Yeah, that's what I was inferring when I asked what your alternatives were. Think of this though: If you're going to pay $x per month anyway for service, most phone companies are happy to offset the value of a handset for you for anywhere up to $600, so think about getting some value for your monthly payments. If you prefer prepay, aren't sure you want to stay with the same carrier, or need very little credit per month, than avoiding a new handset and contract makes sense.