrid prepaid plans are the latest development. These are very
similar to traditional wireless plans, except there is no contract. You still
have to pay each month to keep the account active. Prices are higher than with
regular plans. If you spend at least $30/month you usually get one special perk (airtime, m2m, nights
or nights&weekends), but its never as good as a regular plan. Hybrid plans are NOT for you
if you are looking at a prepaid plan to save money, or because you don't use the
phone that often.
The advantages of this type of plan are:
(1) there is no contract
(2) you are not subject to a credit check
(3) you use the phone quite often and are looking for night &
weekend minutes
(4) you can roam off-network (usually at an additional
charge, but it's better than the phone being dead)
(5) you may get a break on the price of a phone (eg: Verizon
EasyPay users get phones at the 1-yr contract price)
Typically you have to pay taxes and fees on the
monthly charge just like a regular plan. Minutes typically don't rollover. This type of plan is always more
expensive (per minute) than a regular plan, and you will not get the super phone discounts
that you get with a regular plan.
If you are interested in traditional prepay plans
click here.
Check out any special offers on my special offers
page.
Coverage Maps/
More Info |
Alltel U
(Pay
Per
Day) |
Boost Premium |
AT&T GoPhone
Pick Your Plan |
Lucky Wireless
(Sprint) |
Lucky Wireless
(Verizon) |
PagePlus
Talk n Text 1200 |
PagePlus
Unlimited Talk n Text |
Speak
Out Wireless Unlimited night / weekend |
T-Mobile
Pay By The Day |
U.S.
Cellular Prepaid |
Verizon
Inpulse |
Virgin
Mobile Monthly TALK |
Xtreme Mobile |
Vendor
Website |
AllTel U |
Boost |
GoPhone |
Lucky Wireless |
Lucky Wireless |
Page
Plus |
Page
Plus |
Speak
Out |
T-Mobile |
U.S. Cellular |
Verizon Inpulse |
Virgin |
Xtreme |
System |
CDMA |
iDEN |
GSM |
CDMA |
CDMA |
CDMA |
CDMA |
CDMA |
GSM |
CDMA |
CDMA |
CDMA |
CDMA |
Lowest Monthly Cost |
$22.50 (75c/day) |
$30 |
$30
CG1
CG2 |
$18.99 |
$24.99 |
$29.95 |
$39.95 |
$40
(plus $1.50 fee) |
$8.33
plus
($1/day fee for any day a voice call is made or received) |
$45 US1 |
$8.33 VZ1
plus
(99c-$2.99/day fee for any day a voice call is made or received, depending
on plan) |
$24.99
VM1 |
$18.00
(60c/day) |
Port your number
IN? |
NO |
|
|
|
|
YES |
YES |
|
YES |
|
|
YES |
NO |
Account Info |
AA5
AA7 |
AA1
AA2
AA4
AA7 |
AA1
AA2
AA3
AA5
AA8 |
|
|
AA5
AA7 |
AA5
AA7 |
AA1
AA2
AA3
AA5
AA8 |
|
AA3 |
AA1
AA2
AA5
AA7 |
AA1
AA2
AA3
AA5 |
|
Included anytime
airtime |
0 |
0/400/600 |
varies
CG1 |
varies |
varies |
1200 |
unlimited |
200 |
0 |
varies US1 |
0 |
100-1000 |
0 |
Additional anytime
airtime |
10c |
10c |
10.7-15c
CG1 |
25c |
29-30c |
12c |
N/A |
10c ($5 increment) |
10c |
10-15c |
2-10c
VZ2 |
20c |
15c |
Free Airtime? |
nights & weekends
9PM-7AM
AL1 |
$70 plan only:
nights & weekends
7PM-7AM |
n/we & m2m starting at
$40/month
|
nights & weekends
9PM-6AM |
nights & weekends
7PM-6AM |
None |
Unlimited
Airtime |
unlimited
nights
9PM-7AM and weekends |
unlimited m2m;
unlimited nights (7pm-7am) |
