How to Buy and Use a Prepaid Phone Card

If you use your phone mostly to call family members, receive calls from your doctor, and send the occasional text message, you do not need to pay for an unlimited plan that costs $60 or more per month. Prepaid phone options are designed for exactly this situation. You pay only for what you use, with no long-term contract and no credit check.

This guide explains the difference between prepaid wireless plans and pay-as-you-go minutes cards, where to buy them, and how to add minutes or data when you run low.

Two types of prepaid phone service

There are two main types of prepaid phone service. And it helps to understand the difference before you shop.

The first type is a **prepaid wireless plan**. This works like a regular phone plan. But you pay a flat monthly fee in advance rather than receiving a bill at the end of the month. Carriers like Consumer Cellular, Tracfone, Straight Talk, and Mint Mobile offer prepaid plans. You get a set amount of talk, text, and data each month. These plans range from about $10 to $40 per month depending on how much you want. There is no credit check and no contract. You can cancel at any time.

The second type is a **pay-as-you-go card**, sometimes called a minutes card or airtime card. These are physical cards sold in stores. You buy the card, scratch off a code on the back, and enter that code on your phone or on the carrier's website to add a block of minutes (and sometimes texts or data) to your account. Minutes may expire after 30, 60, or 90 days if you do not use them, depending on the plan. Tracfone is the most well-known carrier for this type of service.

For most seniors who use their phone sometimes, a prepaid plan with a small monthly allowance is more convenient than managing minutes cards — but the cards are useful as a backup or gift, and some people prefer the direct control of only paying for what they add.

Where to buy prepaid cards and plans

Prepaid airtime cards are sold at: - Walmart (in the phone and electronics section, or near the checkout lanes) - Target - CVS and Walgreens - Dollar General and Family Dollar - Gas stations and convenience stores - Grocery stores

You can also buy them online directly from the carrier's website or through Amazon.

Prepaid plan sign-ups happen on the carrier's website or by calling their 800 number. You can also visit a carrier's retail store.

Which carriers to consider

• **Consumer Cellular** — highly rated for seniors, AARP members get a 5% discount. Plans start around $20/month. Good customer service. Uses AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Website: consumercellular.com, phone: 1-888-345-5509.
• **Tracfone** — one of the oldest prepaid carriers, offers both minutes cards and monthly plans. Plans start around $10/month. tracfone.com or 1-800-867-7183.
• **Straight Talk** — sold at Walmart. Monthly plans starting around $35. straighttalk.com.
• **Mint Mobile** — lower cost, best for people comfortable buying online. Plans start around $15/month. mintmobile.com.

How to add minutes using a card

After you buy a physical minutes card from a store: 1. Scratch off the silver panel on the back of the card to reveal the PIN (a long number, usually 15–20 digits). 2. Go to your carrier's website and log in to your account, or call the carrier's customer service number on the back of the card. 3. Find the "Add Airtime" or "Add Minutes" section. 4. Enter the PIN from the card and confirm. 5. Your minutes (and any texts or data) will be added to your account right away.

You can also add minutes directly from your phone by dialing a special code. For Tracfone, you dial *22890 and follow the voice prompts. The carrier's customer service line can walk you through this step by step if you prefer to talk to a person.

When prepaid makes sense

Prepaid is a good fit if you: - Use your phone mainly for calls and texts, not heavy internet browsing - Do not want a long-term contract or a credit check - Want to keep costs predictable and low - Are buying a phone for a grandchild or elderly parent as a safety device - Travel internationally and want a temporary US number for a family member visiting from abroad

Prepaid is less ideal if you use a lot of mobile data for streaming videos, video calls, or GPS navigation — in those cases, an unlimited plan from a major carrier may actually cost less per month relative to what you get.

Sources: AARP, Consumer Cellular website, Tracfone website, FCC Consumer Guides (fcc.gov), Tom's Guide.