Can I end my US Cellular contract and switch the same phone to Straight talk?

[Kfr2020]

I have looked everywhere for a $200, or less, iPhone. Every time I get one from eBay they stop working right very quickly & turn off all the time. To get a Straightalk plan I read you have to bring your own phone, but iPhones cost around $500 without a plan (before I apply the straight talk plan to it).
My next move is to go to US Cellular and buy a locked $200 iPhone 6 (cheapest new iPhone) with a contract plan. However, their plan is too expensive ($75 per month) for only 2 gigabytes. Straightalk's plan was a great deal because you get 2-5gigabytes for only $45 per month, but it's impossible to get a new iPhone at a reasonable price with it.
Can Straighttalk pay off your contract from your old cell phone company if you switch? Because I have seen this offer at other cellphone companies.
Would the phone still work if I ended my US Cellular account and put a Straightalk card in it?

 

[rgd1101]

no. they don't pay off you contract.
you still own us cellular for the iphone until you pay it off. read the contract.

 

[hang-the-9]

You won't find any non-contract carrier offering to pay off your phone for you since there is nothing that stops you from having them do that and then canceling the service. The other carrier's do that because you will be in a contact and paying them now instead of the other company. The reason the phones are cheaper with a contract vs those phones without is for the exact same reason. Since you are paying Straight Talk cheaper monthly fee, the phone is not subsidized by that and you are paying real phone prices for the phone.

Can't get something for nothing, either you pay up-front or it's built into your monthly contract payment. If you want to find a used phone, get one locally and test it first.