free incoming &
nights $45+;
adds
free weekends at $60+;
7PM nights avail for $7 on plans $45+ |
m2m
unlimited
nights
9PM-6AM and weekends(except 99c/day plan) |
some number of
n/we and m2m minutes based on plan |
nights & weekends
9PM-7AM |
Local
Service
Area |
ALLTEL, Verizon and
Sprint
networks (also some USC) |
Nextel network |
AT&T
network |
Sprint network |
Verizon
network |
Verizon
network |
Verizon
network |
Sprint
network |
T-Mobile
network |
USC
network |
Verizon
network |
Sprint
network |
Sprint
network |
Roaming Area |
USA
CDMA
Networks |
Telus/Ca & Baja Mx
BO1 |
limited
USA
GSM
Networks |
USA
CDMA
Networks |
USA
CDMA
Networks |
USA
CDMA
Networks |
USA
CDMA
Networks |
Can't Roam |
USA
GSM
Networks |
USA
CDMA
Networks |
USA
CDMA
Networks |
Can't Roam |
Can't Roam |
Roaming Cost |
59c |
20c/10c
BO1 |
NONE |
64c |
58c |
29c
(60c CA) |
29c
60c CA) |
N/A |
69c CA
$1.49 MX |
69c |
20c |
N/A |
N/A |
Double Dialing
Required |
YES |
NO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NO |
|
YES |
N/A |
N/A |
Special Phone Required |
YES |
NO |
NO |
Sprint Phone |
Verizon Phone |
NO |
NO |
Speakout Phone |
NO |
USC Phone |
Verizon Phone |
YES |
Sprint Phone |
Refill OptionsRF |
|
RF1
RF2
RF3
RF4
RF5
RF6 |
RF4
RF5
|
$10-$200 |
$60-$160 |
RF1
RF4
RF5
RF9 |
RF1
RF4
RF5
RF9 |
RF1
RF2
RF4 RF5 |
|
RF1
RF4
RF8 |
RF1
RF2
RF4
RF5
|
RF1
RF2
RF3
RF4
RF5
RF6
RF8 |
|
Refill periodBB |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
7-30 days |
30 days |
120 days |
120 days |
30 days |
90 days - 1 yr |
30 days |
30 days - 1 yr |
30 days |
30 days |
Recharge Values |
$30/50/
70/100 |
$30/50/70 |
$30/40/
50/70 |
$19-200 |
$60-240 |
$10/25/
50/80 |
$10/25/
50/80 |
$5+ |
$10/25/
50/100 |
$30/40/50/
75/100 |
$15-150 |
$25-$100 |
$15/20/50 |
Voicemail deposits use airtime |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
SMS rcv/sndCC |
FREE
AL1 |
10c
or
$10/month
BO2 |
15c/15c
CG3 |
8c/8c |
10c/10c |
unlimited |
unlimited |
5c/5c |
5c/10c
(US&CA) |
free/25c
(pkg avail) |
2-10c
/
2-10c |
15c/15c
(pkg avail) |
10c/10c |
MMS rcv/sndCC |
|
25c |
25c
CG3 |
|
|
10c/MB after
100MB |
10c/MB after 20MB |
|
25c |
N/A |
25c |
25c |
|
Int'l SMS
snd |
|
same |
20c |
|
|
20c |
20c |
|
5c/35c MX |
25c
(pkg avail) |
25c |
20c/15c |
same |
WAPDD |
NO |
35c/day
or
$10/month
BO2 |
1c/KB
CG3 |
|
|
100MB free then 10c/MB |
20MB free then 10c/MB |
1c/KB |
Free (limited) |
NO |
99¢ per day of
use 24-hour period |
$1/day/
500KB
or
$5/mo/5MB |
NO |
Activation fee |
$35 |
part of start-up
kit |
None with phone
kit; SIM-only kit $25 |
$10 |
$0 - 15 |
$10
(or thru dealer) |
$10
(or thru dealer) |
part of start-up kit |
None with phone
kit; SIM-only kit $10(incl 10 min) |
$30 or part of
start-up kit |
NONE |
NONE |
NONE |
BB The recharge period is the number of days that the airtime is good
for. If you recharge your account within this period your current account
balance will carry over to the new period. Some plans include a grace period before losing minutes and phone
number, but the phone will not work during that period. For example, the
grace period for Virgin Mobile is 60 days.
