As most of us know, cell phone companies ask for a deposit if your credit is bad, and if you don't want to pay the deposit you can't get a contract. T-Mobile has been a pioneer in keeping people with even the worst credit connected to those that matter most. First T-Mobile rolled out a Smart Access Plan that didn't ask for a deposit, they simply required that you pay your activation fee in store. The Smart Access Accounts limited what rate plans and features you could have, and also set your account up with a spending limit. Once you went over your minutes by so many or you had downloaded a certain ammount of games or ringtones your account was suspeneded before the balance got too high. 

Now after many problems and customer complaints about said accounts T-Mobile has decided to do away with that program. However, current subscribers won't be able to migrate to the new plans until the middle of 2008. 

Flex Pay is T-Mobile's answer for the credit challanged people of the world. With Flex Pay you do not pay a deposit, or an activation fee. You only pay for your rate plan up front every month, the cost of the phone at purchase, and a $5 a month controll charge. This account still limits features that you can have, but it doesn't limit your rate plan. Whats cool about this service is, unlike prepaid, you can get a discount on your handset, and you can get myfaves, night and weekends, mobile to mobile, data, and text for a regular price. 

The only down side to the plan is overage minutes. Once you use all of your anytime minutes the phone shuts off leaving you with only your myfaves and night and weekends. You have to go to a store to purchase a pre-paid refill card to obtain more anytime minutes. Also if you wish to download ringtones or games you must prepay for them at the store or over the phone with a credit card in ammounts of $10, $25, $50, or $100.