Sprint expands Common Cents Mobile at Wal-Mart

Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) boosted the retail distribution for its Commons Cents Mobile prepaid brand to 500 more Wal-Mart stores across the country. The carrier also launched a new promotion to coincide with the expansion.

Sprint said the brand, which it launched in May, will now be available at nearly 1,250 Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart has more than 4,300 total stores in the United States. Additionally, Sprint said users of the service will get 200 'Bonus Minutes' for domestic use when they refill their phone for the first time.

Wal-Mart sells wireless service from a range of providers, including TracFone Wireless' Straight Talk offering.

Common Cents Mobile customers are charged 7 cents per minute or 7 cents per text. Subscribers can purchase a $20 refill card for 30 days of service and a $30 card for 60 days of service. Additionally, the Common Cents brand rounds down unused parts of minutes instead of rounding up. However, subscribers forfeit any unused money at the end of a term.

The brand is one of several Sprint has been touting in the prepaid market. In addition to its Boost Mobile brand, Sprint relaunched the Virgin Mobile brand this spring (which includes a new "sub-brand" called PayLo that is offering two low-cost plans targeted at the budget-conscious), as well as Assurance Wireless, which is targeted at low-income customers.  

For more:
- see this release
- see this Kansas City Business Journal article

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