Cell Phone Discounts For Seniors

What To Expect On Black Friday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are when some of the biggest and best cell phone sales of the entire year happen. And year after year, cell phones are some of the hottest selling items.

So, for Black Friday 2022, you can expect all kinds of deals on cell phones from various brands. Typically, the biggest deals can be found on older phones. For example, phones released last year will be more deeply discounted than phones from this year. Buying a 2021 smartphone can net you a lower price and more savings than a just-released 2022 phone.

Additionally, deals can be found at both wireless carriers and retailers. Youll want to look for deals at the biggest cell phone companies like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT& T. You should also scan the deals available at popular retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. These big box stores tend to offer the best and very similar cell phone deals each year during this big holiday shopping event.

Lastly, youll want to shop early to save this year. As more retailers continue to take their biggest Black Friday deals online, you wont need to visit your local stores to get doorbuster wireless deals. You can shop from home, scoring deals from your computer, phone, or tablet. That means youll want to search online before Black Friday arrives to see what kinds of deals and offers are available.

Best Emergency Plan: Lively

Formerly known as GreatCall, Lively is an excellent option for older customers looking for a cellphone plan that’s good for low monthly use, and its emergency features will put users’ and family members’ minds at ease.

Lively offers a Value Talk & Text plan for $14.99 for 300 minutes and 10 cents per text, and an Unlimited Talk & Text Plan for $19.99 per month with unlimited minutes and unlimited texts.

To complete your phone plan, you’ll choose a data option: 100 MB for $2.49 per month, 500 MB for $5 per month, 3 GB for $10 per month, 5 GB for $15 per month, and unlimited for $30 per month.

But Lively really shines with its urgent response offerings, known as Lively Health and Safety packages, which let users immediately access emergency assistance, ask medical questions, summon a locksmith, and more.

The Basic Lively Health and Safety package is $19.99 and includes an urgent response service, while the $24.99 Preferred package adds a “Lively Link,” which alerts designated loved ones when you access the urgent response service. A $34.99 Ultimate package also includes access to a live operator.

Phone Plans For Seniors

Many phone service carriers market certain plans specifically toward seniors. Generally, these are cheap plans with limited data. Carriers such as Consumer Cellular also pride themselves on excellent customer service, especially for seniors. Other carriers, like Lively, focus on senior-specific services such as easy-to-use phones that can come with health and safety features. These two companies, in particular, stand out for their low prices, high reviews and senior services.

• Best Overall Cell Phone Plan for Seniors: Consumer Cellular
• Best Senior Services: Lively

Consumer Cellular provides a variety of customizable phone plans that range from phone call only to unlimited data. The most affordable plan that includes unlimited talk, text and 3GB of data is available for $25 per month per line plus taxes and fees. Consumer Cellular also offers a 5% discount for AARP members.

Although its prices arent the lowest available, the carrier is an excellent choice for seniors given its affordable plans, high customer satisfaction scores and strong Consumer Reports ratings. Good customer service is hard to find right now due to short staffing, the expansion of the 5G network and more people switching phone plans to save money, I had a great experience with Consumer Cellular when I tested the service earlier this year. You can read my full review here.

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Talk And Text Phone Plans For Seniors

Talk and text phone plans are for people who use their phones only for talking and texting. Theyre good for seniors who dont have smartphones or dont use their phones to download apps, watch videos or browse the internet. Many cell phone service providers offer customizable or unlimited talk and text plans. They are often less expensive than those that include data

Best Flexible: Us Mobile

For a truly flexible solution, cellphone customers should look to US Mobile for a wireless carrier that provides a wide selection of buckets to help piece together the right plan for you.

With prices starting as low as $2 for 75 minutes, $1.50 for 50 texts, and $2 for 100 MB of data, it’s easy to see right off the bat just how flexible and inexpensive US Mobile can be. Alternatively, prices can go as high as $8 for unlimited minutes, $6 for unlimited texts, and $26 for 15 GB of 5G data. If you prefer unlimited everything, there’s an Unlimited Basic talk, text, and data plan for $35 per month, which drops to $30 per line for two lines, $25 per line for three lines, and $20 per line for four or more lines.

To help make things easier, US Mobile offers a 14-day risk-free trial to make sure you’re on the right plan and with the right provider, with the promise of a full refund if you’re not completely satisfied.

Customers who select US Mobile can supply their own device but are required to purchase a US Mobile SIM card for a nominal $3.99 fee to activate the service.

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How To Purchase Tracfone

To purchase a phone and service from Tracfone, start by visiting the companys website. You can find more information about each of its service plans and the devices it currently offers. You can also purchase a device or Tracfone plan at CVS, 7-Eleven, Total Wireless, and other authorized retailers.

