Best Cellular Plans For Seniors

What Is The Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program is a new program designed to provide additional support to make broadband more affordable for households.

Your Lifeline and ACP benefits can be combined and applies to the same service plan or applied to different service plans.

This benefit service is provided by Easy Wireless to customers as part of the support from the US government.

With the addition of the ACP seniors can also receive unlimited broadband as well. Seniors can apply for both programs at the same time.

Know Your Deals And Discounts

One other thing to keep in mind: discounts. All of the carriers offer additional discounts that you could be eligible for, depending on your employer, military status, student status or age.

First responders, military members, veterans, nurses and teachers can get discounts on every major carrier. Verizon has discounts for students, while T-Mobile’s Work perk could knock 15% off the monthly price of a Magenta Max plan, with AT& T offering a similar program for its Unlimited Elite plan that it calls Signature. AT& T has also rolled out a new promotion for teachers that offers 25% off its latest unlimited plans.

If you’re 55 or older, you may also be eligible for a discounted plan: T-Mobile offers discounted plans nationwide for as low as $55 a month for two lines, and Verizon and AT& T offer similar options — but only for Florida residents. Now onto the picks.

Line Phone Plan Types

• Unlimited plans: Looking for unlimited talk text and data? Alternative carriers have got you covered. Data hungry users looking for unlimited plus plans can save serious money by switching to one of the cheapest unlimited data plans. Not sure how much data you need? Check out our data usage calculator.
• Basic plans: If you only use a cell phone to make a few calls, send a couple of messages and rarely go online then you can opt for a simply prepaid plan. You get basic cell phone functions, an allowance for minutes of talk, and usually around 2GB of data at a great price. Once you run out of your data allotment, speeds slow, but it’s usually very easy to add on more.
• Family plans: Need four lines or more? Many MVNOs offer group plans. Compare the cheapest family phone plans so you can pick and choose what each family member needs.
• Bring your own phone plans: are the norm with smaller carriers. Compare cell phone prices and get a great deal to go with your cheap cell phone plan!
• Talk and text only plans: Don’t need data? No problem – compare cheap talk and text plans. Bonus, you’ll save a ton of money if you’re not paying for data!
• Tablet plans: Find the cheapest data plan for your tablet or iPad.
• Kids plans: MVNOs offer the best phone plans for kids because you can tailor them to exactly what you want your child to have.
• Senior plans: Senior citizens often have different cell phone needs. Compare cheap cell phone plans for seniors for the perfect fit.

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What Are Unlimited Mobile Plans

Unlimited mobile plans are cell phone plans that offer unlimited mobile data each month.

Unlimited mobile plans include unlimited talk, text, and data. Unlimited talk and text means you can communicate by phone or text message as much as you want, without any surprise limits or charges.

Unlimited mobile data is the biggest selling point for most of these types of phone plans. By mobile data, we mean internet connectivity that comes from a 3G, 4G, or 5G connection, rather than from a WiFi signal.

With the best unlimited phone plan, you can connect to the internet as much as you want from anywhere you have service. Whether you want to use internet-connected apps, send email, check social media, surf the web, or even watch videos on the go, there are no limits and no extra charges for using your smartphone to its full potential.

Find The Best Plan For You

In order to find the very best phone plan for you and your family pay attention to your usage patterns and make a list of the features that are important to you . Then sign up for a provider that best fits your needs. If youre really confident in your choice you can likely lock in discounts by signing up for long-term contracts.

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The Best Cell Phone Plans For Seniors For September 2022

Here are the best cell phone plans for seniors for you to consider this month

3.Who am I best covered with?

Finding the best cell phone plans for seniors needn’t be a hassle – it can actually be relatively simple thanks to our handy guide. We’ve tirelessly researched all the nation’s favorite carriers to determine which ones, in our opinion, offer particularly strong options for older citizens.

Like all phone users, the requirements of older folks differ widely from person to person, so we’ve made sure our best cell phone plans for seniors takes into account a wide array of differing requirements. Just need the basics? We’ve got you covered with some fantastic, easy-to-use plans. Alternatively, if you’re interested in getting a plan with unlimited data then you’ll also find the best value options rounded up here.

Firstly, here’s a very quick summary of our top choices.

• Mint Mobile – best all-rounder
• Tello – best for flexibility
• Ultra Mobile – best pay as you go
• T-Mobile – best unlimited data plan

We’re deep-diving into why these are the best cell phone plans for seniors just down below and you’ll find plenty more options to consider as well. Before we do that, however, here are a few top tips to help you find the right plan for you as well as a quick explainer on the jargon that’s commonly used with senior cell phone plans. If you’d like to see a run-down of the market as a whole, head on over to our main best cell phone plans article to see our top contenders this month.

