DETROIT – Comcast Thursday announced Michigan will be one of five states where it offers pay-as-you-go plans for Xfinity TV and Internet services, as well as prepaid wireless plans. Both will let people who do not have checking or savings accounts to pay for these digital services as needed.
The offers are only available for consumers and not businesses, a Comcast spokesman said.
Available soon will be Xfinity Prepaid Services is a pay-as-you-go offering that lets people sign-up for TV or Internet service and “refill” their subscription any time they would like, for either seven or 30 days. The TV and Internet services, which come without a credit check or contract, will be available later this year starting in Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Florida and Indiana and offered everywhere within the Comcast footprint by the end of 2017.
Boost Mobile will offer Xfinity Prepaid at select Boost Mobile locations later this year and all 4,400 Boost Mobile locations within Comcast’s service area by the end of next year.
People who do not have a savings or checking account, what the FDIC refers to as “unbanked,” might be especially interested in Xfinity Prepaid Services, the company said in a press release. According to the FDIC, nearly 10 million U.S. households are unbanked and another 25 million are underbanked.
“We want to create an easy, pay-as-you-go option for people who want more flexibility and predictability when buying our services,” said Marcien Jenckes, Executive Vice President, Consumer Services, Comcast Cable. “And our partnership with Boost Mobile will give Xfinity Prepaid customers even more places where they can conveniently sign-up and pay-as-they-go.”
Consumers interested in Xfinity Prepaid Services pay a one-time set-up fee that includes all necessary equipment like a Wi-Fi modem, Digital Television Adapter (DTA), or remote control, and a complimentary 30 days of service. Prepaid customers can then pay-as-they-go and “refill” their service at any time, for either seven or 30 days. There are no limitations on the number of times the service can be renewed and customers can refill services on their own schedule. Comcast provides a discount for people who sign-up for both TV and Internet service at the same time. All pricing and package options can be found at www.xfinityprepaid.com.
Boost Mobile, part of the Sprint Prepaid Group, operates on the Nationwide Sprint 3G Network for data and the Nationwide Sprint Network for voice services, both reaching more than 281 million people respectively. Sprint also offers nationwide its 4G LTE Network, which reaches more than 280 million people.
