US Cellphone Carriers

My mom is taking me to New York next month (yay!) and we were thinking about picking up a pay as you go type sim card for my cellphone while we're there so that we can use it. My phone isn't locked to a carrier and I can put a US sim card in it, so no problems there. I just have no idea about US cellphone carriers or pay as you go type plans. 

Ideally, I'd like one that where the number doesn't expire if you don't use it for a long period of time. We go to the states for various things 4-5 times a year, usually just day trips but sometimes for a few days. Are there pay as you go type plans that have data? I think that's what we'd be using the most. We also may use it to call home a couple of times, probably only for a few minutes each time, but just to check in. I don't think the hotel we're staying at has free internet, so I'd like to be able to check in on the dogs and cats via phone call rather than text, and so that we can call my dad (he doesn't check his phone often enough for text, even if we tell him to, lol).

Anyone have any recommendations or other options? Just using it in the US on my existing plan is not an option, it would be ridiculously expensive, and the US travel packages are only for calling. We'd like to be able to access the internet on my phone while we're there as well (maps, general information, etc). 

Thanks!

I use a tracfone prepaid. I have this phone only for emergencies, it's very old, but does have texting capabilities (which I don't use). I pay $99 annually, and each time I buy the new year's minutes, the plan is 365 minutes, but it is doubled, because of some promotion or other I got once, so I pay $99 for 730 minutes a year. I use it maybe four times a year, so the minutes continue to accumulate. They never expire, as long as I renew the the card before the previous year expires.

Is that the kind of plan you are looking for?

http://www.tracfone.com/

I'm not even sure what kind of plan I'm looking for to be honest, lol. 

I looked at AT&T, Verizon and T Mobile websites, just because they were the only ones that I had heard of before. AT&T seemed to have the best deal, but I'm not sure exactly how it works. It was 5.95$ for the sim card, $2/day for unlimited nationwide calling/text/international text and 5 cents per 5kb of data. I could also get an add on for 10$ for 250 minutes of international calling. All of that would be great, except that I'm not sure if it's something that I can just pay for when I use it or if it's something different. If it's just whenever we need it, my dad and I could share the sim card (both of our phones are unlocked). 

I guess I should just gather information on plans and then call the companies for the plans that seem like they'd suit our needs the best to see what hidden fees, etc there are. 

I must say though, looking through the websites at the plans you guys have, I'm jealous. Ours are ridiculous in comparison. 

Unfortunately, carriers that use sim cards in the states are very limited. At&t and T-mobile are the only two big ones and usually each metro area has only one small one. Both At&t and t-mobile offer a $50 unlimited talk text and web plan, but that only works for non-smartphones for AT&T (im not sure about t-mobile). I have a smartphone so I'm on T-mobile's $30 plan. 100 minutes, unlimited text and unlimited web. I use Talkatone to get unlimited calling using data.

nerdrock said:

Ideally, I'd like one that where the number doesn't expire if you don't use it for a long period of time. We go to the states for various things 4-5 times a year, usually just day trips but sometimes for a few days. Are there pay as you go type plans that have data?

Click to expand...

I have T-Mobile ... Their "pay as you go" planS (plural; I think there are 4 levels of 'PAYG'. That's my abbreviation, not theirs) are °not° suitable for what you wrote. On PAYG status, they will close your account if you don't use it for a certain number of days.

°If I remember correctly, T-Mo's only exception is their highest level/most expensive PAYG plan. That one lasts a lifetime i think???° So it's wise to get clarity from them on that.

My T-Mobile plan is not a PAYG plan- Rather, it's a $50/month smartphone plan with no contract.

If you're going to be in Manhattan alot, there's free municipal wifi , which I think allows you to make calls. I've never used it but here are links fyi:

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...tspots-new-york-guide-ones-that-actually-work

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120711/columbus-circle/city-payphones-become-wifi-hotspots

http://www.timessquarenyc.org/visitor-tips/free-wifi/index.aspx

Wifi does not allow you to make calls. Unless you have a paid subscription to Skype or some other porgram like Talkatone, a data connection only allows you to access the web.
You also need a smartphone in order to make use of wifi at all.

Minka said:

Wifi does not allow you to make calls. Unless you have a paid subscription to Skype or some other porgram like Talkatone, a data connection only allows you to access the web.
You also need a smartphone in order to make use of wifi at all.

Click to expand...

Actually you can, on certain phones. Including mine

http://t-mobile-coverage.t-mobile.com/4g-wireless-broadband-service

speakhandsforme said:

Actually you can, on certain phones. Including mine

http://t-mobile-coverage.t-mobile.com/4g-wireless-broadband-service

Click to expand...

Wifi calling uses your plan minutes though.

There is no additional monthly charge to use the Wi-Fi Calling feature on your handset. Wi-Fi Calling uses monthly plan minutes for the following:
Calls made from the US to US numbers
Calls made from the US to international numbers (subject to international rates)
Calls made from outside the US to US numbers (not charged roaming)
Calls made from outside the US to international numbers (subject to international rates, but not charged roaming)

Click to expand...

So it's not super helpful for what the OP needs.

Minka said:

speakhandsforme said:

Minka said:

Wifi does not allow you to make calls. Unless you have a paid subscription to Skype or some other porgram like Talkatone, a data connection only allows you to access the web.
You also need a smartphone in order to make use of wifi at all.

Click to expand...

Actually you can, on certain phones. Including mine

http://t-mobile-coverage.t-mobile.com/4g-wireless-broadband-service

Click to expand...

Wifi calling uses your plan minutes though.

There is no additional monthly charge to use the Wi-Fi Calling feature on your handset. Wi-Fi Calling uses monthly plan minutes for the following:
Calls made from the US to US numbers
Calls made from the US to international numbers (subject to international rates)
Calls made from outside the US to US numbers (not charged roaming)
Calls made from outside the US to international numbers (subject to international rates, but not charged roaming)

Click to expand...

So it's not super helpful for what the OP needs.

Click to expand...

Oh yeah. I wasn't trying to say she should use it. Just pointing out that wifi calling does indeed exist now. I think it's relatively new.

Stumbled across this on T-Mo. (Is this if any interest to you?)

http://explore.t-mobile.com/phone-sim-card

There's a data usage calculator on this page, as well as a FAQ. I didn't look at either. (But I will, out of sheer curiosity later on)

Just saw this, thanks! I'll check it out tomorrow, I'm just about to head to bed - today has been exhausting. 

just curious- are you leaning toward any one decision? imho carriers need to be more sensitive to unique needs like the one you described

I just realized that with Tracfone, you can add money that doesn't expire for 90 days. Would that work for you?
The other option I thought about it straight talk. It uses multiple carrier towers so it has really good coverage.

alot of people love StraightTalk. after reading reviews about them, I now think of them as the 'faux "unlimited data" carrier because we're watching your usage like a hawk' carrier. LOL. sadly, they had to resort to monitoring and issuing warnings because folks abused their unlimited data plan.

nerdro I don't know if this helps - it's news from Canada http://mobilesyrup.com/2012/11/06/c...xt-and-internet-plans-launching-november-7th/

Did you decide? T-Mobile Gold Rewards PAYG minutes (highest level of 4 levels) will stay available for a full year (12 months) - but here in NYC, I give T Mobile's signal an average rating at best. A friend of mine who spends equal amounts of time in Washington DC and NYC says TMobile is the bane of his existence- so I ask him why don't you switch then? Some people hate change even if they unwittingly admit to needing a change or two! LOL