Cell phones: Prepaid or contract?

United States
January 30, 2011 9:57am CST
I have had both prepaid cell phones, and contract ones. Personally, I prefer the contract ones, simply because if something happened to my pone, I can call the service department or whatever & get help. When it came to prepaid, such as AT&T go phone, straight talk, or tracfone, I couldn't ever get help with my phone. Tracfone & straight talk phone, don't have people who you can understand working for them. Which do you prefer?
1 person likes this
11 responses
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
30 Jan 11
I like contract phone better for the same reasons you do, plus there phones just seem to be better for some reason. I think I am going to just get another straight talk phone for now, save up money and get it from my online earnings. When I get a real job I will just use one of these sites where you can recycle your phone and get money or gift cards... I've had Virgin Mobile For Prepaid and Now Straight Talk. I've had Cricket and Sprint for Contract Phones.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jan 11
I'm not sure if you have it where you are, or even where you are, but check out us cellular. They require a deposit, but I have no credit and my deposit was only $25.00! Right now they have some really good deals on their Android phones. I have their Samsung Acclaim, powered by Android and I absolutely LOVE it!!
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
30 Jan 11
Okay I was going to check them out. Yeah Im in the USA, so I will see what kind of deals they have for me! Im going to shop around lol as I've got awhile before I'll even have the money to switch to a different cell service lol.
@marcmm (1804)
• Malaysia
30 Jan 11
In Malaysia, all of the Telco provider have both contract and prepaid line. So all of them treat their custmer regardless the customer use contracted (also known as postpaid) or prepaid line. Even if I lose my prepaid sim card or damaged, I can eaasily get it replace instantly with all my credit still as it was before. Personally, I would prefer prepaid. I'm not a guy that use my phone very much. I just used it as an emergency or something important. If I used contracted line, I will have to pay monthly access fee even if i'm not using it. So I feel that it just a waste of money. Postpaid is good for someone that always use their phone because they offer lower call and text msg rate. Postpaid or prepaid is up to your phone usage.
@SimpleBB (1329)
• Philippines
31 Jan 11
For me, I would prefer the prepaid one. I would not have control of my phone bills if it would be in contract. I am the type of person want to have a quick conversation, so if ever I would go for the phone under contract, I might got headache for phone bills. So for a person like me, prepaid would be better to minimize the phone expenses. But I make sure especially when I'm going to travel to always have a prepaid card just incase an emergency arise.
• Philippines
30 Jan 11
both of them are good, in case of contract as u said u can track ur phone if there something happen you can easily contact your service provider that you loss your phone so that then can turn the phone off permanently..but if your using this even your not using ur phone regularly you will paid in what is in the contract. and in prepaid you can not even track it if you loss your phone, and you will not paid as like as on your contract even ur not using your phone regularly..
1 person likes this
• India
31 Jan 11
Hello I used to give preference to the Prepaid cell phone because all the cell hone service companies are offering to call their customer service centres at free of cost. So this will not make much difference betwen contract cell phone and the prepaid cell phone. So My idea is that we can use prepaid cell phones for the communication and better profitability
@DoctorDidi (7018)
• India
30 Jan 11
I personally prefer the prepaid option because I do not need to bother for the bills to pay, I often check my balance and try to use it accordingly.
@lala501 (1532)
• United States
1 Feb 11
Same with me
@lala501 (1532)
• United States
30 Jan 11
I always use prepaid cellphone because i really don't like to worry about contracts and the bills i have to pay with this contract. I have never lost any of my phones so the tracking device is of no use to me, and i also like prepaid better because it's much easier, just buy the phone and buy the minutes.
• United States
31 Jan 11
I just got my first cell phone a couple of months ago. My phone isn't on a contract, but it isn't prepaid. It's on a month-to-month unlimited plan by MetroPCS. I like this because it doesn't force me to enter any long-term contracts, and I don't have to worry about putting minutes into my phone (which can end up being even more expensive than having your phone on a plan sometimes). If I had to choose between prepaid or contract though, I would have to choose prepaid for now because I am not working. I would just have to use my home phone for long calls and my cell for emergencies if that were the case. If I had a job then I would probably choose contract.
@JohnMach (550)
• Philippines
30 Jan 11
I prefer subscribing to prepaid than contract because I don't usually text or call that much. And if I use prepaid I can subscribe to different kinds of services such as unlimited text a day or unlimited call a day, which I think is more efficient.
• Philippines
30 Jan 11
Here in the Philippines, it is better to get the contract phone or what we call postpaid service. Not only is their phone assistance service better than prepaid, but I never have to worry of running out of credit especially whn using it to call or text other networks.
30 Jan 11
I have a contract with my mobile provider and i think that is much better than prepaid cell phones