Anyone use a non-contract phone?
 

I have been using Trac fone for years- but it has become apparent that my daughter needs something that has unlimited texting.
If you use a non-contract phone plan - which one and what do you think of it.

We use T-Mobile with unlimited text and talk. It is a simple month-to-month cost. Other companies have started doing month-to-month too!

I also use T Mobile and have not had any problems and price was about average.

i use t mobile, don't know how to text

I have wall mart straight talk unlimited txt talk and web have been happy with it

I have an AT&T "GO" phone. It doesn't have a contract. You just add $$ to it as he money starts to run low. Not sure of the cost of texts since I rarely use it for that.

If your daughter is like my granddaughter (of whom we have had custody for 10 years), you definitely need unlimited texting! We have a contract, so I have no answer for a non-contract. However with 4 phones (also our grandson -her brother), my husband and I rarely have texts, and her brother has maybe 10 in a month, but she will have close to 1000 messages in a month. Absolutely unbelievable!!

I want to think my SIL has Virgin Mobile for her daughters. Not sure if that is contract or not. She has unlimited text/data with limited talk. Works well for them. Most of the major carriers have non-contract 'plans' available. See who has the best coverage in your area so you don't run into the 'roaming' situation (if that problem even exists anymore?).

Just upgraded my contract phone to a smart phone today. I added our nephew to my plan a couple of months ago and since I 'upgraded' my plan, I was required to have data on my plan. Neither mine or nephew's phone were data capable. Since my tablet is wifi only, I figured I may as well upgrade my phone to be able to use the data I'm required to pay for anyhow. 6 hrs later and it's still a good thing. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!

DH and I have Verizon pre-paid phones. After our contract ran out, we looked at our options, and realized that their pre-paid phones would save us $50 a month. Their pre-paid phones are 3G instead of 4G, but we didn't have unlimited talk & text before. Now we do. The speed difference isn't noticeable, and the phones themselves (Moto G - $99 each) can do everything our contract phones could. No regrets whatsoever. :)

We looked at StraightTalk, too, but didn't like any of their phones. Their phone prices were higher, and the phones weren't as nice as the Moto G phones we got. (Granted, that was 3-4 months ago, so they may have different ones now.)

Verizon tried every way in the world to get us to sign another contract, so be prepared to "stand firm" if you decide to go with their pre-paid option.

We have ATT no contract. We purchased our phones outright and have the 10 gig monthly data plan with unlimited talk and text. It really works well for us. We travel a bit and only have a few dead area. Mostly in the mountains.

Same here. Straight talk unlimited everything, buy the plan monthly.

We are with Republic Wireless. No contracts, unlimited data, text, and
calling.

Our bill every month about $54 for both lines.

Where is Republic Wireless at?

go to radio shack and go on the virgin mobile deal. $35/month and you get unlimited text & data and 350 minutes of talk. I have great reception

The #1 thing about Republic is that you use Wi-Fi, when your
not connected to Wi-Fi it uses Sprint cellular service.
You don 't get a wide variety of phone to choose from, but we
like the unlimited usage of text, calling, and data.

Plus the low monthly bill of $25 (per phone) makes it a great plan
for us with NO contract.

For more information about REPUBLIC WIRELESS go to their
website.

We have been using Republic since the beta testing days.

I have had straight talk for several years and it has unlimted texting and calling I also really like my phone 45.00 dollars a month both verizon and AT&T has prepaid service for 50.00 dollars a month think it does have limited web surffing

I have the Straight Talk from Walmart and it works great for us. I kept my Iphone and with lots of help transferred to the Straight Talk format. I pay $51 a month with unlimited text and WiFi and unlimited minutes.

Is it just me or does paying $50 a month for a phone seem like a lot?? Plus the purchase of the phone??

I've had Trac Fone for years. I use an app for free texting because my children and grandchildren and friends text. They don't call! When I HAVE to add any talk/text/data time it only costs me about $20.

WOW, thanks for the post AliceQ. I usually don't use up my minutes with Trac Fone. I enjoy paying only $20.00 every 3 months for 120 minutes and any unused minutes are just carried over if I replenishing my minutes before the days expire. In text, that is 360 texts !!

I have the "GO" phone too. It costs 20 cents per text, doesn't matter if you send it or receive it. I don't text either, but once in a while someone got the wrong number, text you & you have to pay. It's very annoying. I may have to break down & do a plan, because it seems like the kids don't talk anymore, they will only reply to text.

