Typically they are. Of course, with the Android devices, there's a monthly fee. That's taken out of your account balance.

The main difference is that where TracFone uses cards to purchase 'units', Virgin Mobile just has a cash balance that you can add too. Each type of communication (calling, texts, picture messages, web) costs a different amount which subtracts from your balance. But of course with these Android devices, the lowest possible plan includes unlimited data/text/web. The time that you talk on the phone is subtracted from your "minute pack" that you purchased ($35 for 300, $45 for 500, $55 for unlimited) for that month out of your current account balance.

Sorry if that is more complicated than it needs to be. lol

 

If you had a regular mobile phone (non-smart phone) you could use Virgin's PayLo service, in which case the Top-Up card would act like a Trac card. But Virgin requires (and rightly so) the Optimus V and other smart phone (Triumph and Intercept) to be on their Beyond Talk plans which all have unlimited data and text.