Do you want a hassle-free way out of your cell phone plan? You can undoubtedly go for Pay By The Minute Phone Plans, which requires you to pay exactly what you’ve used in a limited period.
Instead of buying a new phone on lengthy contracts, you can choose any Pay By The Minute Phone Plans Provider and get your SIM & handset separately.
If anyone were to ask me, Why should one pick pay-as-you-go plans? My straightforward answer will be: Prepaid or pay-by-the-minute cell phone plans offer more flexibility, require no lengthy contract, no credit check, and require a lower cost. All these criteria make prepaid phone plans one step ahead of postpaid or unlimited plans.
A straightforward concept of pay-as-you-go plans is, you will pay as much as you use. This concept means you don’t have to pay anything extra, and they have no hidden costs.
Moreover, forget about installation or cancellation fees if you switch to pay-by-the-minute phone plans. Following, we’ll discuss the 10 Best Pay By The Minute Phone Plans Provider in 2023. So, let’s get started.
10 Best Pay By The Minute Phone Plans Provider 2023
With a bunch of benefits, pay-as-you-go phone plans are now on the top exceeding the contact-based phone plans. They offer more freedom and greater flexibility than contract-based phone plans.
Besides, they provide great features at a cheaper monthly cost, and there is no overpayment while switching to these pay-by-the-minute phone plans.
1. T-Mobile
T-Mobile comes with a comprehensive range of the best prepaid family plans, and they require no hassling contracts or any credit checks for switching. T-Mobile is currently the leading telecommunication service provider in the US with the most extensive 5G coverage. Prepaid plans from T-Mobile do offer the freedom of usage and payments regarding your credentials.
You can go for a contract-based cell phone plan from T-Mobile if you prefer new smartphones without any upfront costs. You don’t have to undergo any hassling credit checks for activating new services, and no need to deposit any credits. They offer the prepaid pay-as-you-go plan for up to 30 days in the planning statement.
Another great thing about T-Mobile is, they will warn you with voice alerts when your credit goes under $10 or you finish your monthly minutes.
Simply Prepaid is the best pay-by-the-minute phone plan with two varieties for regular users and retired persons. Following, we’ll discuss T-Mobile’s Simply Prepaid plan for ordinary users in detail.
Simply Prepaid is the monthly plan from T-Mobile without any requiring contracts, credit checks, or installment fees. It is a pay-as-you-go plan that allows you to extend the usage when your monthly limits are over by paying as much as you use overflow.
Let’s find out what it offers!
- Get unlimited talk and text inside your domestic numbers.
- On your smartphone, you can get Unlimited 4G data and unrestricted 3G mobile hotspot tethering.
- International calling and WiFi-based calling are available at standard rates.
- Stream up to 480p with the data maximizer compatibility
- Visual Voicemail offers to view your voicemail texts without opening the dial.
- Offers mobile carrier features without the border restrictions
- You can have the same features you get in the US, even in Canada & Mexico.
However, you can use the streaming data with visible quality video on DVD standards from your mobile. You can disable the Data Maximizer feature at any time, but that may lead to losing some data perks. Note that high-speed data streaming can be unavailable for a few BlueBerry devices.
2. AT&T
AT&T is a countywide cell phone service provider with years of expertise and excellent coverage throughout the US. They also offer the cheapest family cell phone plans with pay-as-you-go features that you can obtain without sticking to any contracts. AT&T launched about three varieties of prepaid plans for meeting different individual requirements.
With an effortless activation procedure, you can even order for AT&T prepaid plans and purchase SIM at a $0.99 cost. Here, you can get the $15 discount on online orders, which AT&T will bear.
Benefits of AT&T Prepaid are- no annual installment fees, no contracts, no deposits, easy activation, and coverage through great deals & plans.
The cheapest prepaid plan starts at just $25 per month. If you pay per minute phone the yearly expense in advance, you need to pay about $300. You can switch to the Unlimited Plus plan for the best value, which offers the optimal perks, starting at $60 per month. If you prioritize data & hotspot tethering, you can switch to the $55 Tablet & Hotspot plan for up to 100 GB of high-speed data.
