Making Sense of Cellular Phone Minutes

Cellular phones are different from your land-line home phone in that you'll need to determine in advance how many minutes you'll use in any given month. Deciding how many minutes you'll need and making sure you don't go over your allotted minutes is one of the trickiest parts of using a cellular phone.

The most common arrangement for cellular phones is a block minute plan. With a block minute plan, you'll pay a flat fee to purchase as set number of minutes each month. The disadvantage of this plan is that if you purchase 200 minutes per month, you'll be billed the same amount whether you actually talked for 199 minutes or 60 minutes.

Something that many new cellular phone users don't realize is that you'll also be charged to receive calls. If you're worried about going over your allotted minutes, it's best not to give out your phone number to any more people than absolutely necessary.

Like a prepaid calling card, all calls made on a block minute plan are rounded up to the nearest minute. If you call a friend and listen to a 30-second answering machine message, you'll be billed for one full minute. You'll also be charged for one full minute if there's a busy signal or no answer, although some block minute plans will only bill you if you let the phone ring more than three times.

With a block minute plan, going over your allotted minutes can quickly get expensive. You'll be charge a penalty rate for every additional minute you use. If you're not careful, this can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars a month in unnecessary charges. The best defense is to buy more minutes than you think you'll actually need and reduce your plan at a later date if necessary.

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Cellular-Phone-Solutions.com. He provides cellular phone plans, service and free cellular phones on his website that you can research in your pajamas.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Buying A Cell Phone ? Making Smart Choices

Whether you're buying your first cell phone, upgrading to a... Read More

Here Are Some Tips For Safe and Appropriate Use of Your Mobile Phones

Bought the latest in mobile phones? Can't wait to show... Read More

How Reliable are Cell Phones

Cellular phones and pagers are part of the "now" generation,... Read More

PDA Cell Phones - the New Generation of Wireless Phones

It's time you know what the latest technological gadget is.... Read More

Mobile Phone Unlocking

In the world today, you will but a phone, and... Read More

Ringtones Explained - Monophonic, Polyphonic, or Whatever Phonic Rings Your Bell

Downloadable Ring tones - The Latest TrendWhat can you say... Read More

Contemplating Selling Your Cell Tower Lease For A Lump Sum?

Many landowners who have leased land for a cell tower... Read More

Camera Cell Digital Phone

Camera cell digital phone - description.Camera cell digital phone is... Read More

Cordless Phone Systems

Cordless phone systems offer many features and are ideal for... Read More

Buying a Business Telephone System

When buying a new telephone system, it's absolutely vital to... Read More

Free Camera With Cell Phone

Free camera with cell phone - excellent deal.Getting a free... Read More

Cellular Phone Services & Bill Payment Services: The New Wave For Merchant Retailers

PREPAID CELLULAR TIMEPrepaid Cellular Are A Smart Choice!There are huge... Read More

Americans Catching on to Wireless Text Messaging

Once considered a teenage fad, text messaging popularity in the... Read More

Sorting Through Your Cellular Phone Options

Some people purchase a cellular phone for emergency use only,... Read More

Selecting a Cell Phone

More Than Just a PhoneSelecting a cell phone is no... Read More

Heres How Cell Phones Make Your Life Easier

Cell phones, the prepaid ones, are the great way to... Read More

Small Business Phone Systems ? A Brief Explanation

How a business presents itself to its customers has to... Read More

What Are Smart Phones And Do You Need One?

Smart phones are a combination of a cell phone and... Read More

Protect Yourself From Cell Phone Radiation

With cell phones quickly becoming an important part of our... Read More

Makes Cell Phones Ring at Airports

International Terrorist and insurgents to detonate bombs to kill innocent... Read More

Motorola Cellular Phone

Motorola cellular phone ? description.Motorola has a great selection of... Read More

Smartphones - Beyond Voice to Information and Entertainment

Investments in shares of wireless technology companies and wireless service... Read More

Choosing a Phone and Voice Mail System

Phone and voice mail systems can be pretty costly, even... Read More

The Telephone ? A Brief History

During the 1870's, two well known inventors both independently designed... Read More

The Different Cell Phone Accessories Available

Where do I start? Always start with the essentials. If... Read More

Prepaid Cell Phone Plans ? Are They For You?

Most Americans have cell phone plans with contracts that call... Read More

Ringtone Creation Software - Creating Raves or Waves?

Okay, so we all know that you can change the... Read More

How Successful Is 3G REALLY In The UK?

How successful is 3G REALLY in the UK? I'm getting... Read More

Short Messaging Service (SMS) for Enterprise Messaging

SMS for Enterprise Messaging ? Value added servicesShort message service,... Read More

Telephone Tips, Techniques and Etiquette

Whether using the telephone for business or personal use, using... Read More

Family Cell Phone Plans - Comparison Shopping To Help You Choose The Best Plan

With the myriad of cell phone plans that are available... Read More

What SMS Users Are Telling Telcos

The recent rollout of 3G-ready mobile devices has caused a... Read More

Cell Phone Plans ? Choices Abound!

The Future Is FlexibleGone are the days when the only... Read More