• Tracfone allows customers to avoid cell service contractual obligations.Piotr Stryjewski/Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  Tracfone was one of the first cell phone companies to recognize that a large group of Americans were either financially unable or unwilling to commit to the long-term, multi-year contracts required by most major vendors. Employing an entirely different business model, Tracfone offers a pay-as-you-go approach that allows those on limited incomes or with very low need for air time minutes to still enjoy the security of constant contact. With a variety of air time purchase options, there's something for everyone.
  
  

Service Date

• Amidst all the information blitz coming at a first time visitor to the Tracfone website, it's easy to have questions about how the whole thing works. Keep in mind that, to use the phone, you must purchase air time by the minute, which you can do online, using your Tracfone, or at stores like Walmart or Dollar General. To keep your phone operational, pay attention to the service date. Each time you add minutes to your phone, it extends the service date by a particular period of time, normally 60 to 90 days. Even if you never use your phone, the service date will expire at the appointed time and the phone won't work until you add more minutes. This has the effect of requiring even very low volume air time users to add at least a modest amount of minutes every few months.
  
  

Air Time Increments

• As of 2010, Tracfone's air time cards can be purchased in increments of 60 minutes ($19.99), 120 minutes ($29.99), 200 minutes ($39.99), or 450 minutes ($79.99). Any of these cards extends your service date by 90 days. Tracfone also offers a few additional permutations of the basic air time purchase. For $19.99 you can buy a "double air time" card that does exactly what it says--doubles your air time on any future regular air time purchases. For $99.99 you can buy a 400-minute card that comes with a full year of service, as opposed to the regular 400-minute card with 90 days. And for $119.99 you can buy Tracfone's Double Minutes for Life of Your Tracfone, which includes 800 minutes of air time, 365 days of service, and double minutes on future air time purchases as long as you use that particular Tracfone.
  
  

Value Plans

• With a slight twist of the business model, Tracfone has introduced several monthly billing air time plans that include prepaid minutes. Unlike other cell carriers, there is no contractual commitment for a certain number of months. Your basic options are either the Individual Plan or the Family Value Plan, beginning at $9.99 monthly and going up to $29.99. Value plan enrollees can purchase additional minutes in bundles of 50 or 100. According to Disabled World, an even less expensive option is available for those who qualify as low income. The program, sponsored by Tracfone, is called Safelink and offers up to 250 free minutes per month, as well as 911 and 411 service, and access to additional features on demand.