Well, this is quite the adventure...

AT&T (my carrier) wants a flat 29.95 per month for an additional phone.

Virgin mobile wants a minimum of $20 every 90 days. If the phone isn't used and the $$ value in the account reaches a $150 limit, then no more money can be deposited in the account. If no more money is deposited in the account every 90 days, the phone is placed in inactive status and 60 days later the account is terminated and the funds are forfeit.

Oh, there is no way to have the $20 auto debited from your credit card - you must contact Virgin one way or another.

Use it or loose it, as they say

Boost Mobile has a similar situation: $20 every 90 days to $300. Once the $300 is used, no more money can be added to the account. If money isn't added every 90 days the phone is placed in inactive status and terminated 60 days later.

Boost gave me the rationale that is costs them to buy phone numbers from the FCC (?).

They have the setup they do to deliberately terminate low usage users in the hopes of recycling the phone to someone who will use it more frequently. I'm not sure I buy this.

Boost, also, will not automatically debit your credit card.

Off to check with the TracPhone folks...

Thanks for the help!

birdstrike