Take a look at the link below for the full scoop:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/07/02/iphone-prepay-the-right-way/
But basically you can buy an iPhone, enter your SSN as 999-99-9999 to flunk the credit check, and have the wonderful world of prepaid opened to you. Or you can cancel the line after your first bill and have an ewber-kewl iPod, internet browser and generally lean and mean WiFi machine with nary a contract to be found.
The caveats?
1. You gotta use GoPhone's Pick Your Plan...with a $20 addon to get unlimited data (actually, that part's not bad) and Visual Voicemail. No Pay As You Go, and nothing good as far as rates go...200 minutes with the iPhone data ends up being $50 a month plus taxes and junk fees. And you gotta pay that to even get your phone activated.
2. Activation is a slightly rockier road than the oh-so-smooth contact experience. But hey, you wanted prepaid, right? And your iPhone can do just as much as everyone else's...everyone who's paying for their contact...
3. Texting ain't included on the GoPhone plans. So if you want to text (and not pay 15 cents per message for the privelage...texts decrement from the non-data-plan part of your bill) you either pay $5 for 200 texts or $20 (!) for unlimited.And with the iPhone you'll likely use a text or two more than usual, with its cool threaded chat feature...yech...
...and, worst of all for now...
4. EVERY time a call, text or data session is completed...including when the iPhone checks your email...you get a lovely little popup telling you how much your balance is and how much you've spent on that particular activity. Even if you've spent NOTHING. I was thinking more seriously about the iPhone due to its ability to go onto prepaid but until they get that debilitating bug (you can't do anything until you hit Dismiss to that evil dialog and it'll mess up all sorts of things that you're doing) fixed. Right now the only way to squash it is disabling text messaging...dang.
But hey, if you don't mind giving up beautiful texting (the iPhone can go onto the multiplatform web chat at Meebo.com so technically you can text thataway fo' free), don't mind high per-minute rates and don't mind shelling out big time for this modern marvel, you can definately get it contract-free.
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not any more can iphone be a gophone - tried the 999-99-9999 and was told my activation needs additional time to process and i'll receive an email. i did. it said:
AT&T is now processing your activation.
You will receive an email confirmation once your activation is complete.
then another that said:
Additional information required to activate your iPhone
Please call AT&T at 877-800-3701 to complete your activation.
Refer to your Activation ID when calling. ID # XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Called a nice tired sounding woman who said I had entered all 9's as my SSN and she'd need the SSN to complete. I explained that I didn't want to use my SSN and she said I needed to visit store and have it validated....I said I wanted to use what my coworker called pick your plan or gophone....she said I'll need to call standard ATT CC @ 800 331 0500
So unless I f'd up and did it wrong, the party's over. Anyone have similar failure or success RECENTLY.
I'll let y'all know how it works out from here on out, but I may be out $50
Hate to disagree Matt, but you can still sign up as a Gohone if you desire. just use your REAL SS#, ATT will approve your credit for a regular lan and offer you the option to GoPhone if you desire.
Plans start at $49.95 + Taxes
200 Minutes talk time, 200 SMS, unlimited data/browsing/email....
Works great.
Quick question then here -
I got my iphone yesterday and was going to go the prepay way about activating it and then perhaps cracking it for tmobile.
I am, right now, at the choose your prepay account page in itunes. It won't let me even activate it? Would I be able if it does activate, use it as a fancy ipod and wifi still or not? Thanks for the help I don't want to get ripped 50 bucks.
I have used my iphone on a go phone account since I bought it in July. It costs me 80 bucks a month total. That includes unlimited internet, and the upgraded unlimited text messaging plan. I don't get as many night and weekend minutes as I would like, but everything rolls over and I have never gone over or needed to add more air time. I text more than I talk though. Overall, for 80 bucks a month, which is what I was paying for my previous blackberry pearl per month, I don't see the big deal. It is an iphone for god sakes, and is way worth it!
Hey there...
I think I got a better way of getting gophone on your iphone. Especially, if you already are using an gophone number.
Here is the deal.
Go to Walmart and purchase a disposable gophone and purchase a pick your plan option, which is much better than the offers on the gophone iphone activation screen.
If you already have a gophone number and want to keep it. Then keep it.
All you do is go through the iphone activation as a new AT&T customer and punch in your personal information and for your social security number, just make up a number 565-99-5477 because 999-999-9999 is no longer an available feature. Your credit will be declined and the gophone option will apear. Hopefully, at this point you already have a number and a plan. In this case just chose the lowest offer and continue and you will get a message that states:
You phone requires more time for activation. We will email you as soon as your iphone is activated.
At this point don't freak out.
Wait for an hour and an email will arrive stating:
You're iphone has been actived your new mobile number is 665-999-9999 (which should be the number you already have been using). It will tell you to continue in order to set up a monthly payment. Go ahead and click continue.
At this point you will be taken to a screen reflecting a balance per say of 1.50 left on your gophone, which should be the amount of money you had before activating the iphone. That is it. No new plan was added to your gophone account. You keep the same gophone plan and number at no changes to you. That's right.
You might want to dial 611 and add the iphone unlimited feature for 19.99 and enjoy your iphone my friends. When there is a will, there is a way.
How can i convert my normally paid iphone to a gophone acct? It is on my buddys plan right now and he cant keep the bill paid. It gets turned off every month. So I was thinking i would just put it on a gophone plan. Is this possible? I do have a gophone as well.
Thanks,
Dave
Unfortunately times have changed and you can no longer, to my knowledge, put an iPhone on GoPhone. You can try swapping SIMs and seeing if the service works, but it may tack on a $30 data plan in orderr to get everything working. Also, there's your buddy's contract (or what's left of it) to deal with...
Im not as concerned about the gophone plan fees as i am about it just working. My buddys an idiot and cant keep the bill paid, so i need to do something. He knows my phone helps alot with my business. Cant get my own plan because of my ex.
Thanks,
Dave
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