Prepaid phones are a great way to get the convenience of a cell phone without the hassle of a lengthy contract. Cingular prepaid (now called AT&T) GoPhones offer Pay As You Go and Pick Your Plan prepaid payment options and a variety of phone models, making them a popular choice for prepaid phones. While many third party vendors sell Cingular prepaid phone minutes and refills, Cingular (AT&T) is the most reliable and cost effective location to buy a Cingular Prepaid phone.
Instructions
1. Locate your nearest Cingular (AT&T) store on the AT&T Wireless website. While it is possible to purchase a prepaid phone at third party retailers like Walmart, but buying your cell phone through Cingular is the only way to take advantage of the rebates and discounts that Cingular offers.
2. Purchase a prepaid phone. If you are buying your prepaid phone from a Cingular store, ask the clerk which models are available for prepaid cell phone plans. If you are looking to save a few dollars, ask if they have any refurbished phones available or if any models come with prepaid credits with purchase.
3. Check online. If the store you visit does not have the model or rebates that you are looking for, consider ordering your prepaid phone online by logging onto wireless.att.com and selecting "Get GoPhone." You will have to wait longer to receive and activate your phone, but the website has a larger selection: over 100 new and refurbished prepaid phone models available some of which come with a prepaid credit of up to $50. Plus, Cingular features many "online only" deals.
4. Decide which prepaid program you want to join. Cingular offers two prepaid phone options. "Pay As You Go" charges you for usage either by the minute, per day of access to the network, or a combination of the two. "Pick Your Plan" allows you to buy a certain number of minutes and services each month, similar to a monthly contract plan.
5. Activate your phone. If you are purchasing the phone at a Cingular store, the clerk will do it for you. However, if you purchased your phone online you will need to log on to the Cingular Wireless page, select "Prepaid Go Phone" and then "Activate Account."
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