I need a prepaid w/o monthly fee. is lycamobile dead?
 

I tried lycamobile website two phones and live chat, none works.
Looks like it has all plans now asking monthly payment. any other plan in US allows no activation fee, no monthly payment just pay by minutes? thanks a lot.

No. Lycamobile PAYGO still is alive.
 

No. Lycamobile PAYGO still is alive. But well hidden.
It is labeled "International Recharge"
Do not choose a plan and it will default to what we knew as PAYGO.
It will ultimately be 5cents/minute for calls. And according to CS no data.
You are in the USA. Call or chat to verify what I am saying.

thanks a lot for fast reply. I finally get connected to them and you are right. The web is very slow, phone very slow, on line chat needs to wait long. retail store tends to charge more (say ask for monthly plan). But I'll go online.
If I go monthly plan I'd go US co I think, yet lycamobile pay to go is what I want and so far so good.

T-Mobile and AT&T also still have prepaid offers, but they are also well hidden. I suspect they're afraid Americans will discover they don't need to pay $50 or more each month to have a mobile phone.

Truphone and Piranha might be an option for you.
As long as you make calls every other month or so the SIMs will stay alive.
Piranha is $20.50 with a £5.00 Credit. Truphone is $29.99 with a $15 credit.
I suppose the difference between price and credit is an 'activation fee' though.

What are you really wanting and wanting to do?
Both use AT&T and T-Mobile networks.