In my ever evolving attempt of covering my tracks.. eh hem... I need a way to make calls to certain parties without having the phone number appear on my cell phone bill (SO was a hawk in a another life).  Will a prepaid phone card handle that?  I understand you're given a PIn number and a 1-800 number but won't my cell bill have a bunch of calls to that same 1-800 number listed on it that could be just as conspicuous?

Any ideas?

Your cell phone will have a bunch of calls to the same 800 number. Also, prepaid phone cards show up as "blocked" numbers when calling a provider... and they may not answer your call.

Best thing to do is to get a prepaid cell phone. $99 or less for the phone and set up, then you buy some minutes to start you off. No contract or monthly billing. When you use up all the minutes, just buy another card with more minutes.

Just make sure your SO doesn't find the phone...

Public pay phones are about as anonymous as it gets.

Yes.  You could try some smoke-screen, like saying that the 800 number is the teleconferencing access number you use for work, etc., since the PIN request will stop any further attempt to cross-check.  But you could still get in a jam if she says "oh yeh...  then dial into a conference call right now while I'm here."  If you're under NSA-level scrutiny at home, you're probably going to have to get off your cell phone and use a pre-paid card from payphones or a work phone.  The upside of the prepaid card is you can use it in places where sticking someone else with the long distance wouldn't be appropriate.

Can you find those anywhere?  Radio Shack?

What does the prepaid cell phone show up as on caller id?

Costco, Best Buy, anywhere.

...has a plan called "Free-up".  Exactly as described, you pay as you go.  No monthly statements or any paper trail at all.  Calls are a bit more expensive than a regular cell account, but, no trail.  Any unused minutes carry over as you buy new minutes every 60 days.  I use this and am happy with the service.

Shows up the same as any phone #.  If you enter a "block" code, the receiver will not see the #.  If you *82, then they will see the #.

If you use a prepaid phone card from a regular (land line) phone, nothing shows up on your bill, since you dial a toll free number to access the card. Free calls never show up on your bill.

Those prepaid phone cards are the best invention since the wheel. Before that, the only way you could make a long distance call incognito was to have a roll of quarters handy.

I'd be dubious about using a cell phone in any sensitive situation. I've heard the airwaves have big ears.