11 Best Cell Phone Plans For Seniors Over 55
Introduction
Do you find that your 50-something or 60-something parent is constantly bemoaning the rate at which the cost of cell phone service has increased over the years? If they’re making a big deal about it, it’s not just in their head – the cost of cell phone service has steadily risen over time. According to Business Insider, “The average family spends $151.20 per month on mobile services (including not just their own individual smartphone and data plan but also data and texts for everyone else in the family). That’s up from $76.30 in 2010.
11 Best Cell Phone Plans For Seniors Over 55
1. Ting
No contract plans start at 5 cents per minute, text, and MB of data. Ting is a cool alternative to the bigger carriers in that they allow you to share minutes between devices – i.e., if you use up all your minutes for one month on your phone, excess minutes can be used on tablets or computers.
This is an excellent choice if you don’t want the hassle of constantly monitoring your data usage or worrying about paying overage fees. For example, if you use less than 3GB of data per month, it’s cheaper than AT&T’s $60 unlimited plan!
2. Boost Mobile
Boost offers an unlimited plan, but instead of actually having unlimited “data,” this plan limits you to 2GB and then charges you $15 per GB overage. That means if you go over 2GB of data (which is plenty, probably), you’ll be paying $15 for every additional 1GB of data. That’s on top of the $30 for their 5-cent per MB plan (which is still better than most carriers), and then there’s the whole windowing issue that if you don’t use up all your allotted minutes and texts over a certain period, your account is shut off before the next billing cycle.
3. Straight Talk
Straight talk is not an MVNO, rather it’s owned by AT&T. The base unlimited plan costs $45 per month but is subject to throttling after reaching 2GB of data, which is quite limiting for anyone who uses a lot of data. Boost offers unlimited data for half the price with no throttling issues.
4. Verizon Wireless
Verizon’s international data plan does come with a 1GB limit for roaming, but the even better news is that it’s not currently limited to just Verizon customers. Anyone can use it – meaning that your elderly parent can find themselves without cell phone service in the middle of a remote location and be able to get a SIM card from a local cell phone store and start using their smartphone with Verizon’s network!
5. Walmart Family Mobile
Walmart Family Mobile is the only no contract mobile carrier that operates on Verizon’s network. It’s perfect for people in rural areas where the major carriers (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile) can’t build out their networks to provide coverage. Their unlimited plan costs $50 per month with throttling after 2.5GB of data usage.
6. Straight Talk Prepaid
Straight Talk offers $30 monthly prepay plans that are only limited by throttling after 2.5GB of data usage. The unlimited plan costs $45 per month and is throttled after 2.5GB, which is the same as Walmart’s Family Mobile’s plan.
7. Virgin Mobile Prepaid
Virgin Mobile’s international data plan does come with a 1GB limit for roaming, but the even better news is that it’s not currently limited to just Virgin customers. Anyone can use it – meaning that your elderly parent can find themselves without cell phone service in the middle of a remote location and be able to get a SIM card from a local cell phone store and start using their smartphone with Verizon’s network!
8. AT&T Prepaid
AT&T’s international data plan does come with a 1GB limit for roaming, but the even better news is that it’s not currently limited to just AT&T customers. Anyone can use it!
9. Verizon Prepaid
Verizon’s international data plan does come with a 1GB limit for roaming, but the even better news is that it’s not currently limited to just Verizon customers. Anyone can use it!
10. Sprint Prepaid
Sprint’s international data plan does come with a 1GB limit for roaming, but the even better news is that it’s not currently limited to just Sprint customers. Anyone can use it!
11. Google Project Fi
Google Project Fi is a unique MVNO that uses Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular’s networks. It costs $20 for unlimited talk and text with data costing $10 per GB. However, if you choose the $80 per month plan it includes WiFi tethering, making it ideal for tablets and laptops.
Conclusion
There are quite a few options available these days when it comes to finding a cell phone plan that fits your needs. While there’s never been more choices, it’s important to look at the service providers’ coverage maps before choosing an MVNO. As long as you don’t mind being limited to certain areas, the savings can be quite significant.