TracFone is a prepaid cellular provider that offers pay-as-you-go service free from contracts, activation fees and credit checks. Users can purchase phones and airtime cards online or from nearly 70,000 retail stores. TracFone service includes voice mail, caller ID, call waiting, Bluetooth, long distance and text messaging. For additional fees, users can also download ring tones and graphics. The TracFone website has several informational and FAQ pages available to answer questions about TracFone services, as well as a Q&A forum and tech-support page. If you're considering TracFone, take a look at the options and features to ensure the best fit for your needs.
Phones
Phones are available for purchase at many major retail stores, including Wal-Mart and Target, as well as on TracFone's website (see Resources). LG, Motorola and Samsung make phones that are compatible with TracFone service, ranging in price from $9.99 to $59.99 as of 2010.
Airtime
To maintain an active TracFone account, users must purchase additional airtime prior to the service-end date that appears on the phone's display. Airtime cards are available in a range of increments, including 30 minutes or 30 days, 200 minutes or 90 days and 1,500 minutes or 365 days. Double-minute cards are also available for $19.99, which grant the user double the amount of minutes shown for all future cards purchased. Using Tracfone's Airtime on Demand program, it is possible to purchase minutes directly through the phone.
Long Distance
TracFone users can place calls to more than 60 international regions without incurring additional charges. Once a TracFone account has been active for 48 hours, International Long Distance becomes available. The International Long Distance access number is 800-706-3839. Users in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii and Alaska should dial 305-938-5673 to access International Long Distance.
Messaging and Downloads
TracFone plans include text messaging. An envelope icon will appear on the phone's display to indicate there is a new text message waiting to be retrieved. A single text message can consist of up to 160 characters, after which multiple message segments are required and billed accordingly. TracFone users can download ring tones and graphics for an additional fee, which varies based on the size of the content and the amount of time it takes to complete the download. A price chart is available on the Tracfone website.
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