Leap ditches Jump prepaid service, intros daily PayGo offering

Leap Wireless International Inc. juggled its offerings with the launch of its new PayGo prepaid service, which will replace its previously offered Jump prepaid plans.
The PayGo service is a daily, pay-as-you-go option that customers only pay for on the days that they access the features. The plans include a $1 per day option for unlimited local calling, voicemail, caller ID and three-way calling; $2 per day adds unlimited local calling and unlimited text and picture messaging; and for $3 per day customers can add unlimited U.S. long distance, international text messaging to more than 100 countries, mobile Web and directory assistance.
Jeff Toig, VP of product marketing for Leap’s Cricket Communications subsidiary, said the PayGo service is a complementary offering to the carrier’s traditional monthly, flat-rate unlimited service. Toig explained that the carrier’s traditional customers typically generate around $45 per month in average revenue per user, while the PayGo service customer will be more in the $25 to $35 per month range.
Customers will control their usage through top-up cards, available in retail outlets. Toig said the cards will be available throughout the carrier’s markets, initially in Wal-Mart locations and with trial distribution through Cricket stores and dealer/agents beginning in Cincinnati/Dayton, Ohio; Savannah/Hilton Head, S,C.; and Houston.
Leap added that customers can transition between plans at any time throughout the week or month. The service is launching with three of the carrier’s handsets, including the Cricket EX, UTStarcom CDM7126 and Samsung Electronic Co. Ltd.’s MyShot.
The new offering joins Leap’s mainstay Cricket flat-rate monthly and weekly services, but spells the demise of Leap’s Jump offering that launched in early 2005 and offered more traditional, per-minute rate plans for consumers. Toig said the Jump service will be phased out in markets as PayGo launches, but the carrier will continue to support those Jump customers for the duration of their calling minutes.
A number of Leap’s nationwide competitors offer similar per-day options for their prepaid customers, including AT&T Mobility’s GoPhone Pay As You Go and Verizon Wireless’ Inpulse service.