Cheapest prepaid plan for local calling?

[lachdanan]

I use rogers for 5 years now, and I don't want to pay $40 every month when I use very little. I don't have a smartphone.

All I want is to pay as low as possible. For instance if I don't call anyone or no one calls me for a month, I want to pay as low as possible. I assume pre-paid is the way to go. I have never used prepaid plans before but you have to buy minimum credit every month right? If so, this credit is added to what you have when you do that, right? It doesn't reset the credits every month.

Recently I saw this post here:
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/wind-prepaid-6mnths-unltd-e-w-free-incom-calls-10-cred-gowell-phone-59-a-1196734/

Do you guys think this is the best there is now?

Can I use another phone instead of theirs and not have to buy the phone?




Cheers :D

[Areyounoob]

I'm currently with Rogers Pay as you Go with this set up:
-Pay By The Minute: All Day Plan: $0.25/minute for first 5 minutes of the day and $0.15/minute for the rest of the day)
-$5 Text Messages Add on: 250 outgoing text messages at $0.02 per text message sent and all incoming text messages are free
-$10 Data Add on: 100 MB of Data per month.
-I make outgoing calls via Skype via Data. When I'm at home I use Wifi. I have my Skype Caller ID set to my cellphone number so it pops up on their phones as my number. Calls to Canada via Skype are $0.027/minute and have a $0.049 connection fee.
Note that I only make calls if I have to. Messaging is moderate as you can see with the Text messaging add on, though I rarely pass 100 messages per month. Data is only used for checking emails and status updates on Facebook, Twitter, and calls if needed. Skype credit lasts for 180 days since the last call/text.

Yes, you can always find penny pinching alternatives. There are plenty of applications like TextMe Plus and HeyWire that offer free texting and calling as well. I'd use TextMe Plus for texting strangers, BST posts, etc. If you have a Google Voice account you could hook it up to a SIP provider and IPKall to make free calls to the USA and Canada without touching any of your credit.

[NEMESIS_2008]

Use speak out wireless. I it has a 365 day expiry.

[bstevenhaagen]

Check out WIND if your in a wind zone. If not, try TELUS. Love their service...both are 20cents/min for calls but with wind you get free incoming calls, even free Facebook/news/weather...and it's on prepaid

[lachdanan]

Thanks alot guys.

@Areyounoob:

How much is that? The website says $1 daily? That's not much cheaper then.

@NEMESIS_2008:

I will get more info about it. Is that what you use?

@bstevenhaagen:

Wind seems good. Free incoming is very good. Do I have to buy their phone though?

Also with prepaids, can I keep my rogers number?

[acemobile]

Wind mobile is not available in Montreal.

I don't know if Speakout is available in Montreal either.

View SpeakOut's phone coverage maps to your right. Prepaid phones and airtime are available for purchase at 7-Eleven stores all across Canada, excluding Quebec. And yes, you can buy SpeakOut online too. Even if your name is Jean-Marc.
http://www.speakout7eleven.ca/support/coverage

Public Mobile $19 for unlimited calling is pretty good (available in Montreal) and the other option might be Petro Canada mobile. Will have to confirm if Petro Canada is available in Quebec.
The other option is buying a $100 card and topping up, it will be good for 1 year with Rogers prepaid.

[dlseeker]

You you are a very light user you can stay with Rogers with their prepaid evening & weekend plan: 1 cent per minute 8PM to 8AM and all weekend long, 39 cents per minute day time, or the 25cent / 15 cent plan recommended earlier if you have a lot of daytime use. On any of their prepaid plans you can get a $100 voucher that lasts for a year.

The nuisance with Rogers prepaid is that they charge you for all voice mail activity including receiving calls and checking your VM even if you do it from a land line. If someone calls you and it goes to VM you will be charged for 1 minute even if they hang up and do not leave a message, to add insult to injury you may get a VM notification and be charged another minute to hear a non existing message. You can always opt out of VM if it's not important to you.

[Areyounoob]

Thanks alot guys.

@Areyounoob:

How much is that? The website says $1 daily? That's not much cheaper then.
their phone though?

Also with prepaids, can I keep my rogers number?

Ahh my bad it's Pay By The Minute: All Day. $0.25/minute for first 5 minutes of the day and $0.15/minute for the rest of the day)

You can keep your Rogers number. Call Rogers and tell them you want to switch to Rogers Prepaid and make it clear that you want to keep your number. I did this two months ago and it's easy. You'll have to pay your contract termination fee though, however much it is.

[calling all humans]

For those still looking, Hard to beat 7-11 Speakout because for as little as $25 you can get 365 days of service. If you pay $100 on most of the other plans from other companies you can get the 365 days also, but then you're paying just shy of $10 per month which sucks for what you're asking about.

[MontrealPost]

Don't think Rogers offers 1 cent per minute anymore, would appreciate if u will reconfirm the 1 cent/min.
Thanks in advance!

You you are a very light user you can stay with Rogers with their prepaid evening & weekend plan: 1 cent per minute 8PM to 8AM and all weekend long, 39 cents per minute day time, or the 25cent / 15 cent plan recommended earlier if you have a lot of daytime use. On any of their prepaid plans you can get a $100 voucher that lasts for a year.

The nuisance with Rogers prepaid is that they charge you for all voice mail activity including receiving calls and checking your VM even if you do it from a land line. If someone calls you and it goes to VM you will be charged for 1 minute even if they hang up and do not leave a message, to add insult to injury you may get a VM notification and be charged another minute to hear a non existing message. You can always opt out of VM if it's not important to you.

