Anyone familiar with prepaid "Trac" type phones?

[sixdogs]

I need a simple phone that will just be in use for a few months this spring with only a few calls. It will likely be abused so I don't want a good one or to put a lot of money into it. A "Trac" phone was suggested but I know little about them or where to get one. Walmart doesn't seem to carry them but I'm not sure on that.

The way I understand it is that you buy the phone for maybe $25 and then call and add minutes to it. Are the minutes expensive and do the phones come with any minutes? Are these phones junk or a good idea? Any advice or education appreciated.

 

[Toyboy]

Wife & I have been using Tracfones for years and don't have a complaint. You can find them on sale for as little as $10 or less. You can get a phone as advanced as a smart phone or android, or a basic flip phone.Depends what you want to do with it. You can buy the minutes cards most everywhere, for example 90 days w/60 min or 90 days w/200 min, amongst other choices. If you do decide to go w/Trackfone be sure you get a phone that has either double or triple minutes for life.. 60 min = 120 or 180min ...200 = 4 or 600 min... you see where I'm going w/this.
There are other pay as you use carriers out there but we've been perfectly happy with Trackfone. Check all of them out if you want.

 

[varmint]

I have been happy with Page Plus cellular. You get a phone, cheap ones abound, and then register and buy minutes online. I currently get $25 worth of minutes that last for 3 or 4 months, cost is about 5 or 6 cents per minute. The value isn't lost after the months expire if you renew. They have different programs, and I think one of them would be your cheapest solution. Here, they use Verizon as the carrier. I used to use Virgin, but they cost too costly for me. I seldom use a cell phone, but when I do, I need it!

 

[Toyboy]

Wife & I have been using Tracfones for years and don't have a complaint. You can find them on sale for as little as $10 or less. You can get a phone as advanced as a smart phone or android, or a basic flip phone.Depends what you want to do with it. You can buy the minutes cards most everywhere, for example 90 days w/60 min or 90 days w/200 min, amongst other choices. If you do decide to go w/Trackfone be sure you get a phone that has either double or triple minutes for life.. 60 min = 120 or 180min ...200 = 4 or 600 min... you see where I'm going w/this.
There are other pay as you use carriers out there but we've been perfectly happy with Trackfone. Check all of them out if you want. All the phones are name brand...LG, Motorola, etc. not junk.

 

[caver]

I've been using one for years. As was said, you can get their phones cheap if you shop around. My last phone I bought was about half price at Dollar General and I wanted it for the qwerty keyboard.
If walmart doesn't have them it may be the local carrier doesn't handle Tracfone??? I understand certain phones they sell run on ATT and others on Verizon system. Dollar Generals in my area carry Tracfone. You can also buy them on Amazon. I add minutes via interwebs but you can buy the prepaid cards at the stores too. Minutes can run you up to maybe 0.34 highest to less than .010 depending on if you have a double/triple minutes for life phone and how many minutes you buy.

 

[Ken]

I live in area with "0" signal strength. And use trac phone when traveling or trips to town.
With no sig. it keeps searching and will run the battery dead in a 10 hour period .
Also purchase a one year card at wal-mart have excess minutes that will keep adding until some cell co realizes there is areas that is blank.
Offered land to one cell co that never answered the letter.
ken

 

[sixdogs]

Wife & I have been using Tracfones for years and don't have a complaint. You can find them on sale for as little as $10 or less. You can get a phone as advanced as a smart phone or android, or a basic flip phone.Depends what you want to do with it. You can buy the minutes cards most everywhere, for example 90 days w/60 min or 90 days w/200 min, amongst other choices. If you do decide to go w/Trackfone be sure you get a phone that has either double or triple minutes for life.. 60 min = 120 or 180min ...200 = 4 or 600 min... you see where I'm going w/this.
There are other pay as you use carriers out there but we've been perfectly happy with Trackfone. Check all of them out if you want. All the phones are name brand...LG, Motorola, etc. not junk.

So you buy the minutes cards at Walmart or whatever or do you have to call in somewhere? Do the minutes roll over to future months or just expire?

 

[caver]

Ken, They probably don't have any phone/data cables near your offered land.

 

[caver]

Minutes roll over, it's the "service days" you have to watch. Most cards add 90 days along with minutes purchased. You can buy one year cards along with minutes.

 

[homedad]

I've been with them for about 7 years mostly because I'm cheap and never understood the whole smartphone @ $100-$125 per month charge. I have triple minutes for life and I buy the 365 day minutes. It works out to about $7-$8 dollars per month. I rarely use it because It's Sprint and I live in a dead zone-ish area. I can make a call from outside or pressed up against a window. I have Magic Jack for a land line. I now just give the Tracfone to the kids when they are out. They get embarrassed having it but I just tell them that they can have a smart phone if they can pay the monthly bill.