How To Purchase A Senior Cell Phone Plan

When youâre ready to purchase one of the best cell phone plans for seniors, follow these key steps to ensure that you get the right plan for your loved onesâ needs.

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Does Verizon Give Senior Discounts When Buying A Phone

Seniors these days have started adapting to modern innovations. Technology for seniors has become more popular, particularly when it comes to smartphones. These gadgets allow seniors to stay in touch with their loved ones and be updated with the latest news. As one of the major US carriers, Verizon has a plan for senior citizens who are interested in getting smartphones.

Although this is not exactly considered a senior discount for phone purchases, Verizon has a 55+ Unlimited Plan, which is essentially the discounted version of their existing basic unlimited plan. It includes the following:

• Unlimited 4G/LTE data
• Unlimited mobile hotspot
• High quality streaming services
• Service in Canada or Mexico if needed

One caveat, however, is that the plan is currently only available in Florida. If you are a Florida resident and want to get their 55+ Unlimited Plan, you can expect to pay:

• $60 for one line/month
• $80 for two lines/month

On average, this plan lets you save around $5-15/line in contrast to their regular unlimited plans. To qualify for this plan, you have to be a new Verizon wireless customer, with a Florida billing address, and 1-2 phones in your account.

While we can only hope that the coverage of the 55+ Unlimited Plan will expand to the other coverage areas in the US, Verizon has a few other good deals. These are not necessarily meant for seniors alone, but could be a good starting point if you are looking for reasonable plans:

At& t: Overall Best Cell Phone Plan For Seniors

AT& T has two major offerings for seniors: the AT& T Unlimited 55+ and AT& T Senior Nation plans. The Senior Nation plan is the most basic offering of AT& T. It has 200 minutes of any time calls, unlimited calls to AT& T Mobility subscribers, and 500 minutes of Night & Weekend calls. If your calls go over the allotted time, you will be charged $0.45 per minute. It has call forwarding, call waiting, nationwide long distance calls and roaming, caller ID, and conference calling. This plan is specially made by AT& T for seniors aged 65 and above.

But if you have tech-savvy folks, there is another plan available. The AT& T Unlimited 55+ offers 5G at no extra costs, unlimited texting, calling, and surfing within the US, Mexico, and Canada, free texts to more than 120 countries, and mobile security features such as blockage of spam and fraud calls. This will cost you around $60 for one line and $80 for two. Florida residents can avail of a $20 discount on its offers, making you pay just $40 for one line.

There is one more cell phone plan to consider, but it is better for American Association of Retired Persons members than regular seniors the AT& T Unlimited Elite Plan. AARP members get to enjoy a $10 additional discount on it. This plan comes with unlimited surfing, 30 GB of mobile hotspot, mobile security features, and a free HBO Max subscription.

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Considerations For Cell Phone Plans

First, figure out the priorities for your cell phone plan. Youll want to think ahead about whether you want:

• Talk, text and/or mobile internet
• Contract or pay-as-you-go
• Flexibility in changing plans
• Senior discounts

Before you shop for cell phone plans, decide what is make-or-break for your communication needs. Seniors may have a specific idea of what they want for example unlimited talking minutes. Check in with your loved one to make sure you find the right plan.

Best Prepaid: Metro By T

The Metro By T-Mobile logo.

For a no-frills solution on prepaid, look to Metro by T-Mobile for a one-stop plan that offers a $40 monthly rate that includes unlimited talk, text, and 5 GB of high-speed data.

Piggybacking off T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network, Metro by T-Mobile customers can rest easy knowing that all taxes and regulatory fees are already included in the bill, so $40 is the same rate each and every month.

The most expensive plan$60/monthadds plenty of extras like a Music Unlimited subscription, 15 GB of hotspot data, and an Amazon Prime membership.

As a prepaid carrier, customers do have to purchase the device outright, with prices varying depending on the device, though Metro by T-Mobile does offer a bring-your-own-device solution to skip past the upfront cost of a new phone.

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How To Determine Which Network Has The Best Coverage For You

Selecting a network is the trickiest part of picking a plan. Coverage can vary from block to block or even building to building, so carrier coverage maps can be a good starting point only if you can zoom in to the street leveland even then they say nothing about how the network fares in busy areas. Opensignal, PCMag, and RootMetrics all publish independently sourced network-performance metrics, but those studies take different approaches and are thus good for different purposes.

