How to Shop for Cell Phone Plans That Ease the Bite of Text Messaging Costs
Aside from calling, text messaging is the feature getting the greatest use on most cell phones and probably the primary reason for higher than expected bills. With the cost of sending a domestic message around $.15 and receiving one approximately $.10 with the typical cell phone plan, an avid user can rack up an exorbitant bill within days.
Customers have struggled to reign in the costs. Individuals and families have instituted “call, don’t text” rules within their household, only to find that received text messages still send them over the edge. In some instances, users have been able to block texting from their service but then miss the privacy and the efficiency that texting offers. Many families have tried to quell an adolescent’s texting excess by making teens responsible for their own texting costs while others provide only prepaid services to assure that usage is held in check.
However, an answer to the cost of the burgeoning use of text messaging which may create greater family harmony while allowing consumers to make full use of the feature may come from the cellular providers. Increasingly, the major players in the telecommunications industry are providing cell phone plans which offer options that will cap texting expenses. Cell phone plans which include unlimited texting features are increasingly common while adding on a more predictable $10 to $20 per month to the plan cost.
All “unlimited texting” cell phone plans however are not necessarily equal and consumers will need to shop to find the plan that fits their usage. The following items are some of the major things to consider when comparing plans:
• How much texting is used?
If a consumer only sends/receives a few hundred messages per month, the cellular provider probably offers a texting feature with a cap at 200, 300, or 500 messages which will be less expensive than a cell phone plan that offers no limit on texting.
• Does the unlimited plan include out of network messaging?
Many now do but some can be limited to messages only within the same network.
• Does the unlimited plan include just texting?
Some of the newer unlimited texting cell phone plans include not only texting but also picture and video messaging which is an important distinction for those who use such features routinely.
• Is there a data transfer cap?
Some “unlimited” plans actually cap the amount of data transferred and will charge additional for amounts that exceed the cap.
• Will unlimited texting apply to all lines?
For those who have multiple lines within their cell phone plan, it is important to know if all lines are covered.
• Is international text messaging included in the unlimited messaging?
In many cases it will not be, and the average $.35 cost per sent message can be a rude surprise if consumers are caught unaware.
• Can you discontinue unlimited text messaging at any time?
In some cases, the unlimited messaging is an add-on feature and it can be dropped to reduce the expense at any time. In other instances, the unlimited messaging is part of the cell phone plan itself. Some carriers allow consumers to switch plans at will, while others do not. Consumers just need to know what flexibility they will or will not have during the contract period.
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Help answer the question about compare cell phone plans
can you suggest a websitefor comparing cell phone service plans?I was looking at wirefly.com… after checking it out for a few hours and comparing to major cell phone services' websites I found that the info presented accurately shows what the plans are by each company…
however… it only seems to show comarisons in a table of monthly base price, anytime minutes, if weekend/night is free, and JD Power rating…
It would be nice to have a table showing more to compare. I am interested in activation fees, if roaming is included, if mobile to mobile is included… things like that. A good website that often offers great package deals (like free phones) would be appreciated also.
OR… any website really that subjectively and objectively gives the "low down"/dirt on which company is best per the consumer's situation…
(I will still be pursing companies on the phone/in their official stores/in indirect multi-company stores/etc)
THANKS!
About Author
Christine Peppler is the webmaster of homemedias.info, a website which provides useful information about cell phone plans and cell phones.
http://www.phonescoop.com has every cell phone from every wireless provider available. Hope this helps!
Here's a simple example. I'm going to ignore text messaging and mobile web prices because I don't know how complicated you want it to be.
I'm just going to assume there is a monthly charge (no matter how many minutes you use) and a charge per minute for the amount of minutes that you go over your allowed minutes.
Let's say plan A is 39.99/month for 500 minutes, and then it is $0.65 per minute after you use the 500 minutes.
Let's say plan B is $34.99/month for 450 minutes, and then it is $0.60 per minute after the 450 minutes.
Let x = number of minutes you use each month.
The cost of plan A would be
C = 39.99 if you use less than 500 minutes or
C = 39.99 + 0.65(x-500) if you use 500 minutes or more.
The cost of plan B would be
C = 34.99 if you use less than 450 minutes or
C = 34.99 + 0.60(x-450) if you use more than 450 minutes.
Right away you can see that Plan B is cheaper if you don't use more than 450 minutes.
You can find when the plans cost the same amount by setting the cost of each plan equal to each other.
39.99 + 0.65(x-500) = 34.99 +0.60(x-450)
Then solve for x.
I just looked yesterday. Check out this site:
http://cnet.phonedog.com/cell-phone-research/compare-plans.aspx
hope it helps
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Try MyRatePlan. At the source link below, you can compare single, family and/or prepaid plans.
You generally won't find discount codes for rate plans, although some corporations have discounts with specific carrier(s). Usually these come in the form of a percentage (e.g., 15%) off your monthly bill.
type that into a search
Here are some things to consider that will make the process of comparing prepaid plans an easy one:
1. Price per minute – prepaid cell phones minutes cost between 10 cents and 60 cents. That's a huge range. With some prepaid providers you buy a bucket of minutes, and the more you buy at one time, the less per minute cost.
With others you put dollar amounts on your phone. With more money you add, your number of minutes per dollar will increase. Long story short, the more you spend, the cheaper each individual minute will be.
2. Expiring minutes -This is really important. Once your minutes expire, you will lose them. If you use your cell phone often, this probably won't be an issue.
But, if you are buying a phone for emergency purposes or to use infrequently, you might want to spend more per minute for a later expiration date. Some carriers also make you add a certain amount of minutes or money per month in order to keep your account active.
3. Daily Fees -Some carriers charge a fee for each day your phone is used. This can be as high as $1.00 a day, but will come with lower per minute fees.
If you use your phone infrequently this might be a good deal for you. If you use your phone for many days a month, you will be paying too much, especially if it's for short call.
4. Nights and weekends/ mobile to mobile -Some plans offer free nights and weekends and some offer free calls to others with the same carrier.
Again, you might want to pay more per minute if you will be able to take advantage of these features.
5. Roaming charges – Some carriers have roaming charges and other have none. It is important to find out if there will be times that you will be roaming.
If you will be roaming frequently, you will want to avoid a carrier that has roaming fees. Some are up to 70 cents per minute.
6. International calling -Some prepaid plans offer it and some do not. If you need international calling capabilities you will want to be sure that the carrier you select offers this service. Finding the best plan can be a daunting task.
Be sure to sit down and write what your needs will be before shopping. If you know what your needs are for the above topics, you will be able to make an educated comparison of prepaid plans.
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