TracFone

TracFone Wireless or TracFone is a wireless provider that provides prepaid wireless service. The service allows one to buy minutes to use on the cell phone at various prices. The company is a subsidiary of Latin American wireless provider América Móvil. more...

It is formerly known as Topp Telecom.

They offer new and refurbished cell phones by Nokia and Motorola due a licensing agreement with TracFone. The cell phones sold consist of digital models, although analog phones were available at one time. Depending on your region, TracFone works in a GSM, TDMA, or CDMA network. TracFone does not build its own wireless network but "resells" wireless service from other providers. GSM phones typically use the Cingular Wireless and T-Mobile nationwide networks, while the TDMA phones (which are in the process of being phased out) mostly use some portion the Cingular TDMA network. CDMA phones are usually based either on the Verizon Wireless Wireless network, or on Alltel.

The phones and cards can be picked up at various stores around the country and some online stores such as their own and Amazon.com. Cards come in denominations of 40 (US$19.99), 100 (US$29.99), 200 (US$49.99), and 400 (US$79.99) airtime minutes which extend the active service by 60 days. There is also a card for 150 minutes + 1 year of active service (US$89.99), and another that provides 300 minutes + 1 year active service during which period minutes from other cards are doubled (e.g. a 100 minute card provides 200 minutes service, US$129.99).

Its popularity is due in part to the Refer-A-Friend program where existing user can refer new user for the TracFone service. Upon activation of the new TracFone service, both the existing and new users will each get 100 minutes free.

The way it works is pretty simple. The minutes are programmed directly into the phone by entering codes into it. You typically use one unit per minute of telephone time. Text messages cost .3 units to send, depending upon the phone model used.

Read more at Wikipedia.org