Regarding texting, it just occurred to me that if the texts are always to/from the same people it makes a lot of sense to get Whatsapp. This is an app that allows free texting world-wide. I have it but never thought to use it except for people outside the country. You do need to have a smartphone in order to be able to download the app, plus those you communicate with need to download it too.

What is the app you added?

I have metro PC.....unlimited everything for $40 a month.
But u need to know which ones works best in your area to be happy with your pick

I have had Straight talk for a few years now and it works fine. It has unlimited texts.

Tracfone
 

Where do you buy the apps? I have a tracfone and love it but I can't figure out how to add apps and where I would get them from. Thanks for your help.

Deb

Nope, it is NOT just you. Has anyone seen those ads where the couple goes crazy over the "great deal" of $160/month for a family of four? Excuse me, I think that is a LOT of money!!

I've been following this thread because everyone gives me a hard time about not having a smart phone. I've had a Tracfone for years. It sits in my purse, turned off, and I use it when I need to use it. It doesn't work inside my condo but I've noticed a lot of people have that problem here. (I also don't get tv reception without cable.) I can imagine that I would LIKE a smartphone and be able to do all the stuff everyone does with theirs, but I just don't get paying a small fortune every month for the privilege, not to mention the initial cost of the phone.

I think trac fone now has month to month plans too. Check their website.

I have a Virgin Mobile (runs off Sprint) and love it. It's a smart phone and monthly fee is $55. I bought the phone there are several to pick from at Best Buy.. I've been using this for one and half years.

I have Verizon cheapest smallest phone...only want it for emergency use. Pay in advance, add $$ as needed OR by the expiration date. I always pay $30 and that buys 3 months before next expiration date. I figure $10 a month a bargain, for the emergency use.
My balance hovers around $200 because I seldom use it. I get texts which I think costs 10¢, but not sure. This works fine for me, an older senior citizen, who still drives.

Is your phone "smart"? My last phone was not smart enough to be able to use to purchase apps. You need a phone that can access the internet by means of wi-fi.

You should take your phone to the place where you purchased Tracfone or to a place that offers Tracfone, such as Walmart. They will be able to tell you if your phone is smart enough for apps. If it is not, they should be able to show you phones you can purchase that will allow you to download apps.

I finally bit the bullet and got an iPhone. I had to set up an account with iTunes (with a credit card linked to the account). Once I did that, it became very easy to download any of the 500,000 or so apps offered for it. Android phones probably work in a similar manner, but they use a different store (not iTunes) that lists all the apps that work for Android.

I've had a Tracfone for years as well. It's only used when I'm away from home or if the electricity goes off. I don't text; in fact I've never set up the voice mail. I have no problem with the service; my phone is a piece of ...... Recently I've been looking at smartphones but refuse to pay their prices. What the admen think is a good deal is way out of line for a senior on a fixed income. I just heard that Tracfone is or is going to ad smartphones to their list. I'll look into that; some of the "apps" I see could be helpful. I won't pay$40.00/month. Guess it's time to go back to just having a phone at home. Since I am not nor will I be one of those people constantly at the beck of their cellphone I must be a sales persons nightmare. Any smartphone through Tracfone is bound to be more technologically smart than I am; I just want to add a few "apps" (Whatever happened to using words?? ) As for the grandchildren, if texting is the only way they will communicate, they need to spend some time talking to another human being, really talking. No human communication (I'll sink as low as counting Joyce speaking on any phone), no grandmother. Joyce in Delaware

Free Texting App
 

The app I downloaded (it was free) is TextNow. A coworker told me about it. She uses it. My only complaint is that I haven't figured out how to save a photo to my phone when my kids send me one. This app gives you another phone number you need to share with those who would be texting you. You're suppose to be able to make/receive calls on that number through that app but whenever someone calls me on it my phone closes the app. I use my original TracFone number for calls.
Oh...my phone is a TracFone android smart phone, ZTE Valet. It is regularly $99 but Kmart had it on sale for $49.

My whole family uses Straight Talk and loves it--Unlimited talk, text and internet.

Straight Talk unlimited everything only $45 per month. No Trouble. Great service and we live in the mountains.where most do not have much service on the bigger phone companies.

I use Net 10 for $45 a month with 2.5 g data and unlimited calling. Check who gets the best reception in your area. Net10 uses ATT towers and is the only one that I get reception in my home. (I used ATT before my smartphone for straight calling only- no contract and it was more).