Discussions

I make ~10 calls a month (and usually only for important stuff) but send many texts. What phone company would be the cheapest, most sensible choice for me?  
 
Though I've never personally done this before, I've heard you can buy phone minutes (say, $20 for 200 call minutes) which can save those who make few calls a significant amount of money. Does anyone know which phone company in Brandon is the best for this? And are there any who give you unlimited texts with your call minutes?  
 
Note that I have an iPhone already. I just need to take it somewhere to get it activated. The only question is: who to take it to? The options I know of are MTS (which I've had bad experiences with in the past and they're pretty overpriced when it comes to most of their services), Rogers (which I've never used but it seems like many complain about their service) and Westman (these guys actually seem well-liked—at least when it comes to their internet service).  
 
Thanks. Looking forward to reading your responses.

Pay as you go. $15 a month gets you unlimited text, plus either 100 or 200 anytime minutes, and free after 6pm and weekend calls. You can add data packs if you want as well.

The MTS $15 plan includes inbound texts, but not outbound (you can receive, but not send). You pay extra for sending texts, my husband has a $15 plan that I think gives him 1500 texts, and it rolls with the plan minutes each month.  
 
I'm having a similar quandry as the OP, I want a plan more or less just for texting. In addition to MTS and Rogers, there's also Telus, Bell and Virgin mobile. All have similar plans at about the $15 price point, some include texting and some don't. However, for reliability out in the boonies, MTS and Rogers seems to be it, although the others seem to be okay in town and along #1 highway.

https://mobility.petro-canada.ca/monthly-plan.aspx  
 
Base Plan  
$15  
 
25 Canada wide anytime minutes  
Unlimited Canada wide texting  
A monthly 911 Recovery Fee of $1.25 will be charged for 911 emergency access.

http://www.speakout7eleven.ca/prepaid-cell-phone-rates#value-plans  
 
100 Anytime Minutes  
Canada Talk  
 
FREE Canada Long Distance**  
 
Unlimited Canada/US text***  
 
FREE US Text  
 
FREE voicemail

I have MTS prepaid and like it as it only costs me $15 a month, and I never use all of that and if you do, you can just call a number give them your visa and add more time. When I got mine, I was told if you did not add every month, you would loose your accumulated minutes. I was away for three months and forgot all about it and checked and still had lots of minutes, so I did not loose them.  
 
I would check new prepaid plans. When I got my phone they said they were coming out with a plan for $100 year, so you would not have to add every month, not sure if that happened. I just put it in my outlook calendar a couple of days ahead of when I have to add the $15, so I don't forget. I got mine for working out of town, which I am no longer doing and my balance is up to $350.

Rogers has a $1oo plan where you get unlimited text messaging for a year and 100 anytime minutes. If you use up your minutes you can add more but the text messaging lasts for the whole year.  
 
MTS has a $100 plan where you need to buy a text messaging package but you do it out of that $100 dollars. It's 2500 texts for $15.00 and they are good for the year. If you run out you just buy another text plan out of your $100. Evening and weekends are unlimited calling...after 6pm I believe. And if you make calls during the day it comes off of the $100.  
 
One of my teenagers has the Rogers plan, she has never had any problem with her service. My other teenager has the MTS plan, at the beginning of July ALL of our MTS phones stopped working for 5 days, but the Rogers phoned still worked!!  
 
We picked who went where based on which company each phone was locked too, I didn't want to pay the $50 unlock fee. I feel each has pros and cons but in the end are very similar.

You can pay $100.00 plus taxes for a pay as you go MTS. It is cheaper than paying $15.00 per month. I believe it gives you 1200 outbound texts and unlimited inbound. Ask MTS for more details.

Great responses so far, folks. Thanks so much.  
 
Unless someone is to suggest something better, at this point I'm leaning most towards Rogers. I think I'll get the $100 plan and load up my phone with $25 in case I ever need it for extras.

MTS has a plan......$31.00 a month,unlimited texting,100 free minutes calling,free calling to any mts cell phone,free calling anywhere in canada after 6 pm.

MTS has a plan......$31.00 a month,unlimited texting,100 free minutes calling,free calling to any mts cell phone,free calling anywhere in canada after 6 pm.

trapper said "MTS has a plan......$31.00 a month,unlimited texting,100 free minutes calling,free calling to any mts cell phone,free calling anywhere in canada after 6 pm. "

it is actually 30 a month and only local calling is free.not anywhere in canada  
 
Edited by trapper , 2016-07-20 16:22:34