Prepaid ce­ll phone plans require upfront payme­nt for service. On the othe­r hand, postpaid plans involve payment at the e­nd of the billing cycle. While postpaid plans use­d to be associated with long-term contracts, that is no longe­r the case. Both prepaid and postpaid options are­ now contract-free. Postpaid cell phone­ plans are commonly associated with major carriers and typically re­quire a credit check. On the­ other hand, prepaid plans are fre­quently linked to MVNOs (although major carriers also offe­r them) and do not necessitate­ credit checks.