How to Compare Cell-Phone Plans
- 1). Pull up websites for at least three different cell-phone companies that serve your area. You can also visit each store to pick up a brochure to compare side-by-side.
- 2). Decide if you want a family or individual plan. Then estimate how many minutes you are likely to use each month. Compare the minute plans across the companies you chose that are closest to your estimation for monthly usage. Which has the lowest-priced minute plan for your needs?
- 3). Compile a short list of the most important cellphone features you will need (such as web browsing, call blocking and phonebook capacity). Browse the different types of phones that are offered by each cell-phone company to determine which company offers the best deal on a phone that has all of your desired features. Find out if the cell-phone carrier uses GSM (which uses a SIM card) or CDMA (no card needed) technology. If you don't want to bother with the possibility of breaking or losing a SIM card, a CDMA is the better choice--but at the same time, SIM cards can be more convenient, as they allow you to carry your contacts and other phone information along with you if you need to upgrade your phone. CDMA has also been known to have faster data-transfer speeds. See Resources for more information about these two cell-phone technologies.
- 4). Determine the length of the service agreement (if a contract is involved) for each cell-phone company. Compare the early service connection fees and overage fees for each cell-phone agreement to figure out which is lowest.
- 5). Ask about the late fees that are imposed and when they are charged (for instance, some cell-phone companies will give you a 1-week grace period before assessing a late fee, while others will charge you if you're even just 1 day late).
- 6). Read reviews (see the Cnet link in Resources) of the signal strength of each cell-phone service on your list.
- 7). Finally, compare the additional special features offered by each company; these features and packages could be the deciding factor if you're still torn between two or more options. Here are just a few questions you'll want to ask: Does the plan roll over minutes you don't use into the next month? Does it allow you to make free phone calls to other people who have the same cell-phone service? How many lines can be added to the phone service, and at what cost? How long do they make you wait to upgrade to a new phone? How much is equipment insurance? What is the cost of text-messaging packages, and how many text messages are included? Is there a navigator service? How much does the cell-phone company charge for ringtones, ring back tones and music purchases?
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