CC SMS = Short Message Service (sending & receiving text
messages). MMS = Multimedia (picture) Messaging Service.
DD WAP = Wireless Application Protocol (surfing the web on the cell
phone)
AL1 Alltel U Pay-Per-Day allows you to select two of
four free options: (1) Free Nights/Weekends, (2) Free Text, (3) Free M2M and (4)
Free calling to/from one number. I used the first two in the chart.
BO1 Boost Mobile can be used in Baja Mexico for a surcharge of 10c/minute (same surcharge for
DC). Boost DC will also work on Telus in Canada for a surcharge of 20c/minute
(web works too), but voice does not work.
BO2 An extra $10 a month will get you unlimited text and unlimited web.
AT&T GoPhone
CG1 $29.99 / 200 anytime / 0
n&w / 0 m2m
$39.99 / 300 anytime / 500
n&w / unlimited m2m
$49.99 / 400 anytime /3000 n&w /
unlimited m2m
$69.99 / 650 anytime / unlimited n&w / unlimited m2m
Minutes will roll-over if you refill before the 30 days
is up
Overage causes monthly refill or service will suspend
CG2 GoPhone rates do not include taxes and fees, those are
additional (approx 15-20%)
CG3 Packages available:
Messaging Packs: $4.99/200;
$9.99/1000; $19.99/unlimited text
Media Net Packs: $4.99/1MB;
$9.99/5MB; $14.99/10MB; $19.99/unlimited data (overages 1c/KB)
U.S. Cellular Trackerpack
US1 $45.00 / 350 anytime / free incoming / free
Nights Only / overage 15c/min
$60.00 / 600 anytime / free incoming / free
N&W / overage 10c/min
$80.00 / 1000 anytime / free incoming /
free N&W / overage 10c/min
Virgin Mobile
VM1 $24.99 / 200 anytime / 500 7PM nights&weekends /
0 M2M / overage 20c/min
$34.99 / 300 anytime / 1000 7PM
nights&weekends / 0 M2M / overage 20c/min
$49.99 / 300 anytime / UNLM 7PM
nights&weekends / 0 M2M / overage 20c/min
$59.99 / 600 anytime / UNLM 7PM
nights&weekends / UNLM M2M / overage 20c/min
$99.99 /1000 anytime / UNLM 7PM nights&weekends /
UNLM M2M / overage 20c/min
Verizon
VZ1 Lowest monthly cost is based on purchasing a $100 card good for a
year
VZ2
Rate depends on plan selected
Xtreme
XT1 There is a 60c daily access fee ($18/month) which gives you the
free nights and weekend minutes (zero anytime minute). All peak airtime costs
15c/minute
Account Info Options:
AA1 Account Management available on-line
AA2 Call History available on-line
AA3 Account Balance available via SMS
AA4 Account Balance available via WAP
AA5 Account Balance available via the phone (611, 1-800, etc), you
may pay airtime if you call from the cell
AA6 Account Balance available on handset
AA7 A recorded message tells you how many minutes are available at the
beginning of a call
AA8 A text message tells you how many minutes are available at the
completion of a call
Refill Options:
RF1 Refill card over the phone (611, 1-800, etc), you may pay airtime
if you call from the cell
RF2 Refill card via Website
RF3 Refill card via WAP
RF4 Credit/Debit card over the phone (611, 1-800, etc), you may pay
airtime if you call from the cell
RF5 Credit/Debit card via Website
RF6 Credit/Debit card via WAP
RF7 Cash (may be limited)
RF8 Auto-recurring billing available
|