About TracFones
TracFone is a cellular service vendor in the United States that sells phones with prepaid minutes, but does not actually own or operate a network. Instead, TracFone purchases cell service from existing networks such as AT&T and Verizon, then sells these multiple cell services as one overlapping service area. Users of the TracFone system have to pay more per call than they would with conventional cell phone plans and pay per the minutes they want to use, but they have access to the range of multiple networks.
There is no general TracFone used specifically for these services, but rather a selection of phones that users can choose from based on what area they live in. A customer usually has two of three phones to choose from, all of which are simple entry-level models provided by well-known manufacturers such as Motorola. Purchasing such a phone from TracFone does not mean the user has the service usually included with that phone, only that they have the capability to use the TracFone system.
TracFone Service
In order to purchase actual calling abilities, the user must buy a TracFone card. These cards are for sale at many retail stores, but can also be found online at TracFone's website. Buying these cards accomplishes two goals: it adds minutes you can use for calling onto your TracFone phone, and it "unlocks" that phone for a certain period of use. A simple card may open the phone up for 60 days of use and give the phone 100 minutes of talk time. Both the period in which the phone can be used and the number of minutes available in that period come in several different choices that can be mixed and matched by users based on their needs. Along with the TracFone service, the phone is given a number which others can call in to reach it.
Once the service period expires, users lose their phone activity and their phone number. Restarting the service usually requires TracFone to issue a completely new number, but the activation periods can be extended before they end. The minutes are rollover, however, and can be moved from plan to plan in case of expiration. There is no difference between weekend minutes and weekday minutes in TracFone systems, and calling from outside the specific calling area incurs a double-minutes fee.
TracFone Uses
TracFone services are useful for those who want a reliable calling area but do not often use their cell phones. Since the network coverage areas overlap it is usually easier to find service on a TracFone phone, but the higher prices and limited features make the phones useful only for limited conversations.
Tags: calling area, choose from, service usually, that phone, their phone