Verizon Prepaid Questions - Different From AT&T?

[Wild_Banchi]

I am currently a prepaid customer with AT. I'm also an avid forumer on their website, and I "specialize" in their prepaid offerings and services. I have had Verizon prepaid and postpaid services in the past, and I left due to the high prices and the limitability of their prepaid plans.

I used to have the $.99 daily access fee with $.20 per message. It got too expensive, but then I joined my Mom on her postpaid account. Just three months into it, it got too expensive; I then dropped my Verizon line and happily joined AT&T.

AT&T has very good priced prepaid options and plans - sort of unlike Verizon. Overall, I am happy with AT&T (prepaid), but sometimes I can't get very good coverage in the kitchen of my home... Which is kind of important, because the kitchen is where the heart is, am I right? I do get good 3G coverage upstairs, though, which makes me want to stay.

I use an AT&T prepaid Samsung Mythic, which I love, but it recently stopped working. I am looking to get it replaced soon. My Mom uses a Samsung Reality and gets two/three bars of 3G in our kitchen, while I get zero-two bars of EDGE. I may switch back to Verizon prepaid, under some certain conditions...

1.) Does Verizon offer SMARTPHONES on DAILY ACCESS PLANS? For instance, at AT&T, you can use ANY phone except the iPhone on a prepaid plan, and it is allowed. Can you do that with Verizon? I would like to use a Samsung Fascinate on the daily rate plan of $0.00 with $.25 per minute and $10 Unlimited Mobile-to-Mobile messaging with 250 messages for other-carriered customers.

2.) I use a plan at AT&T called the Simple Rate plan where I pay just $.10 a minute for all calls. Is Verizon's plan $.25 a minute PERIOD, or just to non-Verizon customers?

3.) If I were to switch back to Verizon prepaid, are there any activation charges? At AT&T, you can just register your AT&T prepaid SIM card, and begin using the service almost immediately with no activation fees.

4.) To add money to my AT&T prepaid account, I just simply buy $25 GoPhone cards and load them to my AT&T account. Then I add my messaging plan. Are there Verizon prepaid cards to purchase, and if so, are they easy to load onto the phone?

If I cannot use a Samsung Fascinate/other advanced device with the mentioned plan, I am staying with AT&T, despite the coverage issues in my kitchen. At least it will be affordable and "limitless"...

A reply would be appreciated. Verizon's business depends on it.

Thanks.

[spottedcatfish]

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Wild_Banchi wrote:

1.) Does Verizon offer SMARTPHONES on DAILY ACCESS PLANS? For instance, at AT&T, you can use ANY phone except the iPhone on a prepaid plan, and it is allowed. Can you do that with Verizon? I would like to use a Samsung Fascinate on the daily rate plan of $0.00 with $.25 per minute and $10 Unlimited Mobile-to-Mobile messaging with 250 messages for other-carriered customers.

If I cannot use a Samsung Fascinate/other advanced device with the mentioned plan, I am staying with AT&T, despite the coverage issues in my kitchen. At least it will be affordable and "limitless"...

A reply would be appreciated. Verizon's business depends on it.

Thanks.

---

No, you cannot use a smartphone (like the Fascinate) with a Daily Access plan.  Only phones that do not require a data package ("Feature phones") can be used with those plans.  You can use a smartphone on prepaid, but you have to sign up for one of the monthly plans, which are priced similarly (actually just a touch higher) to Verizon's contract plans.

[Wild_Banchi]

Alright, thanks for the reply. Because I cannot use a smartphone for the daily access plans, is it possible to use a feature phone such as a:
LG EnV Touch
or a
Samsung Rogue/Reality
on the daily access plans?

Thanks again.

[spottedcatfish]

You'd need to call prepaid CS and double-check, but I don't think so because they all required the $10 data feature when they were available.

[Wild_Banchi]

Alright, thanks. I think I'll stay with AT&T, as I have more options to choose from.

[Minniehaha]

You can use the Samsung Reality on the Daily Prepay. And Yes it is a .25 cents flat rate. Verizon has  $15.00 $30. $50.00 and $100.00 easy to use and are available at most supermarkets and Drug stores or online at the Verizon website.  Its true that you can not use a smart phone on the prepaid. There are two text packages, $10.00 for unlimited verizon to verizon and 250 message to any other provider. $20.00 package is unlimited texting to anyone.

[Wild_Banchi]

Thank you. That is what I wanted to hear!

Are there any other "higher-tech" phones that I could use on the daily prepaid plan, other than the Reality?

My current plan with AT&T prepaid:
$.10 a minute for ALL calls.
$19.99 unlimited messaging to any number.

