Are TracFones Pre-Paid Phones Right For You?

TracFone Wireless makes TracFones, a unit of Mexican telecommunications company America Movil. They are sold by common stores like OfficeMax, Target, Office Depot, Wal-Mart and are also available at other electronic retail outlets nationwide. TracFones are designed for the prepaid cellular market, which has an estimated 10 million consumers and approximate billings of $6 billion annually. Most people think Pre Paid Cell Phones are expensive if they are to be used as a regular mobile phone.

The Truth is all of the GSM model TracFones are "single rate" (meaning no roaming charge). Depending on the phone, a TracFone often will have better texting rates than T-Mo. By paying for everything in advance at a specific rate, you know exactly where you're at. Any new TracFone you buy these days will be a single-rate phone, because the older standard-rate phones for sale new anymore. Long distance calling plans are also available with if you make frequent international calls, but under the plan, you'll also be charged for domestic long distance calls that would normally be free under the regular TracFone service.

TracFone does not have its own network, and only uses existing well established carriers like Verizon, Alltel, Cingular, Suncom, AT&T, etc. Many telephone companies throughout the world resell other phone companies services. They buy circuits from the incumbent carrier at a wholesale rate and resell them at a retail rate to people like you and I. For instance, you may have heard of PAETEC Communications or US LEC. Both companies’ only own there switches they do not own any network so they resell BellSouth’s (AT&T’s) network or Verizon’s Network. Bell South and Verizon and similarly Cingular, Verizon Wireless, AllTel, T-Mobile all have there own wholesale sales departments that cater to companies like TracFone. Also on the flip side all of those companies purchase wholesale from each other to complete out there network. It is a common practice among telephone companies.

TracFones are great for people who don't want a contract or who only use their phones for emergencies. They are also great if you don't use a phone a lot. You get 10 cents per minute if you get the double min card and then a 400 min card for $80. TracFones are good for as an alternative to a regular cell phone if you don't use a lot of minutes each month or you have bad credit and can’t obtain 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 first came out, I can say without fear of credible contradiction that they are just as good as any phones out there. I’d say used properly as a casual cell phone user almost always Tracfones are cheaper than paying for a plan on a normal phone.