Compare Tracfone vs Net 10 Prepaid Cell Phones
Compare Tracfone vs Net 10 Prepaid Cell Phones
Tracfone vs NET10, Different Prepaid Cell Phone Rates.
Tracfone and Net10 are different cell phone systems owned and run by one company.
Tracfone
Tracfone Pay as you Go Cellular and now Net10 have the distinction of being the only Prepaid Cell phone companies to offer a phone in every Zip Code in the United States. Tracfone sells both CDMA and GSM Phones, Net10 also now sells GSM and CDMA phones. Originally Net10 only sold GSM phones and was only available where GSM service was available. In 2007 Net 10 started selling CDMA phones also.
Tracfone Rates
Tracfone charges different rates per minute depending on how much you spend. Currently you can purchase:
A $9.99 card (33 cents/min) which will get you 30 minutes and 45 days of activation.
A $20 card (33 cents/min) will get you 60 minutes and 90 days.
A $30 card (25 cents/min) will get you 120 minutes and 90 days.
A $40 card (20 cents/min) will get you 200 minutes and 90 days.
Double Minutes for the Life of the Phone Card $49.95.
One year of activation and 400 minutes $99.99 (25 cents per minute).
One year of activation, 400 minutes and Double minutes for life $129.99.
Motorola C139 from Tracfone
I have some recommendations on how to get the most from your Tracfone minutes. Check it out at Tracfone Minutes. Where to find and how to use Tracfone Promotional Bonus Codes.
Where to buy Tracfone Phones
Often the website will have Track Phones for Free with the purchase of a 60 minute card.Get FREE DMFL when you purchase either a Motorola W370 or an LG 225.
Net10 Cell Phone Rates
Net 10 rates are always 10 cents per minute except if you buy their special phone deal that gives you 300 minutes and a refurbished Nokia 1100 for $19.95. This is 6.66 cents per minute plus a free phone (you will not find a better deal on prepaid Cell Phone minutes in the US).
If you are buying Net10 Cards here are their prices.
$30 for 300 minutes (10 cents) and 60 days activation.
$60 for 600 minutes (10 cents) and 120 days of service.
$100 for 1000 minutes (10 cents) and 180 days of service.
NET10 Special 6.66 Cents per minute!
Currentlly NET10 has a special on a Refurbished Nokia 1100 and a 600 minute card. The phone comes with 300 minutes and 60 days of activation and the 600 minute card comes with 120 days of service. This deal gives you 900 minutes and 6 months of Net10 service for $60. This is the best deal in Prepaid phone service.
Moto W370 on the left and Razr on the right.
Check out the new Motorola W370 now $10 off at the Net10 Web Site.
Where to Buy a Net10 Phone
The best deals on Net 10 phones are at the Net10 Web Site.
I have checked the prices regularly at Wal-Mart, and Target. Usually the phones are $10 cheaper at the web site.
NET10 300 Minute Bonus
All Net10 phones now come with a 300 minute bonus for activating them. The Net10 phones are usually $10 to $30 more than buying the same model from Tracfone but when you figure the minutes into the package the Net10 is always a better deal.
Minutes on Your Net10 Phone
With Net10 pay as you go I do not recommend buying the large denomination cards for two reasons. One, if your phone is lost, stolen, or broken you are out of luck. Two, many people will talk a lot more if they have a lot of minutes on their phone. If you buy Three $30 cards and keep them in your top drawer of your dresser you can put them in when you start to get low on either activity time or minutes.
is the Best deal in Prepaid Cellular. Simplicity, $15 a month for service and 150 minutes, extra minutes for 10 cents anytime. No messing around. If your cell phone usage is only a hundred minutes a month with heavy usage sometimes the Net10 plan is great.
This Picture shows the Moto W375 Camera Phone from Net10
MVNO
Both Tracfone and Net10 are MVNO's, Mobile Virtual Network Operators, that means that they do not own any cell phone towers. They contract with most of the major cellular networks like Cingular (now at&t), Verizon, Alltel, T-Mobile to buy minutes and access.
GSM VS CDMA
Net10 now works on both GSM networks like Cingular (now at&t) and T-Mobile. All GSM phones come with a SIM Card. Some areas of the US are not covered by GSM networks. Most of the Inland Northwest is not well covered by GSM networks.
Tracfone and Net10 sell CDMA phones that will work on the Verizon, Alltel and US Cellular networks. They only sell them if Cingular or T-mobile will not work in your area. I believe Tracfone and Net10 get a much better deal from AT&T than from Verizon and Alltel. Tracfone and Net10 will activate your phone on the At&t network if your area has good coverage from multiple cellular companies.
Customer Service
When you compare Tracfone vs Net10 Customer service it is the same(very slow). It is a different phone number but it is the same call centers. You will need to be persistent and you must be willing to take your time. They will be reading from a computer script. Patience is definitely a virtue in dealing with them. The call centers are mainly in South America and Spanish is the native language for most of the customer service agents. I have normally been able to get the job done. I have always spent over 25 minutes on the phone. Be sure to call from a land line so you won't be charged for minutes.