Prepaid Queston: Top Up?

This probably isn't the most intelligent question, I'm sorry.
I'm currently trying to decide if I should buy my first cell phone [considering a Prepaid Much Music phone from, obviously, Rogers]

They talk about two different plans; I understand all that.
I'd go for the Evenings&Weekends plan. But they talk about a required minimum $20 "Top Up".
This doesn't make much sense to me. If it's pay as you go... what could they do if you don't pay until you need the minutes, may that be in a month or longer? What happens, exactly?
Talk to me like I'm an idiot, alright? I need to know as much as possible. [I'm debating with a very stubborn mother ]

or... is Rogers not the way to go for prepaid? I really want the Much Music phone But.. I mean, it's not essential.

Thank you so much in advance!

---

› See More: Prepaid Queston: Top Up?

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 4.01; Windows CE; PPC; 240x320))

If you don't top up for a month your balance expires and you are not able to make or receive calls until you do.

The one exception to this is if you buy the $100 card it will not expire for an entire year (works out to $8.33 per month)

Hi AutumnDream ... if you don't put another card on before the 30 day expiry date, all of your existing minutes ($) expires. Many people just go with a $10 card and then keep adding each month so if you don't use your phone very often, your minutes will just keep adding up. That being said, if you forget even once to add your new card before the deadline, then you lose all your banked minutes.

If you want the evenings and weekends plan, then you need a minimum $20 card every month and it is Rogers way of giving you a better rate for those times because they know that you will be paying at least $20 every month to stay on that plan.

Again, if you go $20 it is pretty good because you might pay more per minute than on a plan, but you can quit anytime, you have potential to save your minutes up (if you keep adding a card every 30 days or less) and you don't have to pay system access or 911 fees.

Hope this helps a bit.

Cheers!

One correction, you still pay for 911 fees, $0.50 a month.

I use that $100/365 days voucher, it works out the same as my old Virgin Mobile rates. There was no point in me buying a new CDMA phone with Virgin when I could get an unlocked GSM and enjoy the same rates.