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How do I Choose the Best Cellular Service Plan?

By Felicia Dye
Updated: May 17, 2024

Before you begin to determine which cellular service plan is best for you, stop and consider your needs. One of the first things you need to consider is all of the people whose cellular service you are responsible for. If you are married with children, it may be best to consider a family service plan. Even if your children are responsible for paying for their own portion, it could work out cheaper for everyone.

Next, you need to consider the patterns of usage for everyone who will be covered by the cellular service plan. This includes analyzing what everyone uses their phones for and what services they use the most. If your spouse is self-employed, this means that you may need to budget for many calls during peak hours. Children tend to rely heavily on their cellular phones for texts messages and downloading. It may even be wise to make a chart if the cellular service plan will cover several people or a wide variety of needs.

After you have assessed your needs, you can begin comparing your options. Do not be hesitant to allow sales representatives from the various companies do their jobs, which is to try to sell you their services. You can share your chart with them and based on it, they can make suggestions for which cellular service plans may suit you best. You can also share other offers with them and allow them to try to make a better offer.

When you are shopping, you should have a good idea of what you need. This means that you should also have a good idea of what you don’t need. Choosing the best cellular service plan means you should avoid obligating yourself to services that are not used.

If the phones on your account will be used for anything more than an occasional phone call, you should try to find cellular service plans that include bundles. These are packages of services such as video messaging, text messaging, and downloading. Choosing a plan with a bundle can often be much cheaper than subscribing to a list of services that each have monthly fees.

Also be aware of the conditions attached to deals. For example, don’t just consider how many minutes a plan offers, also consider when those minutes can be used. If a plan offers free calls or messaging to other phones on the same network, make sure those calls are free anytime day or night. Don’t be persuaded by cellular service plans that involve you changing your habits. If you get unlimited free calls after 10 p.m. but you are normally in bed at that time, don’t think that you can change your lifestyle to accommodate your cellular service plan.

WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
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