Prepaid Cell Phones
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prepaid cell phones
When looking for a good prepaid plan, you want to look for flexibility and basic features like unlimited talk and text, unlimited data, or varying amounts of data that you can choose based on your needs. Despite being cheaper than postpaid cell phone plans, prepaid phone plans can be competitive. Small cell phone companies, which are known as mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), often have more plans and can beat larger carriers on price.
In our Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plans of 2023 rating, plans from Tello, Mint Mobile, Visible, and Google Fi are featured. Read on to learn more about each company and what they offer in terms of prepaid cell phone plans.
Deprioritization is another concern with prepaid data plans. Since MVNOs are small wireless companies that lease network access from large carriers, like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, MVNO customers are often deprioritized when competing for data. That means, in times of a busy network, customers of large carriers get access to faster data speeds while MVNOs customers get slower speeds. A report from data company, Tutela, says MVNOs run 23% slower than large carriers. Getting faster speeds costs more, so prepaid plans are usually more affordable for that reason.
Prepaid cell phone plans are popular with consumers because they are simple to set up and generally low cost. Most do not offer many extra services or perks, however. All of the plans to make our ratings do include extra options for international calls, which are usually free to Canada and Mexico.
Prepaid cell phone plans are flexible in that they allow you to purchase the amount of data you need. So, while none of the plans in our rating included streaming service subscriptions or discounts, the ability to add more data means streaming from your device is still an option.
While data and optional features are important, so are call quality, reliability, and good customer service. It can be daunting to pick a new cell phone plan, so here are some steps you can use to figure out the right one for your needs.
For most of the companies in our ratings, you can visit their website or speak with a customer service representative to place an order over the phone. Honorable mention Metro by T-Mobile has in-person brick-and-mortar locations and customers can activate new cell phone plans online or in the store. You can look up a store location on its website and visit the store in person to set up a cell phone plan.
We compared the available cell phone plans provided by our top cell phone plan companies across several criteria, including monthly cost, data and hotspot limits, network types, and add-ons. Research shows that these are the most important criteria for people shopping for a cell phone plan. We then narrowed the list down to the 10 best cell phone plans using aggregate data points with a focus on professional and consumer reviews.
There are two main types of ways to pay for phone service: postpaid, where you pay at the end of the month, and prepaid, where you buy service before you use your phone. The advertisements you see for AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are almost always for postpaid plans, while the plans and carriers we're talking about here are all prepaid plans.
As I noted when covering the best unlimited plans, to get the most out of your deal you need to make sure you have the coverage you need. This makes it hard to give a blanket recommendation of any one carrier: T-Mobile's service in New York may be excellent, but if you're in, say, rural Iowa, Verizon is more reliable.
If you have any friends or family in your area who already use the prepaid carrier you're considering, ask about their experience. You could also go to a major carrier's store and see if it offers free ways to try out the service before switching over, such as T-Mobile's Network Pass or Verizon's trial program.
As with the leading carriers, there are periods when the prepaid players offer deals. Boost Mobile used to run a promo for new customers that let you get three lines with unlimited talk, text and data for $90 per month ($30 per line) after "your first payment of $100." It has since added a new unlimited plan that is $25 per month for new users, though each line must be separate and cannot be grouped on a family plan.
Some prepaid providers will even give discounts on buying a new device, though, unlike the leading carriers, don't expect the same big promotions offering a free new iPhone 14 or Galaxy S22. Those deals are often tied to 24- or 36-month installment plans, which prepaid, by its nature, does not offer.
As with all plans, the value will change depending on your specific needs and if that particular network works well in your area. Google has updated the unlimited plans on its Fi cell phone service that not only lowers the monthly price, but also adds in a few useful features. While its $50 pricing for one line is way higher than Mint's, if you have three lines or more you can save a bit.
The perk with the AT&T and Tracfone plans is that any unused data carries over to the next month. For the latter, if you're looking for a prepaid provider on Verizon it's hard to top what amounts to a monthly rate of $16.58.
From light data users to heavyweights - and everybody in between - Cricket has what you need. Whether you choose our cheapest cell phone data plan at $30/mo, or our unlimited data plan at $55/mo, you'll get the same great service from Cricket Wireless.
If you get a plan with too little high-speed data, you could run out, making it difficult to surf the web quickly, stream your music, or do many of the things you enjoy on your phone. On the other hand, if you're a light data user, you could buy a plan that has more high-speed data than you need, and wind up paying too much. But how do you know which plan is right for you? Simple. The best cell phone plan is the one that matches your usage habits. That's why at Cricket, you have options.
Find the smartphone you've been shopping for at Cricket Wireless, where we have great sales and everyday prices on popular phones. So whether you're a fan of Samsung smartphones or iPhones, Android or Windows phones, chances are the device you've been looking for is right here. Not sure what kind of smartphone to buy? Here are some things to consider:
With the best prepaid phone plans, you don't need to worry about the costs of your wireless service skyrocketing from one month to the next. By paying in advance, you know exactly what you're going to spend for phone coverage. And should a better deal turn up at another carrier, it's easy enough to switch your service.
And if there's a better deal out there, we can help you find it. We keep tabs on the best cell phone plans overall, including prepaid options. And among those offerings, the very best prepaid plans can help you spend less on wireless service without sacrificing much in the way of data.
But you won't have to worry about sacrificing on network coverage if you're looking for ways to save money on your cell phone bill. Even if you use a smaller carrier, they get their service from the major wireless providers. So you'll still be using the same network as people with more expensive cell phone plans. (Your speeds may be slowed down if there's too much traffic on a network.) And that service includes 5G coverage, too.
Another thing you won't have to sacrifice is data. While there are cheap prepaid plans with small data allotments, if you need a big pile of data each month, you'll find some of the best unlimited data plans can be surprisingly affordable when they come from prepaid services.
Visible Visible Plus $45/month - The best unlimited data prepaid on a budget (opens in new tab)Verizon-owned Visible offers a cheaper unlimited data plan that now costs $30. (That's the same as Mint Mobile's unlimited plan, only without the year-long commitment.) But we like the $45 Visible Plus plan for all the perks it includes. Visible Plus subscribers can access Verizon's faster Ultra Wideband network for 5G coverage, and they can make calls to more than 30 countries from the U.S. at no extra cost. Under a promotion, Visible's cut the price on this plan by $10 to $35, but we're told that offer expires March 31 so act quickly. Pros: Very affordable, 5G unlimited dataCons: There are cheaper prepaid plans, no more discounts for multiple lines
AT&T Unlimited data plan $40/month - Best prepaid phone plan for students (opens in new tab)Normally, AT&T's prepaid unlimited data plan costs $50/month after a $10 autopay discount. But can save another $10/month for 12 months when they sign up with AT&T. In addition to unlimited data, you'll also get 5GB of hotspot data in this online-only deal which is a limited-time offer.Pros: Unlimited data at a discounted rateCons: Only available to students
T-Mobile Connect 3.5GB data $15/month - Low cost cell phone plan from a big name carrier (opens in new tab)The amount of data in the T-Mobile Connect plan has gotten its annual 500MB bump, so you're now getting 3.5GB in this $15 monthly plan. If you can get by with less data, you can drop your bill to $10/month with the 1GB plan, while the $25 monthly plan now features a generous 6.5GB. Just be aware that once you use your data for the month, you have to wait until the next billing cycle for more data; other prepaid plans usually just slow down your speeds when you hit your cap.Pro: Low costs, 500MB data boosts annually, includes 5G serviceCon: Out of data once you hit your cap 041b061a72