Tracfone and Net10 are two of the largest Prepaid phone providers in the US. They are actually the same company but they have different pricing strategies. Here is a simple comparison.
Tracfone Advantages
- The Phones can be very inexpensive
- You can call Mexico for the same price as calling in the US.
- DMFL card will double all minute cards you put on your phone.
- If you buy the 1500 minute card for $200 and you have DMFL you will get 3000 minutes for $200 or 6.6 cents a minute.
- You can spend as little as $6.67 per month to keep your phone active.
Net 10 Advantages
- The Phones always come with 300 minutes and two months service on activation
- The minutes are always 10 cents or less.
- The phones are very inexpensive (or Free) when you account for the 300 minutes you get on activation.
- Their phones will roam without having to pay extra.
- The top of the line phones from Net10 are cheaper than Tracfone.
- The top of the line Net10 phones are nicer than Tracfones.
- Remember to subtract $35 from the price of a Net10 phone to compensate for the 300 minutes included with the phone.
Tracfone Disadvantages
- The minutes can be very expensive if you buy $20 cards and do not have DMFL.
- Minutes are more expensive with Tracfone unless you spend $80 for three months and you have DMFL on your phone.
Net 10 Disadvantages
- You will spend at least $15 a month to keep your phone active.
Summary Tracfone vs Net10 Prepaid Cell Phones
If you only use your phone for emergencies then Tracfone is the best deal at $6.66 per month including 20 to 40 minutes per month.
If you will use your phone more than 30 minutes a month then you are probably better off with a Net10 phone at $15 a month including 150 minutes per month.
If you want to buy your minutes in $30 chunks Net10 is a better deal.
If you purchase minutes in $200 chunks you will get more minutes per dollar with Tracfone.
My Summary Opinion
Buy the Net10 phone because they are very simple and even at $15 a month it is really cheap to own and use. If you know that the user will almost never use the phone Tracfone is cheaper to keep active.
The first Net10 Purchase Discount Code is 34567 and will save you $3 on any 19.99 or larger Phone purchase.
When Buying a Tracfone or Net 10 Phone
If you are comparing prices remember that Net 10 phones come with 300 minutes so subtract $35 from the price of the Net10 phone to compare prices.
Adding Tracfone and Net 10 Minutes
It is really easy to add either Tracfone or Net10 minutes online. There are often purchase codes or discount codes from Tracfone Bonus Codes.
The Tracfone Purchase code is 23444 and will get you $3 off any $19.99 or larger phone purchase.
I have found this link to Net10 Purchase discount Codes.
Comments 7
Net 10 phones are cheaper, but the customer service is the worst I have ever experienced. I was on hold for 2 hrs and 12 minutes before I gave up and those minutes of being on hold were deducted by Net 10 – I have tried and tried to have the international calls activated so I can call Canada while I am travelling in U.S. and it has been 2 weeks and still no luck, I have tried activating it online and also via phoning the help line.
Posted 21 Feb 2010 at 10:43 pm ¶Net10 is fantastic! I mean its perfect for those who have been bullied by other cellphone contracts that just take our money and charge way too much money! It is always ten cents a minute and five cents a text!! It’s just so hard to find a better deal than that. The phone is great and the service is wonderful! I have never had a problem with Net10 and it just works perfect for me.
Posted 28 Feb 2010 at 6:24 pm ¶I did my research between the two companies and decided to go with Net10 because I really felt the service was a better bang for the buck. I really don’t use my cell phone expect for work so for the moderate user, Net10 is prefect and I’m saving more than $50 a month versus my previous plan. Some of my friends complained about the activation fee, but I think paying for a phone and activation and still getting 300 minutes is a great deal. The texting is cheaper than anyone else I found (.03 a text) and the T-Mobile calling network is great. Highly recommend it.
Posted 14 Mar 2010 at 4:46 pm ¶This is a great comparison. I think people get really confused by the differences between these two plans. Overall I’d have to agree with you, Net10 is an easier plan to manage and keep costs down each month. I think its worth noting that all calls (whether local, long distance or when roaming) are 10c a minute. This means that although its expensive for local calls, you make up the difference when making long distance or roaming calls. Plus texts are 5c each and it displays your balance each time you tuen on your phone, you can’t get more clear than that!
Posted 23 Mar 2010 at 3:34 pm ¶Both of these prepaid phone services are fabulous. This is a great article comparing the two, but personally I think both are awesome deals. Bottom line, they save you a gracious amount compared to your old monthly contracts since they are prepaid. Also they both have high quality phones with great features and high durability. Two thumbs up for both of these services!
Posted 31 Mar 2010 at 3:42 am ¶Wow, very clear comparison! Thanks! I am a huge fan of NET10 but I still like to look around at other carriers to make sure I get the best bang for my bucks. NET10 is still it. Your comparison makes it very easy to see exactly when you should be using what carrier.
Posted 20 May 2010 at 10:36 am ¶I agree, customer service is often very poor with Tracfone, Net10, and Straight talk. If you can get done what you need to do without using customer service you will be a lot happier with the service.
Posted 23 Jul 2010 at 5:07 pm ¶Trackbacks & Pingbacks 5
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