Best Prepaid Phone Plans for December 2024
Know your area
Before we put together a plan, you’ll want to make sure you have the coverage you need in order to get the best price. This makes it difficult for us to make an overall recommendation for any one operator. T-Mobile may have very good service in New York, but if you’re in rural Iowa, Verizon is more reliable.
Your situation may vary, but the good news is that these networks are always growing and improving, especially as the three major carriers race to cover the United States with 5G. Chances are, you left a network a decade ago complaining about sparse service, but now it’s heightened by competition for customers.
If you know any friends or family in your area already use the carrier you’re considering, ask them about their experience. You can also go to your operator’s store and see if they offer a way to try the service for free before switching, e.g. T-Mobile’s Network Pass. Verizon Offers similar 30-day plans although AT&T recently launched its own 30-day free trial option for eSIM used to sample its network.
Learn about prepaid phone plan promotions and offers
Like the leading carriers, prepaid carriers sometimes offer deals. Boost Mobile used to run a promotion for new customers where after an “first payment of $100” you could get three lines, unlimited talk, text and data for $90 per month ($30 per line). It has since added a new unlimited plan for $25 per month for new users, although each line must be separate and cannot be grouped into a family plan.
Some prepaid providers will even offer discounts on new devices, but unlike the leading carriers, don’t expect the same big promotions offering free new iPhones or Samsung’s latest Galaxy. These deals are typically tied to 24 or 36-month installment plans, which prepaid essentially doesn’t offer.
