Are Verizon & Straight Talk the Same Carrier?
By Gisela Chavez
Cell phone contracts can be binding and restrictive for individuals who do not wish to commit to one provider for a long period of time. If your job situation is uncertain or you are planning on leaving the country, signing a long-term cell phone contract may not be in your best interest. Prepaid cell phone service allows users to stay connected without having to commit to a contract. Straight Talk is one of several prepaid wireless providers in the United States.
About Straight Talk
Straight Talk is a cell phone service provider offered at Wal-Mart retail stores. Straight Talk offers several contract-free cell phone options that allow users to pay for their service as they use it. Users may elect to pay for a 30-day service plan or a three-, six- or 12-month plan. Customers buy their cell phone and activate their service plan online or over the phone.
Straight Talk and Verizon
Straight Talk operates on the Verizon Wireless network because it does not have a wireless network of its own. Although Straight Talk uses the Verizon network, the providers are separate cell phone carriers. Buying service with Straight Talk does not mean that you have any direct affiliation with Verizon.
Advantages of Straight Talk
As a prepaid mobile phone service, Straight Talk customers do not have to worry about paying a monthly bill. Users may refill their credit as needed or stop using the service at any time without having to pay a cancellation fee. Straight Talk phones do not enter roaming mode when leaving a coverage area, so users will never incur roaming costs. For convenience, customers may elect to transfer their old cell phone number to Straight Talk as well.
Disadvantages of Straight Talk
Straight Talk does not offer international calling plans, so customers can only make national phone calls. Phone selection is not as expansive as with other mobile carriers, and Straight Talk phones tend to be more basic than high tech. Straight Talk is only usable in service areas within the coverage map.
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Writer Bio
Based in Colorado, Gisela Chavez has been writing and editing since 2004. Her editorial experience ranges from editing technical documents to editing for “The Bloomsbury Review.” She earned a professional writing certificate from the University of Colorado, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish.