New cell phone plan options

[Gin1984]

My husband and I have had ting for over decade but dish buying them has made some of the part we like (actual useful customer service, decent website etc) be removed.  We are looking around at what options we have.  Right now we pay $10/person for unlimited talk/text and $5 for 2GB of data.  We currently have two people on the account but will be adding my older daughter next summer.  Any recommendations?  We live east coast of US and travel a bit. 

[Daley]

Same advice I've been giving since I wrapped up the guide a few years back. Red Pocket.

They have competitive prices on multiple plans, they have multiple plan options ranging everywhere from $2.50/month to $40/month - including annual plans and family plans, and they offer most of those plans on all three major networks. Support is okay, better via chat than call-in, and the rare time there have been problems, they've been fixed without much fuss.

$10/month/line will get you "unlimited" talk and text along with 1GB of high speed data on your choice of network. If coverage is a concern with travel, go with their GSMA (AT&T) or CDMA (Verizon) SIM cards given there's no network roaming like Ting did with their T-Mobile coverage. Maybe one on each network for better travel coverage if your home coverage is about equal between your options. You won't get international roaming with them, however.

[halfling]

US Mobile has been great for me. Ting was my first choice but they got acquired right as I was about to switch. The US Mobile website is surprisingly modern and the customer service was fast  and helpful.

[curious_george]

Same advice I've been giving since I wrapped up the guide a few years back. Red Pocket.

They have competitive prices on multiple plans, they have multiple plan options ranging everywhere from $2.50/month to $40/month - including annual plans and family plans, and they offer most of those plans on all three major networks. Support is okay, better via chat than call-in, and the rare time there have been problems, they've been fixed without much fuss.

$10/month/line will get you "unlimited" talk and text along with 1GB of high speed data on your choice of network. If coverage is a concern with travel, go with their GSMA (AT&T) or CDMA (Verizon) SIM cards given there's no network roaming like Ting did with their T-Mobile coverage. Maybe one on each network for better travel coverage if your home coverage is about equal between your options. You won't get international roaming with them, however.

I would also recommend red pocket.

Myself, my spouse, kids, brothers and sisters, and some nieces and nephews are all on red pocket.

No problems and the price and phone carrier combination can't be beat.

[NotJen]

US Mobile has been great for me. Ting was my first choice but they got acquired right as I was about to switch. The US Mobile website is surprisingly modern and the customer service was fast  and helpful.

I started out with Ting and switched to US Mobile in 2021(?) when I couldn’t avoid data charges on their upgraded network.  US Mobile has been great (I’m on the Verizon network), and the price keeps getting lower!  They just updated their plans, and now I’m getting 500 minutes, 500 texts, and 500mb data for $5/mo.

[RunningintoFI]

US Mobile has been great for me. Ting was my first choice but they got acquired right as I was about to switch. The US Mobile website is surprisingly modern and the customer service was fast  and helpful.

I started out with Ting and switched to US Mobile in 2021(?) when I couldn’t avoid data charges on their upgraded network.  US Mobile has been great (I’m on the Verizon network), and the price keeps getting lower!  They just updated their plans, and now I’m getting 500 minutes, 500 texts, and 500mb data for $5/mo.

Also on US Mobile and really been loving the value for the price! And the customer service is solid from my experiences so far. 

[zolotiyeruki]

DW and I are on Airvoice, and while the price is ok, their customer service has gone downhill and their website is poor.

Our kids' phones are on Redpocket, and so far we have no complaints.  Highly recommended.

[darknight]

I have found that going in to the actual store has told me a lot of what I need to know. I switched from a large carrier to a smaller carrier largely based on price. Upon checking out the price/benefits in store, customer service was night and day better and solidified my choice. Service isn't as good as before but i'll take the occasional 4g (vs 5g) slowdown for better service at a better price.