No Contract Cell Phone Service: How to Get It, What It Is

There are a number of ways in which consumers can obtain no contract cell phone service. One is simply to allow their contract with their current service provider to expire; the service then reverts to a month-to-month charge, and typically does not entail any obligation to continue service for a set duration. However, most consumers will be subjected to repeated calls from their cell phone provider offering various incentives and inducements to sign up for a new contract; discounted or free cell phones are usually offered in exchange for a one- or two-year contract extension.

A more common way of procuring no contract cell phone service is to select a prepaid monthly plan from one of the numerous prepaid service providers in the cellular service industry. Most traditional cellular service providers also offer a prepaid alternative to their contract services, so consumers can choose among a variety of different prepaid plans in order to find one that suits their specific needs.

Walmart recently announced its entry into the prepaid cellular phone market with a new wireless service called Straight Talk. Two tiers of service are planned for Straight Talk prepaid service. The first would offer 1,000 minutes of nationwide talk time, 1,000 texts, and 30MB of mobile web access at a monthly rate of $30. The second would offer unlimited nationwide talk time, unlimited texting, and unlimited mobile web access and would cost $45 per month. Consumers can purchase these prepaid phones and cellular services in store locations or online, making the new Walmart prepaid service one of the most convenient and competitively-priced cellular offerings on the market today.

Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile also offer no contract cell phone service through prepaid phone plans. Most prepaid cellular phone services sell blocks of minutes, usually through a card system or by reloading your phone with minutes at an authorized dealer. Prepaid services can sometimes cost far more than traditional contract cellular services, but require no credit check in most cases, making them a good choice for younger users and first-time cell phone buyers. Prepaid cellular phones offer outstanding financial flexibility and control, making them an excellent choice for many budget-conscious consumers as well.