What is a cell phone "calling plan"?

What is a cell phone "calling plan"?

TJ McClearin (Business Manager, Infinity Wireless, LLC) gives expert video advice on: What factors should I consider when choosing a cell phone service provider?; Do I need to sign a long contract to get a good deal on a cell phone? and more...

With regards to cell phone service providers and calling plans, a cell phone "calling plan" is basically a bucket of minutes that you get every month that you can use on your cell phone. That bucket of minutes is calculated over a time frame between 7 A.M. and approximately 8 or 9 P.M. depending on the carrier. This is called peak usage in which you're billed; it comes out of your bucket of minutes. Your calling plan determines how many minutes you're able to use every month, some carriers allow you to take whatever's left over and apply it to next month, then bill the balance of minutes to pull from throughout the year.