RootMetrics uses cars set up with leading Android-based smartphones for each network to gather figures on data, talk, and text performance throughout the country. Its coverage mapwhich, unlike its network scores, also folds in crowd-based estimates from users of its mobile appsencompasses basically every major US city street and highway, as well as all of the towns and thoroughfares that connect them. You can also find reports tailored to specific metropolitan areas. This amount of detail makes RootMetrics a great source for gauging overall performance by region.

Opensignals network tests rely on crowdsourcing: Anyone can download the Opensignal app and run tests. But the majority of people dont, and as such, Opensignals data skews heavily toward densely populated, urban areas. In those regions, it has block-by-block information. If you live in a city, you can use Opensignals data to check all the spots you frequent.

Best Senior Cell Phone Plan For Range Of Flexibility: Consumer Cellular

• $15 to $37 per month
• 250 minutes to unlimited call allowance
• Optional unlimited text allowance
• 500MB to unlimited data allowance
• Month-to-month plan

Those looking for a no-contract plan will appreciate the wide variety that Consumer Cellular offers its customers. They let you customize your plan to suit your needs, whether you need a higher text allowance, more calls, more data. It is compatible with your current phone, or you can buy a new compatible phone as well with no activation fees.

Seniors can choose their cellular provider, as Consumer Cellular works with T-Mobile and AT& T networks.

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How To Qualify As A Senior For Lifeline And Acp

There are several ways a senior may qualify for Lifeline and ACP.

As a senior, you may qualify for Lifeline if your income is 135% or less than the Federal Poverty Guidelines. To view a chart of this income table, .

You can also qualify if you are receiving benefits from one of the following programs:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• Veterans Pensions or Survivors Pension

Flaws But Not Dealbreakers

Coverage at Verizon and AT& T remains more comprehensive than T-Mobilesas I saw on country roads in the Southeast while doing drive testing for PCMagbut the past few years of improvement in T-Mobiles network means youll have to get into fairly rural areas to notice this difference. You will have to decide if your likely travel patterns are more apt to make this an ongoing problem.

Although T-Mobiles international roaming costs much less than AT& T and Verizons international options, you may have to pay those charges if you buy your phone from T-Mobile on an installment payment plan, as this carrier keeps those handsets locked until you pay off your balanceor conclude the term on a free-upgrade deal such as those its offering on the iPhone 13.

T-Mobile also has a history of data breaches, with its most recent and largest happening in August and affecting some 40 million customers.

Finally, T-Mobile offers fewer affinity and group discounts, instead limiting discounts to customers 55 years and older, military and veterans, and first responders.

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Best Basic: Consumer Cellular

Geared toward the older crowd, Consumer Cellular is a simplified cellphone reseller that provides an easy-to-understand solution to selecting a cellular provider.

Individual users can start with rates as low as $20 per month for unlimited talk and text and 1 GB of data, while a two-line plan sharing the same data and minutes raises the cost to $40 per month.

As an added bonus, Consumer Cellular has an established relationship with AARP, so there’s a 5 percent discount on monthly service for any existing AARP member.

Another highlight of Consumer Cellular is the opportunity to select a new plan every month, so you can adjust your allotted monthly minutes and data in case you’re traveling, or you find that you’re spending too much or too little for your monthly needs.

Boost Mobile: Best Multi

If youre a senior or have folks with a geeky heart, Boost Mobiles Internet plan hits the right buttons for you. For starters, their unlimited plans go for $50 per line. This includes unlimited text, call, and 4G LTE data. This is the sweet deal for those who love scrolling down on their news feed or streaming videos on their phones. Enrolling another line will cost you $30 per line with a maximum of five lines. This will cost you around $170 for five lines within their network. The benefits are all the same within the five lines, thus making it one of the best cell phone plans you can get not just for seniors but the whole family as well.

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How Can A Senior Check If They Qualify For Lifeline Of Acp

The easiest way to check if you qualify is through a Lifeline Provider in your area. They will have a sign-up form that all you need to do is:

Their system will then check to determine if they are able to help you. You should get an answer in just a few seconds as their system will check on your behalf in the national database.

If you qualify with a Lifeline provider, many of the steps in the application process will be automated and you also can contact their customer support if you have questions during the signup.

They will also follow up with you to help complete the application if any steps were missed.

Helpful Tip:

Seniors applying for Lifeline in Kentucky, Oklahoma, Missouri, or Arkansas can check if they qualify for Lifeline through Easy Wireless.

Just click the “Sign Up Now” button below.