Consumer Cellular Warranties And Return Policy

Every Consumer Cellular device is backed by their 30-day risk-free guarantee. With this guarantee, youll have 30 days to try out your device and see if its a good fit for your needs. If you have second thoughts, then all you need to do is call up Consumer Cellular, cancel your plan, and return your device for a full refund.

With that said, many of our readers have reported troubles with returning their devices for a refund. While we did not have these issues, its important to note that this may pose problems.

Currently, Consumer Cellular does not offer a standard warranty on its devices. What they do offer, however, are protection plans. Starting at $2 per month , you can purchase a SquareTrade protection plan, which covers your phone against drops, spills, and other accidental damage. Especially with the more expensive devices, this type of protection plan is a relative steal.

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More Than Just Free Cell Phones For Seniors

Lifeline and ACP service providers, like Easy Wireless, provide more than just free cell phones for seniors. Through these government programs, seniors can also receive:

• FREE Unlimited Talk
• FREE Unlimited Text
• FREE Unlimited Data

Once they have activated their new phone and Lifeline service, seniors no longer need to worry about how to stay connected with friends and family, or how to get help in an emergency .

How To Shop With At& t

AT& Ts website is a great place to get started in your search for a new phone or plan. Youll find information on a variety of flip phones, smartphones, and different service plans online.

For heavy data users, there are unlimited plans starting at $30 per month per line, featuring 5G access, standard definition streaming, and unlimited talk, text, and data .

There are also several affordable prepaid phone plans offered by AT& T for those who dont spend a great deal of time on cellular usage. Id recommend looking into their $25 per month for 8GB of data monthly prepaid phone plan with unlimited talk and text, and data.

AT& T, like Verizon and T-Mobile, offers plans tailored to older adults however, with AT& T, these plans cannot be purchased online. Youll need to visit the AT& T store in person and present proof of age to secure the offer.

Once the purchase is made, you may find detailed instructions on the websites support page to help activate plans and unlock the phones. Alternately, the company has a toll-free number for wireless support.

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How We Chose The Best Senior Cell Phone Plans

When picking out the best senior cell phone plans, we evaluated each provider on the following criteria:

• Fair pricing: Between hidden fees, setup charges, and other unexpected costs, working with a cellular provider can induce quite the headache. All of the providers on this list feature straightforward pricing so you can avoid any surprises on your monthly bill.
• Reliable coverage: It goes without saying that a cell phone should be able to function just about anywhere, so we looked for providers with the widest nationwide coverage.
• Ample minutes, messages, and data: With many people ditching their landline service altogether, youll likely need a good amount of usage included with your plan. All of the plans listed here offer affordable unlimited plans that wont saddle you with costly overage charges.
• Senior-specific features: No matter ones age, we all want a phone for communication purposes. With that said, some providers like Lively have senior-specific features such as urgent response buttons and hearing-aid-compatible devices.
• Device options: While its tempting to assume that all seniors want the same big-button flip phones, we know that everyone is different. We looked for providers that offer a range of devices, including providers that allow you to bring your own phone and keep your current number.

Cell Phones For Seniors With Features Theyll Love

When it comes to cell phones for seniors, technology has adapted to offer features that make calling, texting and connecting easier for people as they age. If you, a parent or a grandparent is thinking of trading in a phone or looking for a good match for their Verizon senior plan, here are some things to look for.

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Age Requirements For Verizon Senior Discounts

Verizon considers seniors as anyone 55 years and over. Theyll verify your age by requiring you to provide your date of birth when signing up for the cellular plan.

All of their other qualifications include:

• Youre a new customer
• Live in Florida state: theyll use your billing address to verify you live in Florida
• Have one or two phones on your account
• Aged 55 and over

Existing senior customers cant get this discount. And you cant have any more than two phones on your account. Otherwise, youll lose the discount.

The Best Cell Phone Discounts For Seniors

The first thing to keep in mind is that different cell phone providers define what a senior is differently. Often, people think of seniors as people over the age of 65. In fact, many cell phone providers set a lower age for discounts, starting to offer them at the age of 45. And other discounts are based on AARP membership. People can start belonging to AARP at the age of 50. So, even if you dont think you are a senior, you may be surprised at the discounts that are available to you. Lets explore the discounts offered by some of the largest cell phone providers.

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Other Plans To Consider

While senior-specific phone plans and senior discounts are great, they arent your only options. If youre looking for the absolute cheapest mobile phone plan available, youll want to check out Tello Mobile. Mint Mobile also offers incredibly low prices, including the cheapest option for an unlimited phone plan. And Visible offers four lines for $100 per month.

In addition to senior phone plans and senior discounts, here are three other plans to consider:

Tello Mobile offers the cheapest cell phone plans Ive found, and it runs on T-Mobiles reliable network. You can get unlimited talk, text and 1GB of high-speed data for $10 monthly. If you dont need the 1GB of data, you can get an even cheaper plan with unlimited talk and text for just $8 per month. You can also bring your own phone to Tello if its eligible.

