Consumer Cellular Phone Bill: What You Should be Paying

Consumer Cellular, one of the leaders in no contract cell phone plans, caters primarily to those who are over the age of 50 and offer reliable service just about anywhere across the country for those who don’t need a lot of heavy data streaming.

Consumer Cellular is known for having some of the cheapest plans with the starting phone bill cost per month at about $15 with the opportunity to add things like data streaming for just $5. But with very few perks, are these low prices worth it?

Network quality 

Consumer Cellular is unique in that they provide Wireless Services by using other network providers, namely AT&T and T-Mobile. Therefore, the network quality you get is contingent upon not just what AT&T and T-Mobile offer in your area, but which network Consumer Cellular is piggybacking off of. 

Below is a map of the AT&T and T-Mobile current coverage:

AT&T

Map of AT&T network coverage from RootMetrics.

T-Mobile

Map of T-Mobile network coverage from RootMetrics

Will 5G cost more with Consumer Cellular?

There is no extra 5G Plan cost because at present Consumer Cellular offers 5G for those who have a 5G compatible device. All of the smartphones and flip phones on the market are compatible with existing 4G networks that people who have some of the newer models of Apple or Samsung products can you do eyes 5G with no increase in their Unlimited Plan cost.

One of the other things that makes Consumer Cellular stand out are the discounts for seniors. They offer plans that focus more heavily on unlimited talk and text over data for this reason.

Consumer Cellular Cell Phone Plans

Unlimited plans

The average cell phone cost per month for the unlimited talk and text plans for 1 line vary based on how many gigabytes of data you want. 

Talk only plans:

If you want a plan that only includes talk with no data, you can pay $15 per month, per line and receive 250 minutes every month. You can pay $20 per month, per line and receive unlimited minutes.

Talk with text and data:

If you want talk with text and data, there are five plans available, all five of which include 250 minutes of talk and unlimited text.

• The first plan is $20 per month, per line and you get 500 megabytes of shared data.
• The second plan is $25 per month per line and you get 3 GB of shared data.
• The third plan is $35 per month, per line, and you get 10GB of shared data.
• The fourth plan is $45 per month, per line, and you get 15GB of shared data per month.
• The fifth plan is $55 per month, per line, with unlimited shared data.

The biggest plan with unlimited data is cheaper than almost any other cell phone plan on the market in terms of the unlimited data factor. However, it is still limited to 250 minutes of talking.

Family and Sharing plans

The unlimited Family Plan cost is based on the number of lines you want, 1-3. There is no additional line access fee. 

If you have 2 lines:

• The first plan is $17.50 per month, per line and you get 500 megabytes of shared data.
• The second plan is $20 per month per line and you get 3 GB of shared data.
• The third plan is $25 per month, per line, and you get 10GB of shared data.
• The fourth plan is $30 per month, per line, and you get 15GB of shared data per month.
• The fifth plan is $35 per month, per line, with unlimited shared data.

If you have 3 lines:

• The first plan is $16.67 per month, per line and you get 500 megabytes of shared data.
• The second plan is $18.33 per month per line and you get 3 GB of shared data.
• The third plan is $21.67 per month, per line, and you get 10GB of shared data.
• The fourth plan is $25 per month, per line, and you get 15GB of shared data per month.
• The fifth plan is $28.33 per month, per line, with unlimited shared data.

How Consumer Cellular’s Unlimited Plan Compares

Compared to companies like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, Consumer Cellular doesn’t have as many perks or add-on services, but Consumer Cellular offers significantly cheaper services with better coverage simply because they utilize T-Mobile and AT&T networks so there was a lot of overlap. They do offer special benefits for AARP members including 5% off the monthly service.

In terms of multiple phone lines, Consumer Cellular gives you the option of up to three lines per plan which is less than most big companies.

When looking at prices alone, Consumer Cellular’s prices are very low and perfect for individuals who use their phone for limited talking and texting but don’t need a lot of streaming. They also have some of the least expensive family plans where data is concerned.