[Motel75]

Something to remember about Tracfone (yeah, it's not true GSM) is that you can get 120 minutes when you register if someone "recommends" you. You can find someone to do this on eBay (for one cent, usually). It makes it an OK offer for someone who's just visiting for a short time and doesn't have a US-capable phone (as they are available at the likes of Wal-Mart for $20).

However, I still generally recommend T-Mobile, with the suggestion that the user go to Gold Rewards status immediately. You can get a $100 topup on cheapphonecards.com for around $90-95 (enter the coupon code "cheap" unless you have a better one). Of course, they also sell topups for Cingular and the others. One thing non-US users often forget is that in many jurisdictions you have to pay sales tax on a topup (usually 5-10 percent), which you generally do not have to pay online, so there can be additional savings in topping up this way.