AT&T Daily Plan: This is a pay-by-the-minute deal from AT&T, which offers the cheapest offerings at minimal hassle.
Let’s have a closer look at the features of this plan!
- For daily usage, it costs just about 2 dollars.
- Get unlimited talk, text features and pay as much as you use.
- Check your voicemails without paying anything extra.
- You can switch to this plan even with a primary phone
- If you don’t use your phone totally in a day, you have to pay nothing.
Note that this plan is not available at their site; you must purchase it from their offline stores. It is a pay-by-the-minute phone plan with essential features, and it is for individuals who don’t require data. If you need data along with other basics, switch one from AT&T’s 8 GB Plan, 5 GB Plan, Unlimited, and Unlimited Plus.
3. US Mobile
US Mobile is a well-known MVNO that runs over the Verizon and T-Mobile network for overall coverage. They offer far better and more comprehensive plans at a cheaper rate than the major carriers.
US Mobile offers pay-by-the-minute phone plans for both single users and family lines. Below we’ll undergo these plans in detail.
Pay As You Go Family Plan: The US Mobile’s pay as you go family plan starts at just 15 dollars, and you can get numerous benefits. It includes-
- Get unlimited minutes and SMS
- Offers up to 5 GB of data with 5G coverage
- With visual voicemail, you can get multi-line discounts as well
- International roaming facility without any extra tax or charges
- Bring your own phone and keep your existing number
- Includes VoLTE and WiFi calling
All the prepaid plans come at an affordable price point, and all plans come with limited data coverage and unlimited text & talk. If you go for the $45 plan, you can get unlimited data and identical essential perks.
Pay As You Go Hotspot Plan: This plan is pretty much similar to the upper one, mainly based on hotspot tethering. If you are someone who prefers having prioritized data coverage along with hotspot tethering features, this one is for you.
Let’s have a look at the features of this one!
- It offers up to 2 GB of data for hotspot tethering
- The plan starts at just 10 dollars per month
- You won’t get any minutes or SMS into this plan as it is based on data only
- Get the similar 4G LTE and 5G coverage without quality compromisation
- Requires no contract and offers 24/7 absolute customer support
You may find this one pretty awkward as this one has zero minutes and SMS. You can also get a starter kit with the SIM when you purchase this plan from particular stores. One bad side is, you won’t get any international calling and multi-month discounts in this package.
4. TracFone
TracFone is a well-defined MVNO in the US that runs mainly on Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile’s network. One of the best things for these MVNO carriers is that you can BYOP from any compatible carriers under the MVNO. It means, if you switch to TracFone from other carriers, you can even get the chance to BYOP from one of the compatible carriers.
In this segment, we’ll discuss two prepaid pay-by-the-minute phone plans from TracFone. One prepaid plan offers a 1 year prepaid phone plans option to switch with minimal minutes, data, and texts at a lower value.
On the contrary, another one comes at a doubled price tag and offers more than double compared to the cheaper one. It means if you want the best-calculated value, you can check the second one.
TracFone 200 Minutes Pay As You Go Plan: With a long expiry of up to three months, this plan starts at just 39.99 dollars for each month. Note that you have to recharge from verified stores to avail of this offer. And you can also get a chance to BYOP from the available 27 phones under this package.
It includes-
- Require no contracts or any activation fees for starting
- Get up to 600 minutes and 600 text messages
- A minimal 600 MB of data was provided for essential browsing
- The contract length is valid for up to 90 days
- Call to more than 100 countries, including Mexico, China, Canada, and Colombia.
- Unused minutes and data will be carried over for the following month.
If you auto-refill from TracFone’s authorized sellers, you can get up to 10% discounts on the overall costs. However, if you want to expand airtime, you can add your card and extend the validity.
TracFone 450 Minutes Pay As You Go Plan: If you’re a professional who requires more data & minutes and minimal data, this plan is a must-have one.
