Prepaid or Monthly Billed Services for Your Cell Phone?

Cell phones are popular and probably one of the best inventions of the last several years. Almost everyone possesses one now. A cell phone is easy to use and anyone can reach you at every moment of the day.

There are prepaid and monthly billed cell phone services and both have advantages and disadvantages. The choice you make depends on many factors and it is important you take your time before you make a decision. The main advantage of a prepaid card is the lack of a contract and you can spend the money your budget allows.

For the first time you use a mobile phone it might be preferable to start with a prepaid card and often you immediately get some free minutes. This happened to me when I bought my first one many years ago. A prepaid card of 30 minutes was offered together with my purchase of my mobile phone.

The advantage to this was I could figure out all the features of my mobile phone and I had time to consider which system should be best for me. A prepaid card doesn't require a contract but a contract sometimes gives you more opportunities which can reduce your monthly expenses of your mobile phone.

Before you make a decision you can best try to determine your usage and ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you make calls frequently and how many minutes do you use in a month?
- Do you use your mobile phone only for private purposes or also for business?
- Do you often call abroad?
- Do you also call different continents?
- Do you use extra services, such as Internet, taking and sending pictures, watching television and some other features?

A PREPAID CARD
If you only use your cell phone for a limited time monthly you can get the best deal with a prepaid card. You don't need a contract and your expenses will be lower compared with monthly billed cell phone services. Nobody obligates you to pay a certain amount each month; you can decide by yourself how much you want to spend.

This plan, also known as "pay as you go" also has the benefit that no credit check is required. You pay in advance and there are no long term obligations. This system is perfect for parents who have to control over the money their teenagers spend.

A disadvantage of prepaid cards is the cost per minute is much higher than with a contract. You will pay at least three times more when compared with a monthly billed cell phone plan, but will be always cheaper if you use your cell phone only for a limited time. Another thing you need to keep in mind is keeping track of the minutes available. Be sure you have enough minutes when you need it or that you have another prepaid card with you in case your other one is empty.

MONTHLY BILLED CELL PHONE SERVICES
A cell phone is now almost a necessity in our lives. It's hard to imagine a world without mobile phones because we use it almost every place we are. The more we use it the more our expenses are. If you use your mobile phone on average more than 30 minutes monthly it is necessary to make use of monthly billed cell phone services.

The major problem is the high quantity of different cell phone plans. You need a provider and every provider offers different cell phone plans. A disadvantage is you need a contract for at least one year and you can't switch to another provider before the end of your contract. Many providers give you the opportunity to switch to another plan if another one has more benefits for you. They don't want to lose you as a client and this is one of the reasons they often are flexible for giving you this opportunity even if this will lead to receiving less money for your provider.

There is an abundance of monthly billed cell phone plans in today's technology. It is recommended to compare these plans from different providers for finding the one most suitable for you. Sometimes it is worthwhile to consider taking a family plan. These plans give discounts of free minutes to your family members but it is necessary to check all the pros and cons. For example when you need your cell phone for abroad it is not wise to take such plan because these plans give only discounts for making calls in your hometown.

The services you use are important for deciding which plan is best for you. When you call on average between 30 minutes and 1 hour you maybe can consider taking a plan for a fixed amount. Many providers offer plans for a fixed amount and you can call for example 30 minutes without extra payment. When you call for a longer time you will pay extra for every minute more and the tariff will be higher.

Another possibility is that you pay a fixed amount each month and you buy a package of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour or even more. The tariffs of these packages are less compared with the plans including for example 30 free minutes. You can consider these plans if you call on average longer than one hour monthly.

The services you use are also important for choosing your cell phone plan. When you often make use of Internet services you can take plans where you can make unlimited use of these services for a fixed amount. These tariffs vary from provider to provider and are cheaper now compared with one year ago.

The frequency of calling abroad is also important for selection your cell phone plan. Calling abroad is even possible with a prepaid card but you can have lower tariffs with monthly billed cell phones plans. Roaming is an important issue and certain plans can reduce your expenses which lead to substantial savings. If you want to call between Europe and America or Japan you need at first a tri band cell phone because these continents use different frequencies. When you have such mobile phone you also can consider choosing for a plan for saving on your monthly bills.

CONCLUSION
Prepaid plans are often most suitable for the average mobile phone user; many people have more benefits to choose from a monthly billed cell phone service. There is plenty of choice and by choosing carefully there is a high chance you will save a lot of money.