To learn more about Tello, be sure to check out our review. You can also visit Tellos website to begin building your perfect cheap cell phone plan.

If youre looking for another cheap prepaid phone plan on T-Mobiles network, also be sure to check out the new T-Mobile Connect plans. They also begin at $10 per month for 1GB of data.

Cricket Wireless For Cricket Aarp Promos

For AARP members who will buy a smartphone from Cricket Wireless, you will get a $20 Visa promotion card as an AARP discount. This Visa promotion card is an excellent offer for senior citizens who want to maximize the use of a smartphone and are open to installing and learning how to use various apps to their advantage.

The offer comes with specific Cricket Wireless phone models. You have to keep in touch with the support team of Cricket Wireless to find out more about the available Cricket AARP plans and AARP cell phones available for AARP members. You can reach them 10 AM to 10 PM ET on Sundays and from 7 AM to 12 AM ET Mondays to Saturdays at 611 or from your phone or 1-800- 274-2538.

Today, the Cricket Wireless deals for AARP members are no longer available. However, you can still contact their customer service if you have any queries regarding previously acquired devices or consumer cellular plans or you want to find out when they will have a Cricket AARP plan.

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At& t Senior Discounts: What You Can Expect

• AT& T offers one discounted cellular plan for seniors that starts at $40 per month, per line.
• As of 2022, AT& T Unlimited 55+ plans are only available to Florida residents.
• AARP members can save $10 per month per line on the AT& T Unlimited Elite Plan.

AT& T, one of the largest telecommunications companies, offers reliable nationwide 5G and affordable wireless discounts for seniors. They also offer discounts for AARP members, military veterans, and their families.

Additionally, AT& Ts wireless network covers more than 99 percent of Americans and 100 million U.S. consumers across mobile and broadband. Well discuss some of the ways seniors can save on mobile plans.

Senior Cell Phones: Do You Need One

A senior cell phone plan will give you extra discounts and savings from major wireless carriers if youre over the age of 55. And with an AARP membership, you can also save on phone plans if youre over 50 years old.

If youre unsure whether a senior cell phone plan is right for you or are too young to qualify, there are plenty of other affordable cell phone plans that can still give you the features you need at the price you wanteven if they arent designed specifically for seniors.

Understanding whats important to you and how you use your cell phone will get you one step closer to choosing the best phone plan for you.

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Further Insight Into Our Methodology

Like other mobile phones, cell phones for seniors come in many shapes and sizesit all depends on the persons needs. Flip and bar phones are almost always cheaper and have greater battery capacity, given their relative lack of battery-draining features. Smartphones, on the other hand, have larger screens and offer a number of helpful applications and settings for those who want to do more than just make calls and send texts. We also consider the kind of monitoring a phone offers.

After looking at a phone’s features, we consider a couple of additional traits. One of them is cost and coverage. We first consider whether the cell phone model is unlocked. Unlocked phones offer users a choice of carrier, which enables consumers to shop around for the best plan. However unlocked phones must generally be purchased upfront by the consumer, potentially making the total initial costs higher. We also look at how many carriers service each cell phone. Once we’re done with service plans, we look at a few more points regarding the cell phone’s cost.

Last but not least, we looked at customer support. Given how much older people depend on their phones, strong customer support and a solid consumer rating are highly important. Cell phones are everyday items and, in the case of an issue or malfunction, it is essential for companies to be able to provide answers and alternatives.

Cityfone $25 Talk & Text Plan

Why we love it:

If all you need is to be able to call and text your loved ones, look no further. Cityfones Unlimited Talk & Text option includes unlimited Canada-wide talk and text for just $22.50/month, perfect for those who dont use their phones to browse the web. Not only is this the cheapest unlimited calling plan youll find, but it also offers coverage on Rogers best-in-class network, and your unlimited texting also extends to international destinations like the US, too. If your phone allows it, this Cityfone plan also offers call and name displayso you can quickly and easily see whos calling youas well as mini voicemail.

Want to save even more? When you supply your own phone, Cityfone gives you a discount which brings this plan down to just $22.50/monthjust like its sister carrier, SimplyConnect. Dont really need to talk the day away? Consider Cityfones $18 Talk & Text plan, which provides 150 minutes and 150 messages instead of unlimited.

Plan Pros:

WhistleOut Rating:

Why we love it:

WhistleOut Canada has a full guide to roaming with your existing cell phone plan. Get the best deal for daily trips, week-long vacations, or if you’re a regular traveler.

The downside: this plan is expensive at /month, but residents of Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan can get the cheaper Peace of Mind Connect Canada-US deal for less.

Plan Pros:

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