My (could be) Verizon prepaid daily rate plan:
$0.00 Daily Access charge.
$0.25 a minute for ALL calls.
I would choose the $10 unlimited mobile-to-mobile messaging with Verizon customers, and the 250 extra to AT&T/Sprint customers.

The majority of people I text are Verizon customers, so I guess I would be saving money in the long run... But if I'm forced to get the Reality as my best device option, I don't know...

Which plan sounds better to you? My current AT&T prepaid one, or Verizon's?

[Minniehaha]

 

There are two daily prepaid plans -- 99 cents per day only on the days you make a call or answer a call, verizon to verizon is no extra charge, landlines or non verizon is 10 per minute after you have paid the 99 cents. The text is 10 cents to send and 10 cents to receive. The second plan is 1.99 per day only on the days you use it, This plan after paying the 1.99 is unlimited calling all to all providers. Text is 2 cents to send and 2 cents to receive if you do not have a text package plan.

Refill Expiration (once applied to the account) 
$15-$29.99 expires in 30 days
$75-$99.99 expires in 180 days $30-$74.99 expires in 90 days
$100 or more expires in ONE YEAR!

NEW! Messaging Bundles Available

$20/month for Unlimited Messaging to anyone on any network in the U.S.*

$10/month for Unlimited Mobile to Mobile Messaging with Verizon Wireless customers PLUS 250 additional messages*

PREPAID PHONES

LG

6015i -- KIYOCERA --KWC 2325, KX414 -- MOTOROLA -- MotoW755, RazrV3m, V376, W385 -- PANTECH -- Jest -- Verizon -- Blitz, CDM7075, CDM8615, M7076, PN215 --  Almost any feature phone can be changed into a prepaid but you would have to pay full price for the phone.

Most Verizon Wireless phones will work with our prepaid plans

Non Prepaid Phones

1)Push to Talk, PDAs/Smartphones, advance data devices (BlackBerry, PalmOne Treo, etc.)

2)PC Card devices and handsets with HTML Web browser such as the LG Dare, LG Voyager, Samsung Glyde, Samsung Omnia and Motorola Krave

3)All Dashboard-capable devices like the LG Chocolate 3, LG VX 8360, Motorola Rapture VU30, Nokia 7205 Intrigue and Samsung Renown SCH-u810

*features such as V CAST video, Mobile TV, and Chaperone services are not available for prepaid service

:. The only phones that are not compatible with our service are Push to Talk, PDAs/Smartphones, advance data devices (BlackBerry, PalmOne Treo, etc.), PC Card devices and handsets with HTML Web browser such as the LG Dare, LG Voyager, Samsung Glyde, Samsung Omnia and Motorola Krave and all Dashboard-capable devices like the LG Chocolate 3, LG VX 8360, Motorola Rapture VU30, Nokia 7205 Intrigue and Samsung Renown SCH-u810. Keep in mind features such as V CAST video, Mobile TV, and Chaperone services are not available for prepaid service."-- Accolade, Chocolate, Cosmo, VX3200, VX3450, VX5200, VX 5400, VX5500, VX6100, VX7000, ENV --SAMSUNG--Alias SCHu740, Gusto, Haven , Intensity, Juke, SCHA650, SCHA870, SCHU340, CHU410, SCHU430, SCHU540, Smooth --NOKIA -- 2128i, 2366i, 2650 Mirage, 2705 Shade

[Minniehaha]

In answer to your question about which company to use. I use verizon because I live in the middle of the woods on a mountain, and my last carrier I had to go  two miles down the mountain to get a connection.  With Verizon I have a perfect connection no matter where I am inside or outside or walking around. I have the $10.00 text plan because like you almost all the people I text are on verizon.

[Wild_Banchi]

Thank you. If I were to switch over, I would have to pay full-price for a Reality, because it's prepaid? I wish I could get something better than a Reality, considering AT&T will allow you to have ANY smartphone (except the iPhone) of your choice...

I'll consider it. It just may be cheaper...

[CinnamonSwirl]

I am on the .99 daily prepay plan wiuth $20/mo text plan and I am going to get the Kin Twom phone as soon as my payday arrives. I've done a lot of research on it and I am getting pretty excited to get one and play around with it.  It is wifi-compatible so while you can't get a data plan on a daily prepay phone, you can use the web whenever you're in a place that has free wifi.  There are a few downsides to it, if you read the reviews you'll discover what they are, but the wifi and the 8 mp camera are huge pluses.  It also has a touch screen and fun qwerty keyboard design, as well as the added bonus of being a Zune player.  Good luck with your decision.  

[Minniehaha]

I don't believe you can use a touch screen on the prepaid daily plans.