Prepaid Phone Cards – Advantages and Disadvantages
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T-Mobile USA (Tmobile T Mobile) SIM Card and Prepaid Activation Kit Sale Price: $0.01  |
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At&t Prepaid Sim Card Att Go Phone Sim Card With Free Signal Booster -Minutes Not Included- Sale Price: $6.50 |
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AT&T 3G SIM Card + $10 Prepaid Starter Kit |
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AT&T Sim Card Brand New Unactivated Sale Price: $0.01 |
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SKU #71234 - Brand New - Unused - Unactivated - Replace a lost or damaged card - Use as backup - or even with PrePaid! Retail Price at AT&T Store - $24.95! Brand New Never activated / unused / unpunched AT&T 3G 64k Sim Card - The Latest & Greatest Sim Card From AT&T! You can replace your existing AT&T sim card with this sim card, or use it to activate new service with AT&T! Use this sim card to replace your lost/damaged sim and still keep your existing phone number... |
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Nokia X2 Prepaid Phone (T-Mobile) Sale Price: $64.99 |
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Stay connected to family and friends with e-mail, IM, and always-on social networking with the stylish and affordable Nokia X2 for T-Mobile. You'll get a full QWERTY keyboard for fast messaging capabilities on the go, as well as great entertainment options like a music player, downloadable games, and apps from the T-Mobile Mall... |
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LG 900G Net10 Prepaid Phone Sale Price: $32.99 |
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This Mobile Phone Features A Built-In 2.0MP Digital Camera With Video For Capturing Special Moments And An MP3 Player & FM Radio For Listening To Your Favorite Tunes On The Go. Bluetooth Technology Allows For Hands-Free Conversations... |
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LG Optimus GT540 Unlocked GSM Quad-Band Phone with 3 MP Camera, Android OS, Touch Screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth - Unlocked Phone - No Warranty - Black Sale Price: $118.05 |
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The LG Optimus (LG GT540) is a smart choice for the first-time Smartphone users with access to the exciting world of Android apps without compromising on style as the handset boasts a distinctive design that is both sleek and soft and is available in black and silver... |
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AT&T Go-Phone Prepaid Micro SIM Card for iPad Wi-Fi + 3G (TM) and iPhone 4 Sale Price: $0.98 |
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This is a Precision cut AT&T Go-Phone Prepaid Micro SIM card. |
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Samsung S5620 Monte Unlocked Quad-Band GSM Phone with 3 MP Camera, Wi-Fi, gps navigation, E-Mail, Stereo Bluetooth--International Version With Warranty (Black) Sale Price: $118.90 |
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The Samsung S5620 Monte boasts a host of multimedia features and a sleek, sophisticated design – providing the style and performance of a high-end handset at an affordable price. With a stunning contrasting orange and graphite, or black and silver, colour casing and an intuitive TouchWiz 2... |
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LG Optimus Prepaid Android Phone (Virgin Mobile) Sale Price: $129.99 |
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Do more on Android with this 3G and Wi-Fi capable prepaid smartphone. Navigate on a 3.2" touchscreen with a virtual QWERTY keyboard and Swype text entry. Photos and web pages look fantastic on a bright, 3... |
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LG 320G Prepaid Phone (Net10) Sale Price: $19.99 |
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Enjoy mobile communications without the hassle with this easy-to-use LG 320G candybar-style phone, which features a color LCD screen, hands-free speakerphone, and an alarm clock to keep you on time for appointments... |
The prepaid phone card business is a very competitive one and as a consumer, you have a lot of choices. In fact, the options available to get the best deal on calling cards is almost limitless and companies will sweeten the deals with some very attractive benefits'
It's easy to jump in and grab the first offer you're presented with but there are some important factors you need to consider before purchasing a prepaid phone card. In this article, we are going to highlight some of the pitfalls you need to be aware about.
The Advantages Of a Prepaid Phone Card
The benefits are numerous and it doesn't make sense to use traditional calling services today given the advantages of a prepaid calling card. Here are some of them:
- low rates, in fact, just cents on the dollar for international prepaid and long distance
- free sign up
- use from anywhere; abroad, vacation and home
- ease of convenience
Things To Avoid
One of the biggest drawbacks with prepaid phone cards are the hidden fees factor. These can literally take away the value of a card and make it a fairly unpleasant experience for the user. What are some of the hidden charges to look for. Try these on for size:
- Connection fees should be avoided. This is an extra charge made every time you make a call. You may be attracted by the low cost per minute but this could be offset by an unreasonable connection fee.
- Minute rounding was one of the hidden charges which left an unsavory impression for this author when I first started using prepaid phone cards. I wondered why my minutes always seemed less than I expected when making a call. I soon learned about multiple minute rounding. Basically, my calls were being rounded out in five minute blocks. Therefore, if I spoke for 8 minutes and 20 seconds my call would be rounded out to 10 minutes. Go figure!
- Look out for hidden maintenance costs. These are like hidden bank fees in a sense where a fee is charged either weekly or monthly. In some instances, even daily. This is hard to comprehend and is another fee which should be avoided.
- Extra surcharges can eat away at your talk time. For example, making calls from public phones could incur a high surcharge rate. Check this before purchasing your card particularly if you plan to travel overseas where you'll be using public phones on a regular basis.
Prepaid Phone Cards - Be Prudent When Purchasing
Calling cards have made life a lot easier for people wanting to stay in touch with family and friends overseas. Use a little consumer etiquette before purchasing and make sure you understand the hidden cost factor. In fact, rather than being lured in by the low cost per minute rate, read the fine print first. If hidden charges are at a bare minimum or non existent, then head back to the home page and check out the offers!
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