Is there a pre-paid minutes plan (T-Mobile, contracts, emergency, automatically)

[JL]

with no contracts or service fees and not based on monthly? I have a 2nd unused phone that i want to use for business, verification on internet forums(not giving out personal info), etc. so I don't get spammed more on my normal personal phone if i just add a 2nd line.

Is there a service plan with a carrier that will allow me to just buy for alloted minutes with their assigned phone number included? i can buy a sim card where told. Like $10 for 50 minutes and cuts off(unable to call) when i try to go over or notify me to replenish without a time limit on when minutes expire? I checked out Total Wireless, but it appears their plan is monthly though it has no contract or service fee. The minutes get lost if you don't use in after the month is over. It's a use or lose it kinda thing. Thanks.

[dontaskwhy]

You want a prepaid plan. I am sure folks will offer specific names, descriptions and internet sites shortly. Never forget that not all prepaid providers cover every market nationwide, just like with postpaid, and their plans vary quite a bit.

[reed303]

According to Nerd Wallet, these 2 "pay as you go" plans still exist.
UltraMobile by T-mobile @ $3/month
AT&T Daily @ $2/day used

Both only available in-store, not on-line or phone

https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/util...-toc-heading-3

The $10 per Year plan I'm still on is no longer available to new customers. (As a "senior citizen" I only make or get average 2 calls a month, never send texts, no data)

Good Luck and YMMV........

[in_newengland]

I use US Mobile. It's run by T Mobile and you top it up whenever you want. I do think it renews automatically but maybe you can opt out of that. It only costs a few dollars anyway. They send you the sim card and you just sign up and pay for your minutes. If you want unlimited minutes, it's $20 but you can also just pay a few dollars for talk or for text or for data, whatever you want.

https://www.usmobile.com/

[foxyknoxy]

Tracfone

3 months $20

https://www.qvc.com/Tracfone-LG-K31-...8.html?sc=SRCH

$70 for a phone plus a year of service

[mascoma]

Originally Posted by foxyknoxy

Tracfone

3 months $20

https://www.qvc.com/Tracfone-LG-K31-...8.html?sc=SRCH

$70 for a phone plus a year of service

Yep. That's what I do. You can pay $100 for a year, but I save $20 by buying $20 every 3 months. You still have to buy gigs once in a while if you want internet.

[Peregrine]

Is it a smartphone? You could use Google Voice. They give you a few number.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by JL

Like $10 for 50 minutes and cuts off(unable to call) when i try to go over or notify me to replenish without a time limit on when minutes expire? I checked out Total Wireless, but it appears their plan is monthly though it has no contract or service fee. The minutes get lost if you don't use in after the month is over. It's a use or lose it kinda thing. Thanks.

The very cheapest cell phone plan in the country is PP cellular which is $30 for a whole year + ~$10 taxes and fees. You must buy your own phone but a flip phone is ~$20.

https://www.pagepluscellular.com/plans/
4G Pay-As-You-Go Plans $10; 166 MINUTES for 120 days
They don't advertise it, but if you pay the next $10 before the original 120 days expired, your unused minutes rollover.

My parents who are in their 80s hate cell phones, and they use them primarily to report that they are running late and for safety. They seldom make more than 3 calls per week. Spending around $40 per year seems logical.

With the cheapest plan you are talking about 166 MINUTES for 120 days which equates to 500 minutes (or texts per year). You may be better off with the cheapest monthly plan $10/month plan with Auto Refill which includes 500 voice minutes, 500 texts and 100 MB 4G LTE† data. The most logical choice is to choose the cheapest plan and upgrade to the next level if you run out of minutes quickly.

You may be better off paying the aforementioned plan 1500 Talk/Text/Data per year for $82.31 plus S&H: $5.50 from QVC
https://www.qvc.com/Tracfone-LG-K31-...8.html?sc=SRCH

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Is it a smartphone? You could use Google Voice. They give you a few number.

Google Voice is not a cell phone, it is a WiFi phone. It no longer works in some public wi-fi spots like hospitals. It is better as a free secondary phone for your home where you always have WiFi. I don't recommend it as your primary home phone as it is unreliable and you need to be able to reliably call emergency services and police.

[bfrabel]

Originally Posted by PacoMartin

Google Voice is not a cell phone, it is a WiFi phone. It no longer works in some public wi-fi spots like hospitals. It is better as a free secondary phone for your home where you always have WiFi. I don't recommend it as your primary home phone as it is unreliable and you need to be able to reliably call emergency services and police.

911 is supposed to work even if you don't have paid cell phone service. I would have to assume that even if the phone is setup only for wifi, as soon as you punch 911 and send, the real cell phone antennas would fire up and try to connect you.

Therefore, a "wifi only" service like Google Voice could be a good choice if you just need a phone for emergencies.

[PacoMartin]

Originally Posted by bfrabel

Therefore, a "wifi only" service like Google Voice could be a good choice if you just need a phone for emergencies.

I don't think you are right. Google Voice 911 is $12 a year. https://www.gv911.com/

In any case the days of only being to call 911 are pretty much past. The way I figure it $40 a year in three equal payments gets you 500 minutes/text in a year on page plus cellular. That's enough to cover emergencies and short phone calls like "I'll be there in two hours". If you can't afford that you should probably qualify for a government subsidized phone,