By: Chris Brubaker
It’s been 15 years now since text messaging first started (see Text Messaging Turns 15) and the number of text sent per user has grown substantially each year. With the increase in texting, many wireless customers are looking towards subscription plans to help keep costs down, by the end of 2006, 50 percent of wireless customers were subscribing to a text messaging plan. With half of all cell users purchasing a texting plan, the question becomes, pay per text or buy a bulk plan?
Text Messaging Plans
When looking to buy a plan cell providers offer users a set number of text messages per month at a discounted rate per text. The more text messages you buy the cheaper the message is per text.
Example: T-Mobile offers 400 text messages for $5.00 a month, that’s about $0.01 per text
Here’s a list of the top Carriers in the US and their text messaging plans:AT&T Wireless – 200 text messages for $10.00 a month
Verizon Wireless – 500 text messages for $10.00 a month
Sprint – 200 text messages for $5.00 a month
AllTel – 300 text messages for $6.00 a month
T-Mobile – 400 text messages for $5.00 a month
Pay Per Text
This option allows you to decide how much you pay each month, as you only pay for how many text messages you actually send and receive. The major difference here is that there is a set price no matter how many text messages you send or receive, no discount for a lot of messaging.
Example: Send and Receive 20 text messages in one month will cost you $3.00 (0.15 per text)
Send and Receive 200 text messages in one month will cost you $30.00 (0.15 per text)
Here’s a list of the top Carriers in the US and their pay per text messaging rates:
AT&T Wireless – $0.15
Verizon Wireless - $0.15
Sprint – $0.20
AllTel – $0.15
T-Mobile – $0.15
The key to successfully managing and picking a text-messaging plan is paying for what you use and that’s it. Carriers bulk text messaging plans start at $5 or $10 that’s 33 and 66 text messages
respectively if you are on an average pay per text plan. If you’re not a heavy user than pay per text is a great option, doing the math on how many texts you send per month will allow you to pick the best option for you. Don’t get pushed into a text messaging plan if you’re not going to use the texts and don’t get caught with a lot of pay per texts as your wallet will suffer at the end of the month.
P.S. – Not all texts are equal, premium text messaging services can cost upwards of $1 per text (which usually consist of multimedia such as photos, and music), so read the fine print when using a text messaging service.
(just a little FYI HouseFront’s text messaging service is free, only standard text messaging rates apply)
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