Monthly Plans:  

Unlimited Plan

When it comes to unlimited monthly service plans among Prepaid Cell Phone providers, Boost Mobile sets the bar high and no one else quite gets over it. In fact, this is one of a very few plans that people who have traditionally used post-paid, contract based cellular service might consider it. Boost Mobile’s $50 Monthly Unlimited Plan features unlimited domestic voice calling including long distance, unlimited text messaging including multimedia messages (picture, video and audio), and unlimited wireless web surfing. It even includes unlimited, nationwide Push-to Talk between other users of Boost or users of Sprint and Nextel. Push-to-talk is the walkie-talkie feature that gives instant communication between an individual or group of users. Though the function is available from several wireless providers, Sprint/Nextel is the dominant provider in this arena and, given that Sprint/Nextel owns Boost, it’s not a big surprise that it is featured prominently.

In the world of wireless pricing plans, the word unlimited is often tossed about a bit too loosely. There’s almost always a caveat or two in the fine print. This plan comes about as close to genuinely unlimited as any we’ve reviewed. It even includes the telecom taxes that typically add a couple of bucks to a plan’s quoted monthly fees. The only add-ons that you could run into with Boost’s Monthly Unlimited plan are if you place international long distance calls or want to use international push-to-talk and texting. For an additional $10 monthly, there’s an International Connect feature which provides unlimited international Push-to-Talk and text messaging. Otherwise, sending international texts cost $.10 each though receiving them is free.

Usage Based Plans:  

Daily Plans

Boost Mobile has a Daily Chat & Text plan which compare favorably to other providers’ daily plans with one notable detractor. The plan is $1 per day plus $.10 for every minute of airtime used. So far, so good. The $.10 fee applies to all calls, local and long distance and there’s no roaming charge. That one detractor is that the $1 daily fee applies whether you use the service or not. Most other providers’ plans charge the fee only on days that the phone is used…but they have other limitations that may still make this the best plan for you. As always, we encourage comparison to see which one best fits your unique requirements.

In addition to voice calling, this daily plan includes unlimited text (SMS) messaging. Multimedia messages (MMS) are $.25 each to send or receive and mobile web is available for $.35 daily. That also is for unlimited usage but the fee is charged every day whether the web is used or not. You can, however, cancel the web feature at any time and still remain on the Daily Chat & Text program. Push-to-talk is also available for $1 per day but that charge only applies on days that PTT is actually used.

Pay-as-You-Go

If you’re like most people and have never used a pre-paid cellular provider, pay-as-you-go is likely the payment option that immediately comes to mind. You charge an account with a given amount of airtime and the account is only charged for minutes as they are used. When you run low on time, you simply buy more time or, in Boost’s terminology, re-boost it. Boost’s pay-as-you-go plan is $.10 per minute for all calls. Like other providers, the airtime runs out if you don’t use it. You must recharge your account at least every 90 days to keep it active. If your balance gets to zero, you have 60 days to add money to keep the account open. You can make additions manually or use the Auto Re-Boost feature by registering a credit or debit card or checking account that is charged a designated amount automatically when your balance drops below $5.

With the pay-as-you-go option, Boost charges $.10 for SMS messages, $.25 for MMS messages and $.35 daily for wireless web. As with the daily plan, once used, the wireless web fee is charged every day, regardless of usage but you can deactivate it any time you choose. Push-to-talk is also available on this plan for $1 per day on days that the feature is used.