This premium range plan starts at 79.99 dollars per month. Under this pay-by-the-minute phone plan, 67 phones are available, which you can pick during the switch.
It includes-
- Start-up requires no activation fees
- Get up to 1350 minutes and 1350 text messages
- Up to 1.5 GB of additional data coverage is available
- The contract length is valid for three months
- You can call 100+ countries, including Mexico, China, Canada, and Colombia.
- Remained minutes and data will be carried over for the next month
In this plan, you have the freedom of adding or reducing additional data or minutes. You can add up to 4 GB of high-speed data at a $50 recharge.
Moreover, for just $10, you can add extra 1000 text messages to the existing pay-per-minute phone plans. It provides both CDMA(3G) and GSM(2G) services with essential features across the US.
5. Ting
Ting is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator(MVNO) and internet service provider that runs under the Dish Wireless network. Ting mobile uses the network of Verizon and T-Mobile for the overall coverage throughout the United States.
They offer prepaid pay-per-minute phone plans & excellent cell phone deals at a reasonable price range. Ting uses CDMA and GSM network standards for overall services.
They offer the prepaid pay-as-you-go plans with a tagline- “you use less, you pay less.” Ting’s Flex is one of the cheapest pay-by-the-minute phone plans, and you can avail of this one for under 10 dollars.
One great thing about Ting’s prepaid plan is, you can use the added data for hotspot across all your flex accounts for more significant savings. Where others offer 3G or 4G for pay-per-minute plans, Ting gives uncompromised 5G coverage and nationwide LTE.
Flex: Flex is one of Ting’s heavily used pay-as-you plans, which offers great essential features and additional perks at a cheaper rate. You can also customize this plan by paying extra bucks according to your needs.
It includes-
- You can get unlimited text and talk features.
- Full speed 5G on specific areas and nationwide LTE coverage
- Get additional fast data for 5 dollars per GB
- You can share added data across all your Flex accounts
- Use your existing data as mobile hotspot tethering
Ting gives you the freedom to use data, minutes, and texts based on your needs. If you want additional fast data, you can add it for $5/GB. If you don’t need data, you have to pay just the base price of $10.
The simple concept is, you have to pay as much as you use. You don’t have to pay any extra hidden costs or activation fees.
6. Red Pocket
Red Pocket is a well-established MVNO leader in providing prepaid plans with the coverage of three major carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon).
You can pick their cheapest pay-by-the-minute phone plans at just $10 per month. It means you can use the same wireless network with all the best perks at a reduced cost from red Pocket.
If you bring your own phone in the first month as a new customer, you can get up to 50% off on the expenses. You can also keep your preferable existing carrier connected to your line for the best coverage when you switch. Red Pocket’s pay-by-the-minute cell phone plans starts at just 10 dollars, and it is preferable for users who want fewer perks.
The offerings of this plan are as follows-
- You can get up to 500 minutes with crystal clear voice quality
- Get 500 texts for any numbers across the US
- Provides 500 MB high-speed 5G data coverage(for the first month)
- International calling feature- call in many destinations around the globe
- Get a chance to pick from a comprehensive collection of all the latest phones
If you want to keep your existing pay per minute number and your current SIM, you can do so with Red Pocket for a DIY experience through their swap app. However, they provide universal SIM cards that will suit any phone, according to their claim. You can switch to red Pocket and activate your service within minutes through their convenient site.
7. Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile is a popular MVNO carrier that runs on the stablest network of the US, T-Mobile. If you want to switch to Mint Mobile from T-Mobile, you can keep your existing SIM number for convenience. Mint Mobile offers prepaid plans which run on the pay as you go standard, which means you can add based on your own needs.
In this section, we’ll undergo two prepaid plans of Min Mobile, and all these plans come with the best values that you can rely on. If you prefer all the essential features without restrictions, you can switch to the 30 dollar phone plans. And if you want unlimited talk and text but require limited data, the 15 dollar plan is best.
Mint Mobile 4GB: This plan starts at just $15 per month, and the cost will rise if you add any features as airtime. The features are-
- Get unlimited talk and text.
- Includes 4 GB of high-speed data
- It covers the nationwide LTE and 5G coverage in specified areas.
- From the monthly data allowance, you can use it as a hotspot.
- You can add perks and extend validity through extra payment.
Mint Mobile Unlimited: The unlimited plan starts at just $30, and it provides you more value at the same price ratio. The features are-
Unlimited talk, text, and data
- Reliable network coverage with 4G LTE and 5G coverage available in limited areas
- Works with most GSM(2G) phones
- Bring Your Own Phone or keep the existing one with the same number
- Offers free calling to more than 160 countries, including Mexico, and Canada
All the plans that come with Mint Mobile require no activation fees or any contracts. Moreover, you can also get a 7-day money-back guarantee if you want to alternate plans. Lastly, you can get friendly 24/7 customer support.
8. Good2Go Mobile
If you want to get the optimal value without compromising on the features & perks, then Good2Go Mobile can be the preferred one for you. They offer deals and plans at up to 50% discounts, and you can get blazing 5G speeds as well. They come with America’s most potent GSM coverage at affordable rates.
In the following section, we’ll discuss two prepaid plans with an extended validity period and the best values. These two plans have a three-month validity period, and both are available at a bulk discount on their site. They are available at $10 and $15 for the first month, and their base price is $20 and $30, respectively.
Good2Go Mobile 3 GB Plan: Good2Go mobile’s 3 GB plan comes at an intro promo rate of just $10. You have to pay the base rate of 20 dollars from the second month for the same coverage. The features of this pack are-
- Get up to 3 GB high-speed data(speed reduces after reaching limit)
- Includes unlimited talk and text access
- It offers a Free SIM with the starter kits
- With autopay through your credit card, get 5 dollar discounts
- The intro plan has a 90-day validity
Good2Go Mobile 6 GB Plan: This intro promo offer of $15 on this plan is available for the first month. After that, you have to pay the initial price of $30 for regular usage. The features are-
Get up to 6 GB high-speed data(speed reduces after reaching limit)
- Includes unlimited talk and text access
- It offers a Free SIM with the starter kits
- With autopay through your credit card, get 5 dollar discount
- The intro plan has a 90-day validity
9. Ultra Mobile
Ultra Mobile is a well-known pay-by-the-minute phone plan provider that offers up to 2 GB of high-speed data along with a SIM kit. It is a prepaid plan that starts at just $19/month for one month. If you select this one for 3, 6, or 12 months, you can save up to 5 dollars.
Let’s have a look at the features-
- Up to 2GB high-speed data with 4G LTE and 5G coverage
- Unlimited talk to more than 80 international destinations
- Added data is capable of mobile hotspot tethering
- Unlimited nationwide talk, international minutes, and data
- Adds one-time international credit of $5
- 1.50 dollar monthly IDL credit
10. Tello
Tello is an MVNO that runs on the network of T-Mobile for the overall coverage. Tello’s pay as you go plan is one of the cheapest plans that starts at just $10/month. The plan provides unlimited minutes and text inside the US with the uncompromised coverage of T-Mobile. It includes-
- Unlimited minute, SMS, and 1 GB data throughout the US
- Overall plan credit lasts for up to 90 days
- Requires no contract, or activation fees
- International calling to more than 60 destinations, including Mexico, Canada, and China
- Up to 3 days money-back guarantee on selected phone deals
If you plan to travel overseas, you can add extra minutes, data, and text through paying add-on credits. The rate is pretty cheaper than other carriers, and they allow you to add features valued at $20.
Final Verdict
We have covered all details about the 10 Best pay by the minute phone plans provider in 2023. Before you go switching, you need to pick the right one regarding some aspects.
First, you need to decide how much you can pay for phone deals and how far you can pay in advance. Get acquainted with the plan in detail before you purchase. If you pick MVNO, choose the parent carrier wisely, considering the coverage in your area.
Also, decide how frequently you will pay(monthly, three months, six months, or yearly). Pick one of the carriers mentioned above, depending on your budget, requirements, and preferences.