[SophiaB]

Sure does, MontrealPost, see http://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-products/plans?cm_sp=wireless-_-pay_as_you_go-_-plans_banner#,Tabset1--3
You need to top up $100 (valid for a whole year) or $20 (valid for one month) to switch to the "Talk Evenings and Weekends" plan.
You pay 1 cent in the evenings and weekends, and 39 cents per minutes at all other times.

[MontrealPost]

Thank u so much SophiaB!! Thank dlseeker also for sharing experience!!! I did hear about the 1 cent but couldn't find it on Rogers web and thought it's old plan. I find it now!!

I'm planning to get a mobile during next good sales, Sept or x'Mas. Questions:
1. Rogers TEXT is pain in the u know where, possibility to "turn off SMS"?
2. What good sales were there on Rogers prepaid? Something to look forward to, he!
(Many years ago, they did give out buy $100, get $100, didn't see it in last few years.)
3. Rumors in WIND going East, anything for Montreal??

[SophiaB]

Hi again MP, I don't know the answer to all your question, but I'll try:
1. I'd really suggest taking the $3 text plan. It will give you unlimited incoming texts, plus 20 outgoing. If you don't want that, and receive SMS SPAM, you'll get your 25 cents back - but I don't think you can switch it off altogether
2. Don't think they do now, though you may get 25% extra sometimes
3. I wouldn't keep your hopes up of Wind coming to Quebec ever, but what do I know... bigger miracles have happened :D

[MontrealPost]

Good morning Sophia and all Red Flaggers,

1. "(if)receive SMS SPAM, you'll get your 25 cents back" - I assume that's if one calls Rogers CS.

2. "You need to top up $100 (valid for a whole year) or $20 (valid for one month) to switch to the "Talk Evening and Weekends" plan." - IN CASE I ~"buy someone's Rogers Prepaid balance from web", can I assume that as long as balance is more than $20 with more than 1 month expiry, I can switch to 1cent plan from whichever Talk All Day or Talk Anytime plan the original owner has? Or it depends on the last top up $ that original owner used? Or cannot change plan all together.

3. "may get 25% extra sometimes" - how does those sales look, buy $100 voucher get $25 extra?

I searched old postings on Rogers promotion on this web sit, didn't see anything ~25%. Thanks to whoever suggested buying Topup voucher from Loblaws on "no tax day".

[peteryorkuca]

If you don't use the phone for months at the time, go with something even cheaper.

http://www.speakout7eleven.ca/

$25 gives you 365days of service life. and if you are worrying about your current number, all you need to do is port in your rogers number to them.

[SophiaB]

Good morning Sophia and all Red Flaggers,

1. "(if)receive SMS SPAM, you'll get your 25 cents back" - I assume that's if one calls Rogers CS.

2. "You need to top up $100 (valid for a whole year) or $20 (valid for one month) to switch to the "Talk Evening and Weekends" plan." - IN CASE I ~"buy someone's Rogers Prepaid balance from web", can I assume that as long as balance is more than $20 with more than 1 month expiry, I can switch to 1cent plan from whichever Talk All Day or Talk Anytime plan the original owner has? Or it depends on the last top up $ that original owner used? Or cannot change plan all together.

3. "may get 25% extra sometimes" - how does those sales look, buy $100 voucher get $25 extra?

I searched old postings on Rogers promotion on this web sit, didn't see anything ~25%. Thanks to whoever suggested buying Topup voucher from Loblaws on "no tax day".

Here a few more answers and thanks for the thanks, MP :)

1. You can report SMS spam by sending a message, from Roger's website:


Protection for Text Messaging SPAM
For protection against unsolicited and unwanted “spam” text messages, send us a text message with the 10-digit wireless number of the spam message to 7726 (SPAM). We will credit your account $0.15 for each reported SPAM message and it’s free to report SPAM. Premium messages (i.e. alerts, contests and promotions) that you have prompted will not be credited. You will not be charged for administrative (such as roaming, data alerts and service messages) or marketing messages that you receive from Rogers and therefore, those messages are not eligible for a credit.

Source: https://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-text/wt_rtm (Note: when I was still with Rogers prepaid, I was refunded the full 25 cents, this is an old page)

2. Your best option is top up with $100, then your weekend plan will be active for the full 360 days or until you top up again. If you top up with $20, after a month your plan will revert to the standard prepaid plan unless you top up with another $20, meaning you'd have to spend $20x12=$240 instead of $100 per year.

3. Yes, though I'm not sure when was the last time they had this bonus. The best they are offering right now is "Top up to win" (https://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-products/paygo_back2u?cm_sp=wireless-_-top_up_to_win-_-en-0412-_-lower_badge-slot1) which gives you perks for staying with Rogers, topping up automatically, etc... but it's 10% at best...

[MontrealPost]

To lachdanan, "The Cheapest prepaid plan for local calling" really depends on your needs. Just came across a really good answer from another post: http://forums.redflagdeals.com/pay-you-go-plan-1332327/

There are still several answers possible.

The cheapest yearly top up is Speakout for $25, per minute you pay 25 cents.
As already mentioned the cheapest data plan is $5, but you'll ONLY get 10MB per month.
Cheapest texting is Rogers for $3, that includes 20 messages

None will get you very far as minutes, data and texts are concerned, but they are the Cheapest in their sort... you really need to specify your needs in order to get recommendations suitable for YOU :D

If you are looking for overall VALUE, I'd recommend none of these. I'd probably recommend Koodo for that, but you'd definitely spend much more on a monthly basis... it all depends on your intended use.

Oopppss . . . . just realize that this posting was started in July 2012 . . . . . well, hope this will help someone else . . . .