Calling plans include a specific home calling area. Fees for calls made outside this area, known as roaming charges, are higher. Consumers need to scrutinize the wireless provider's home calling area and select a service plan that includes low-cost calls for the area they will be calling most often. Some plans offer a prepaid option for consumers who want to control costs by paying in advance for a set amount of calling minutes. These plans are good for consumers with poor credit, on fixed incomes, teenagers and college students.
Customers using prepaid plans pay higher per-minute calling charges.
Consumers also need to consider the differences in contracts offered by wireless providers. Many plans charge cancellation fees if a customer wants to switch to another provider before the contract expires. Contracts can run from one to three years. Consumers should ask whether the provider will switch them without charge to another lower-cost plan provided by the company if their wireless usage changes during the course of the contract or they want to cancel or add more features. Chesky, for example, would like to have a service plan that includes Internet access, but her current two-year plan does not have that feature.