Pay as you go Internet is a way to access the Internet without signing a contract or paying a monthly service fee. There are a few different types of pay as you go Internet; the type designed for home use is often used through a dial-up connection, whereas the type designed for use on the road makes use of mobile broadband services from cellular companies. It is typically not possible to receive this type of prepaid Internet in one's home through a cable connection, which is currently the most common type of standard Internet connection, but this could change in the future.

Pay as you go Internet is a great choice for those who do not regularly access the Internet, or only need to use it for a few minutes per day. In addition, it can be very helpful when traveling in a foreign country. For those who want to use this type of prepaid Internet in their homes, it is generally only necessary to have a phone line available, and to contact an Internet service provider to purchase minutes.

Once minutes have been purchased, the user is then free to use them as needed. When the minutes run out, it will be necessary to purchase more to continue to access the Internet. This is very similar in structure to a prepaid cell phone plan, and is an excellent choice for very budget-conscious people, or for people with extraordinarily poor credit. In this way, one can use a varied amount of Internet minutes each month; typically, pay as you go Internet minutes do not expire, but it is important to check with the service provider to be sure.

Pay as you go Internet that uses mobile broadband is a very different service. In this type, the user must purchase a USB device that connects to the computer and can receive a signal from the mobile broadband providers. These USB devices are typically proprietary, and the user will generally need to have an account with that particular provider. Occasionally, these wireless devices are built in to new laptops sold through the provider.

All the user needs to do then is to enter his or her credentials and select the amount of Internet time he or she wishes to add to his account. In general, the smallest amount of time that must be purchased is 24 hours. In addition, be mindful of bandwidth limits, which are set by the cellular provider and may cause overage fees if one goes over the limit, such as by downloading an excessive amount of music.