Old Crow
Searching....
We don't have a smartphone but like to have access to the internet for email, weather reports, news, reservations, policies, etc. when we travel. We make and receive so few telephone calls that it didn't seem to make sense to get a smartphone (not to mention one for each of us). So we do Tracfones for voice and an iPad with pre-paid (and temporary) access to the cell phone system for our internet access.
Let me apologize in advance if the following info is old news to many but I'm thinking it may be helpful to readers who may not be familiar with how this works.
One of the features I like about my iPad (iPad2 w Verizon cellular connection) is that I can pay for the cellular connection a month (or a day) at a time and then just revert back to wi-fi-only use after my return home.
Just before departure (or when I first want to use the iPad) I buy a 30-day increment, usually 2 or 4 GB. That automatically signs me up for auto-renew a month later. However, I can 'cancel' at any time during that month and the remainder of my time and data capacity will still be there until the end of the 30 day period (or use of the capacity). Note that the word 'cancel' in this case doesn't mean "cut off my cellular connection" but rather "cut off automatic purchase of another 30-day increment".
I always cancel because the iPad will tell me when I've run out of capacity or my time is up. I can then decide how much additional capacity to buy, if any, according to my plans at that time. In practice, I keep an eye on capacity by logging on to my account occasionally. That helps me see what my usage pattern is and decide how much to buy next time.
Current prices are 300MB for a day for $5 (and that one doesn't auto-renew), 1 GB for $20, 2 GB for $30, 4 GB for $40, 6 GB for $50, 10 GB for $80. There were no taxes or other fees added on. When I bought 4 GB, for example, my credit card was charged $40.
Note that the prices tend to encourage you to buy up to get more capacity for your dollar. On the other hand, it's a use-it-or-lose it deal. That data capacity does not roll over. Regardless of how little of it you've used, the remainder is zeroed out at the end of the 30 days.
Verizon assigns an account and a phone number to the iPad and warns that your account will expire after five months of non-use. I assume that just means you'd have to set up a new account if you exceed that. In our case, the longest we've gone between purchases is about four months.
Mistakes I've made include: (1) Forgot to cancel the first time I tried it and was auto-renewed a week after I returned home (2) bought capacity just before heading out on a trip to an area with very poor Verizon coverage.
-OC
PS- Please note that this is how my iPad2/Verizon has worked for me as recently as April, 2015. I worry that over time Apple or Verizon has or will change policies and I will have misled you. I'm also not sure this is how it works for all iPads nor for other carriers.
Let me apologize in advance if the following info is old news to many but I'm thinking it may be helpful to readers who may not be familiar with how this works.
One of the features I like about my iPad (iPad2 w Verizon cellular connection) is that I can pay for the cellular connection a month (or a day) at a time and then just revert back to wi-fi-only use after my return home.
Just before departure (or when I first want to use the iPad) I buy a 30-day increment, usually 2 or 4 GB. That automatically signs me up for auto-renew a month later. However, I can 'cancel' at any time during that month and the remainder of my time and data capacity will still be there until the end of the 30 day period (or use of the capacity). Note that the word 'cancel' in this case doesn't mean "cut off my cellular connection" but rather "cut off automatic purchase of another 30-day increment".
I always cancel because the iPad will tell me when I've run out of capacity or my time is up. I can then decide how much additional capacity to buy, if any, according to my plans at that time. In practice, I keep an eye on capacity by logging on to my account occasionally. That helps me see what my usage pattern is and decide how much to buy next time.
Current prices are 300MB for a day for $5 (and that one doesn't auto-renew), 1 GB for $20, 2 GB for $30, 4 GB for $40, 6 GB for $50, 10 GB for $80. There were no taxes or other fees added on. When I bought 4 GB, for example, my credit card was charged $40.
Note that the prices tend to encourage you to buy up to get more capacity for your dollar. On the other hand, it's a use-it-or-lose it deal. That data capacity does not roll over. Regardless of how little of it you've used, the remainder is zeroed out at the end of the 30 days.
Verizon assigns an account and a phone number to the iPad and warns that your account will expire after five months of non-use. I assume that just means you'd have to set up a new account if you exceed that. In our case, the longest we've gone between purchases is about four months.
Mistakes I've made include: (1) Forgot to cancel the first time I tried it and was auto-renewed a week after I returned home (2) bought capacity just before heading out on a trip to an area with very poor Verizon coverage.
-OC
PS- Please note that this is how my iPad2/Verizon has worked for me as recently as April, 2015. I worry that over time Apple or Verizon has or will change policies and I will have misled you. I'm also not sure this is how it works for all iPads nor for other carriers.
, not WiFi. I remember connecting to the Internet while at Hart Mt. NWR back in the day...
