Find Your Best Prepaid Wireless

Pursuit of the Perfect Prepaid

Prepaid Reviews: The Top 20 Prepaids with Ratings and Full Reports
►AMERICA MOVIL ►AT&T PREPAID ►BOOST MOBILE ►CONSUMER CELLULAR ►CRICKET WIRELESS ►GOOGLE FI ►GOSMART MOBILE ►JITTERBUG ►METRO BY T-MOBILE ►NET10		►PAGE PLUS ►REPUBLIC WIRELESS ►SIMPLE MOBILE ►STRAIGHT TALK ►TELLO ►T-MOBILE PREPAID ►TOTAL WIRELESS ►TRACFONE ►US CELLULAR PREPAID ►VERIZON PREPAID
Smaller Prepaids: These prepaid services are listed alphabetically with brief details and links. They're listed separately because they either don't provide services better than the major or non-major prepaids, or because they focus on a limited or specialty subscriber base. We call them "smaller" based on their subscriber numbers. Some have very low prices.

The New Prepaid Landscape:
The largest Prepaid supplier in the US, America Movil, operator of the TracFone-related Prepaids, has sold all of their US Prepaid brands to Verizon Wireless. We expect changes to most if not all of the TracFone services. With so many Prepaid brands under Verizon ownership, we will assume these changes will also affect Prepaids that use Verizon's network but aren't owned by Verizon, and the rise of other Prepaid services that either exist now or will be created in the near future. Our Prepaid Reviews will follow the evolution of these Prepaids that rise or fall, and which ones are deserving of our business.

► Independent Prepaids Not Related to Verizon or America Movil

Prepaid 5G Wireless
How and where to get Prepaid 5G Wireless. What kind of 5G wireless plans and phones are available in your neighborhood. You don't need to overpay for 5G wireless but you do need a compatible 5G device to get 5G download speeds.

Prepaid Ratings:
We have given each Prepaid we review a rating based on a "star" system. 4 stars is the best you can get. Our ratings are based on capabilities, price, roaming abilities, and our experience with their customer service. Our 4 Star prepaid carriers include Page Plus, Simple Mobile, Straight Talk and Consumer Cellular. Use our ratings as a tie breaker when your choices are close. Ratings are shown on our review pages.

Prepaid Finder:
If you are looking for a Prepaid that uses a specific network, use this list. For example, if you want a Prepaid phone that uses the AT&T Network, consult the list of Prepaid carriers that use AT&T. Also, you can check the list of Prepaids that use more than one network. Find prices and reviews for each Prepaid by clicking on their name. You can also check the list for the absolutely Cheapest Prepaids.

Prepaid Coverage Maps:
In addition to maps that show general coverage for Prepaids that use the same network, we also have specific pages showing coverage for the most popular prepaids. Visit the Cellular Maps List and look for your favorite carrier, or check the Prepaid Maps page.

Making Prepaid Palatable with Auto-Refill
One of our biggest objections to Prepaid was the cumbersome payment cycle required by prepaid refills. You didn't pay the bill once a month like the electric bill, you paid at or near an exact payment date or you lost your account value, and your service, if you were one day late. If you paid too soon, you could lose some of the time you already paid for, increasing your total cost. These types of payments still exist but now most Prepaid operators offer some form of "Auto-Refill", or "Auto-Pay", where your monthly payment is automatically deducted from a credit card, debit card or checking account.

The upside with Auto-Refill is that it becomes easier to pay than the electric bill because the payment is made without any hassle. In most cases you get an Text or email that the charge to your card or checking account is being made, but no action is required on your part. Having an associated account also makes it easy to change features or add-ons to your account.
The downside includes the challenge of stopping Auto-Refill. Some carriers don't make it easy by making you go through a menu of choices before you find a way to cancel the process. Additionally, credit cards have expiration dates that can interrupt the Auto-Refill process and you can suddenly find yourself with no wireless service.

Some carriers are better than others in making the Auto-Refill function consumer-friendly. There are carriers that offer a discount when you sign up for Auto-Refill. In some cases you can enter a second credit card number or an alternative notification method. Most carriers offer both online and app access to your account. Several will notify you long before there is a problem including an upcoming credit card expiration date. Since Auto-Refill is an automated process, you may want to consider a Prepaid service that includes a convenient way to correct any inevitable problems. Our advice sometimes includes backing away and allowing for the fact that something will cause your account to be charged a slightly different amount, and it may cause less trouble to grin and bear it than pressing the issue to get back a few dollars.

The Different Types of Prepaid "Carriers"

Prepaid Provided by the Major Carriers
You deal with the major carrier's stores and customer service and you are normally limited to their own network. We review the Prepaid services of the major carriers on our Primary Prepaids Page.
Prepaid Provided by Companies NOT Affiliated with a Major Carrier
These companies have no network of their own and re-sell access to one or more of the networks of the major carriers. Customer Service ranges from good telephone support to online-only support. There are few or no stores related to these carriers but there is a large number of retail outlets for their own phones, refills or SIM's.
These 'resellers' provide access to one major wireless network, all US wireless networks, or one primary network with access to other networks at a per-use charge. We review the Prepaid services of the non-major carriers on our Secondary Prepaids Page.
All Prepaid Carriers Listed Here Have Nationwide Coverage
While there isn't a clear definition of "nationwide" coverage, the Prepaid carriers reviewed here provide service across the entire national footprint of their associated wireless networks. There is also a number of Regional Prepaid Carriers, some of which that offer 'nationwide' coverage but, more likely, limit Prepaid users to their own network. In return, these regional carriers normally permit 'Unlimited' access to their own network.

Mountain Prepaid Resources: