Tracfone is one of the most well-known and largest providers of prepaid cell phones. Tracfone is known for being affordable and easy to use--however, you can find reviews good and bad online.

Let's go through some of the reasons prepaid cell phones may be a good option for you and then talk a little bit about what Tracfone offers. Hopefully, after reading this, you will have a better understanding of the service they provide and will see if it is something that may be of use to you.

Reasons you may want a prepaid or pay as you go cell phone.

1) No Contract - You don't sign a contract, so you are not bound to the company and will never have to pay a termination fee.

2) No Credit Check - If you have bad credit, a wireless company may either deny you service or can charge you a huge deposit. If you are in this position, you probably want to go prepaid.

3) Only Pay for the Minutes You Use - If you go with a prepaid option, you will have more control over the minutes you use simply because you get to decide how many you pay for. Depending on the prepaid wireless company you go with, there may be different stipulations for minimum minutes you need to purchase, because let's face it, there are always going to be rules of some kind. For example, with some plans, you can lost minutes after a certain amount of time. But overall, you have more control with prepaid cell phones.

4) Use Less Minutes, Save Money - SInce you get to decide how many minutes you pay for, you have the control. Typically in the standard cell phone contract plan, the average user uses about 20% less than the minutes they pay for. This means they are overpaying, and one of the big reasons this occurs is because it's a pain to check your minutes and it can be confusing. With a prepaid phone like Tracfone (which allows you to keep track of your available call time right from you phone) you will tend to use less minutes or right up to the amount you actually need.

The previous four points are some of the reasons prepaid cell phones may be worth looking into.

Here are some situations in which prepaid may not be right for you.

1) You are a Heavy Cell Phone User - If you talk on your cell phone a lot--say, over 300 minutes per month--then you may be better off in a monthly contract plan. If you consistently talk a lot on your cell phone, then it may not make sense to go with prepaid wireless plans, which tend to be better for those who use fewer minutes.

2) You Want a Cool New Phone Every Two Years - Prepaid wireless companies don't typically hand out new handsets every two years--that's something the major contract companies do to keep you in the "new every two" cycle and keep you re-signing a contract. You won't always be able to get the most hip cell phone on a prepaid plan.

3) You're a Texting Fanatic - If you are big on texting, you may end up paying more for text messages.

The Bottom Line Folks.

Prepaid cell phones will not save money for everyone. Prepaid cell phones are best for people who are economical, pay attention to their cell phone minutes (or talk time), and don't use their cell phones heavily. If you consistently use over 300 minutes a month, you may be able to get a better deal with a standard plan.

The key to finding the best deal is to be educated about the different plans available and to know exactly what you are looking for. Unfortunately, these two things can be hard to put your finger on.

*Read on below about Tracfone, but also see my T-Mobile prepaid plan comparison hub as well.

What Benefits Does Tracfone Offer?

You can purchase a Tracfone prepaid cell phone at Walmart or other similar large retailers. After you buy the handset, you can add minutes from the Tracfone website or from the phone itself. Interestingly enough, you can get all set up without having to talk to a live person at all.

Tracfone's $45 Unlimited Prepaid Phone plans are very, very competitive and may be just what you are looking for--but remember, you have a lot to choose from at this moment in time.

You can get a phone without a credit check, a contract, or any kind of commitment. You do need to know that you have to add minutes to your account within 90 days to avoid service disruption. I have heard that you can lose your phone number if you don't add minutes in time. The reason is that since there is no contract, the company may think that you aren't using their service anymore. It's something you want to pay attention to.

If you have bad credit, a Tracfone prepaid cell phone may be a good option for you as there is no credit check or any kind of deposit necessary. You just purchase the phone, put some minutes on it, and you should be ready to go a half hour later.

I wrote above that prepaid plans tend to give you more control, which I really like. One way Tracfone gives you just a little bit more control over what you pay for is that you only pay for the incoming text messages that you read. If you are running low on minutes and you see a text get delivered to your phone; if you don't read it, you don't pay for it. I think that is a nice touch because you really have no control over the texts coming into your phone.

A warning to prepaid users. The truth is that with a prepaid plan it can be quite easy to go over your minutes. You need to be honest with yourself and your habits because if you are not the type of person who keeps track of your minutes or makes sure to keep conversations relatively brief, then a prepaid wireless plan may not be the best option for you.

I read a lot about people complaining about prepaid after the fact because they thought they would save money with a prepaid phone even though their cell phone usage habits indicate otherwise. Not everyone will save money with this kind of phone. I'm not trying to get negative here, I just want you to save your hard earned money!! I don't want you to overpay!!

Here's a breakdown of Tracfone Talktime Costs:

60 minutes = $19.99

120 minutes = $29.99

200 minutes = $39.99

These minutes don't expire, but you must buy more minutes every 90 days. So, say you buy 120 minutes, and you use 100 of them in a 89 day period. You have to buy new minutes before 60 days comes in order to preserve the 20 minutes you have left over.

Does that make sense? You basically just have to be a continuing customer in order to keep your carryover minutes. This should take care of itself naturally as you use your phone, but it is something you want to be aware of.

Tracfone Double Minutes for Life.

You may have heard about the double minutes for life deals on prepaid cell phones. With Tracfone if you pay a fee of $49.99, for the rest of the time you use your phone you will get double the minutes you pay for. This could be a very good option for you, but I understand that it is hard to know on the outset how long you will be using a Tracfone. Still, keep it in mind maybe after using the service for a few months because you can save a lot of money with double minutes for life.

Another option you have with Tracfone is purchasing 400 minutes for $99.99. If you choose this option, you can use the 400 minutes over 365 days--there is no expiration date and no additional purchase necessary. As you see, if you purchase some of the options ahead or time for more money, you may save more in the long run. This is true of many products and clearly also Tracfone prepaid cell phones.

The trick is you have to be able to forecast the future a little bit. The more you understand and pay attention to your own cell phone habits, the better position you will be in to save yourself some moola!

A word on Tracfone Promo Codes!

If you have been a Tracfone user for a while, then you know that the company has always had Tracfone promotional codes floating around that tack on free minutes to a purchase if you plug in the special pin code.

This is a smart marketing move by the company that keeps customers excited and engaged. You can consider it viral advertising--but it's different from most advertising because it saves you money.

Below are some recent Tracfone promo codes:

36783 - 40 bonus minutes on a 120 minute Airtime PIN.

55496 - 30 bonus minutes on a 30 minute Airtime PIN

53886 or 56216 - 50 free min. added to a 200 min. card or higher.(may end 2/29/08)

54245 - 50 free minutes added to a 200 min. card or higher.(may end 12/02/08)

51792 - 50 free minutes with a $49.99 Double Minutes for Life card.

57852 or 59977- 200 free min. added to a one year card. (may end 11/31/08)

53018 or 55118- 300 free minutes added to a one year card

To use your Tracfone codes, you put the promo code in after you enter the pin code. You will receive from 20 to 200 minutes free (depending on the code you use). If you are using a double minutes card that you purchased, then you will be getting an even better deal.

Tracfone Conclusions.

Tracfone is one of the best prepaid wireless providers out there for the following people. If you are not a heavy cell phone user; if you keep track of the minutes you use each month and have consistent month to month low usage; if you don't text a lot; if you want to save money on your cell phone bill; if you buy a double minutes for life card; if you use the Tracfone promotional codes; then Tracfone might have a good option for you.

One great bonus that Tracfone offers with some purchases or for an additional inintal fee is double minutes for life. If you purchase this option when you are buying your handset, it costs you $49.99. However, the prepaid provider is offering free DMFL with some deals it is offering right now. With this offering, you save the fee, plus you save on minutes for the life of the phone.

That adds up to a lot of money. This is one of the best prepaid deals out there now. Read more about Tracfone Double Minutes for Life.