Cellular Phone Plan

Choosing the right plan is as simple as evaluating the situation and determining what type of plan best fits the individual needs of a person.

Types of Plans

For the most part, there are five different types of cellular phone plans available. Most of the large cellular companies offer some form of these five plans, although certain specifics may vary slightly. The five plans are: local, regional, national, shared, and pre-paid.

While most companies offer these five types of plans, they charge differently for each one. For example, one cellular company may allow a person on a local plan to make unlimited calls for a certain dollar amount per month, and another cellular company may allow a person on a local plan to make 60 minutes worth of calls per month for a certain dollar amount, and then charge an additional rate per minute if the talk-time goes over the 60 minute limit.

Local Plans

Local cellular plans are usually the least expensive types of plans a person can get. However, these plans are not good for everyone. For the most part, the only people who will benefit from a local cellular plan are those who do not think they will ever use their cellular phone to make long distance calls. While phones on a local plan do have the capability of connecting with long distance numbers, the caller is usually charged an additional fee (on top of their monthly charge) for each minute spent on long distance calls. Therefore, for a person who tends to make or receive calls only from their own local area code, a local phone plan might make the most sense and be the most cost efficient.

Regional Plans

Regional cellular plans are similar to local plans but they allow cellular phone owners to make calls to specific area codes within a particular region of the country for the same monthly rate. This type of plan is good for someone who typically travels to the same few states (possibly for a traveling sales job) on a regular basis. Like local plans, regional plans will charge phone users if they make or receive calls from area codes outside of their plan’s specific regulations.

National Plans

National cellular plans are probably the most popular, especially for those who do not have home phones and use their cellular phone as their primary line of voice communication. National plans allow the cellular user to make and receive phone calls from anywhere in the country with no extra charge for calls outside of a particular area code. National plans, however, do not apply to international calls (unless specified in the original cellular contract). For the same number of available minutes, national plans are typically more pricey than equivalent local or regional plans.

Shared Plans

Shared plans are commonly used by families in which each member wants his or her own phone and phone number. However, instead of the family receiving several individual bills, there is only one combined bill for all of the phones each month. Shared plans also allow all of the users on the plan to share the allotted number of minutes, which can help reduce costs. Often times, shared plans have a feature in which there is no charge when phones on the plan are used to call the other phones also on the plan.

Prepaid Plans

Prepaid plans are good for people who do not want the hassle of applying for an obligatory cellular contract that usually lasts for a year or more. With a pre-paid plan, minutes are purchased and when those minutes are used, the phone’s owner must pay for additional minutes before the phone can be used again. This type of plan can also be called, “Pay As You Go,” because without paying, the phone will not work.