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T Mobile
T Mobile Pay as You Go

Prepaid phone plans/no contract with T-Mobile

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An extremely inexpensive alternative for those who do not depend on cell phones.

  • Feb 1, 2010
  • by
Rating:
+5
For seven years I sold cell phones for a living.  Because I was first a store manager and then a regional manager as part of my compensation I got a line with virtually unlimited minutes.  I could have cared less.   I used my phone primarily for business and made an occasional call home or to a friend.  I found that for me a cell phone was a nice thing to have but in no way shape or form did I ever become hooked on the darn thing.  As soon as I left the business and lost my free line I decided to go with a T-Mobile-To-Go Prepaid deal.  That was over four years ago and I have been with them ever since. 

The T-Mobile-To-Go Prepaid plan offers four tiers of refill cards. The $10.00 refill is for 30 minutes, the $25.00 refill is for 130 minutes, and the $50.00 refill is for 400 minutes. When you buy a $100.00 refill card you are enrolled in the Gold Rewards program, which gives you 15 percent more minutes for each card you buy. The 100 dollar card is for 1000 minutes, which already includes the 15 percent bonus.  Initially your minutes are only good for 90 days but after a year in the program your minutes are good for a full year. Very cool!  What is also very cool is that with a prepaid plan the only tax you pay is the state sales tax on the refill card.  There are none of the other hidden taxes and fees that drive up your bill dramatically if you are on a regular monthly plan.  It seems like every time Congress wants to raise additional revenue they jack up the taxes and fees on cell phone service.  This happens more often than you think and I saw it time and again during my time in the business.  More importantly, there is no credit check and no contract to sign.  I was never one who was comfortable with long term contracts and only sign them when it is absolutely necessary.  

You can sign up for T-Mobile-To-Go Prepaid service online, at a T-Mobile store, or at big box stores and independent dealers everywhere.  Expect to spend around $100 for a starter kit with a decent phone.  I was always partial to Samsung phones but T-Mobile also offers phones by Nokia, Motorola and LG.  The entire process only takes a few minutes and most folks will have an active phone right away.   And when the time comes you can purchase prepaid air time cards at over 90,000 locations nationwide; stores include 7-Eleven, Office Depot, Target, Wal-Mart, and Walgreens to name but a few.  Extremely convenient!

Now most folks reading this are probably a good deal younger than me and spend an awful lot of time on their cell phones and blackberries and God knows what else and that is great.  But I run into people all the time who are paying a monthly cell phone bill and simply don't use it all that much.  For the most part these are older people and they should know that there is a better and cheaper alternative.  Perhaps your parents, grandparents or an older person you work with fits this profile. In my opinion, these people should ditch their monthly plan and latch on to T-Mobile-To-Go Prepaid service.  Although T-Mobile has the smallest national footprint it should be just fine for the overwhelming majority of people.  In addition, you should know that T-Mobile USA has been  awarded 11 J.D. Power Awards in the areas of customer care, call quality, and overall customer satisfaction.  In my experience T-Mobile is a great company to do business with.   Very highly recommended. 
An extremely inexpensive alternative for those who do not depend on cell phones. An extremely inexpensive alternative for those who do not depend on cell phones. An extremely inexpensive alternative for those who do not depend on cell phones. An extremely inexpensive alternative for those who do not depend on cell phones.

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May 05, 2011
I'm with you Paul. I had a standard monthly plan for years, but got tired of paying for minutes I never used. I'm not a cell/smart phone junkie either. About 3 years ago I switched to the '1000 good for a year' plan and have been using it ever since. I still don't go through all of my minutes and it is so much cheaper. Thanks for spreading the word.
 
February 08, 2010
We also use T-Mobile Pay-as-you-go! I used to be a hardcore cell phone user (we had Cingular), but then I developed really bad migraines shortly after I started using a cell phone when I was 16. I never associated it with cell phone use, but no doctor could tell me the reason, all medical tests came back fine. So after suffering for 8 years (!) I decided to do my own experiment. I ditched my cell phone two years ago and haven't had a migraine since then! Then my husband stopped using his as well. Now we just have a corded home phone and this T-Mobile plan with a phone in the car just for emergencies. We're going against the tide of technological innovation ;)
 
February 02, 2010
Ari... I figure I buy 3 25.00 cards per year so with tax it costs me about $80 a year. I have the phone with me at all times so I get my money's worth. A lot of people on Lunch might have parents, grandparents or older people they work with who have been sitting on the same plans for years and hardly ever use the phone. Also, I needed a new phone. I went to my locat T-Mobile store and was able to grab a nice Samsung flip for $70.00. When I was selling phones several years ago purchasing that same phone without a contract would have cost $200.00.
 
February 02, 2010
Very interesting to read a review on a pay-as-you-go plan from someone who used to sell cellphones for a living! I have an iPhone and am absolutely addicted to my all inclusive plan, which I take major advantage of, but this review would be really helpful to my parents, and my aunts and uncles who only use their cellphones in emergencies. I'm definitely recommending some sort of pay-as-you-go plan to them now. Thanks for sharing, Paul!
 
February 02, 2010
I'm addicted to my all inclusive cell phone plan. I have a feeling most people never do the math and realize they are paying $500 a year for minimal cell phone privileges, and that they might prefer a $100/year option, especially if they primarily use it for emergencies.
 
February 01, 2010
I have an AT and T Go phone, which is very similar. I have never seen a side-by-side comparison of that with T-Mobile. I wonder which is cheaper?
 
1
More T Mobile Pay as You Go reviews
Quick Tip by . May 05, 2011
Caption
The T-Mobile Pay As You Go is the perfect plan for someone who uses their cell-phone seldom, makes mainly brief 1-5 minute calls or has it only for emergencies. I get 1000 minutes which stay good for a year for $100 plus state tax. No other fees at all! I never use them all up, and if I buy another 1000 minutes before 365 days, the remaining minutes roll over. Another bonus is this works with a large number of unlocked cell phones, so when you get a new phone you just take the SIM card from old …
see all T Mobile Pay as You Go reviews (2)
About the reviewer
Paul Tognetti ()
Ranked #3
I guess I would qualify as a frustrated writer. My work requires very little writing and so since 1999 I have been writing reviews on non-fiction books and anthology CD's on amazon.com. I never could … more
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About this topic

Wiki

T Mobile Pay as You Go is a service that allows customers to use a pre paid cell phone without signing any contract.

As the cost of these typically seem high per minute, consumers who don't want to sign a contract or don't use their mobile device often enough can often get great deals.

T Mobile Pay as You Go costs average about $0.10/minute (if you purchase $100 of credit at once, $10 of credit will only get you 30 minutes) regardless if you call or receive, $0.05 for each received text and $0.10 for each out going text.

T Mobile Pay as You Go also provides a "Pay by Day" plan - $1.00 for each day you use the phone, then $0.10/minute for each call.
view wiki

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