With so much hype built up around pre paid cell phone service and the barrage of media attention and advertisements given to cell phone service providers, choosing which plan to go with can be mind boggling. Pre paid cell phone service allows for flexibility that you simply can't get with traditional cell phone providers.

Pre-paid cell phones don't require a contract. Whether you keep your cell phone or not is completely up to you. Most require a recharge once every thirty or ninety days in order to maintain the same cell phone number.

Pre paid cell phones allow an individual to budget less per month for their cell phone service. While pre paid cell phones tend to cost more per minute, someone who chooses to use it sparingly can make their minutes stretch for less each month.

Pre-paid cell phones are excellent for people with credit problems that have difficulty getting traditional cell phone service, although fewer companies are requiring credit checks, some still do and they can hamper a person's ability to purchase a cell phone service plan.

Pre paid cell phones are also an excellent choice for teenagers. They receive a cell phone allowance each month and it is impossible for them to run up a crazy cell phone bill. If they use all their allotted minutes in one week, then they learn to budget more carefully for the following month. Pre paid cell phone services teach teenagers responsibility and budgeting tactics, which are quite useful skills to have when they enter the real world.

Pre paid cell phones are a perfect choice for people in transition. Those who are only temporarily living in one area while waiting to move on to another area can avoid the issues of contracts and the hassle of getting their phone number changed once they land in their final destination.

Of course pre paid cell phones have their hang ups as well. You will lose the convenience of simply paying a bill and have to recharge the cell phone in order to continue using it, although most will allow you to use a credit or debit card in increments as low as $20. You will not have the option of being a little late on the cell phone bill when money gets tight since you have to pay for the service prior to utilizing it, but for some people that is a positive attribute.