Net10 is one of a handful of prepaid carriers under the Tracfone umbrella. Like its parent company, Net10 offers pay-as-you-go and monthly plans. It also contracts with each of the four major cell phone carriers, so Net10 customers use the nationwide networks of Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon, depending on their phone and where they live.
In some instances, Net10 is a better deal than Tracfone. Consider this: Net10 has a 900-minute, 90-day plan for $60. Tracfone’s most comparable plan is a 450-minute, 90-day plan for $79.99. Even with a double minute Tracfone promo, you still save almost $20 with Net10.
Net10’s pricing is also competitive when compared with other prepaid-only carriers, such as MetroPCS or Cricket Wireless, though it lacks some of the features other carriers have, such as unlimited music streaming and the ability to use your phone as a mobile hot spot.
AT A Glance
- Pay-as-you-go plans start at $20 for 200 minutes/texts. Monthly plans start at $35 for 500MB.
- Strengths: Affordable plans; international calling included in some plans.
- Weaknesses: Website is difficult to navigate and sometimes gives conflicting information.
Net10 plan choices
You have no shortage of choices with Net10, which boasts more than a dozen prepaid cell phone plans. Unfortunately, details on how those plans work can be hard to find. A simple search for Net10 plans can direct you to three different websites, some of which give conflicting information. When in doubt, call customer service or use the chat feature, which will pop up if you go to the FAQ page. Here’s a summary of the plans:
Pay As You Go
Minutes expire after 30, 60, 90 or 180 days, depending on the plan. Plans include a combination of minutes and text messages, with each text deducting from your minutes package. In most cases, any unused minutes are carried over when you renew your plan. The one exception is the 1,000-minute, 30-day plan: If you don’t use those minutes within the 30-day window, you lose them.
- 200 minutes/texts (30 days): $20.
- 1,000 minutes/texts (30 days): $25.
- 300 minutes/texts (60 days): $30.
- 600 minutes/texts (60 days): $45.
- 900 minutes/texts (90 days): $60.
- 1,500 minutes/texts (180 days): $100.
Unlimited 30-day
These plans reset every 30 days and unused minutes do not carry over to the next month. In most cases, you can earn a monthly discount if you opt for automatic payments (not offered on the 7GB and 10GB plans). The $65 plan offers international calling from the U.S. to select destinations. Calls to cell phones in Mexico are limited to 400 minutes and 15 unique numbers every 30 days.
- 500MB: $35.
- 3GB: $40.
- 5GB: $50.
- 7GB: $60.
- 5GB and international calling: $65.
- 10GB: $75.
If you go over your data package, there’s no overage charge — but Net10 bumps you down to 2G speeds for the rest of your billing cycle. The slower speed means, for instance, that uploading 30 photos would take more than 20 minutes, instead of less than a minute with 4G.
Unlimited 30-day Upgrade
These versions of the Unlimited 30-Day plan give you 5GB, unlimited talk and text, and a handful of minutes for international calling. They also let you earn points each month toward a phone upgrade in six, 12 or 18 months. You have to accumulate 18 points to earn an upgrade, which comes in the form of a phone credit.
Patience pays off; the 18-month upgrade option is the best value. You’ll spend $180 more in total than you would on the regular 5GB Unlimited 30-Day plan, but you’ll earn a $300 phone upgrade discount. While the 12-month upgrade also comes with a $300 credit, the six-month upgrade option offers only a $200 phone discount.
- 6-month upgrade: $80 for 5GB and 300 minutes of international calling (3 points earned each month).
- 12-month upgrade: $70 for 5GB and 200 minutes of international calling (1.5 points).
- 18-month upgrade: $60 for 5GB and 100 minutes of international calling (1 point).
Family and friends
Net10’s family plans include unlimited minutes and text messages. The price includes all lines, but the data is doled out per line. So, on the three-line plan, each line gets 5GB. These are monthly plans, so your data package resets every 30 days. Any unused gigabytes are lost.
- 2 lines with 3GB each: $75.
- 2 lines with 5GB each: $90.
- 3 lines with 5GB each: $130.
- 4 lines with 5GB each: $170.
» MORE: 3 steps to finding a cheap cell phone plan
Where to buy Net10
Net10 phones, plans and airtime cards can be bought online. They’re also available at select Wal-Mart, Sears and Dollar General stores, among other retail outlets.
Net10’s network
Net10 is a mobile virtual network operator, which means it leases towers from other carriers. Like Tracfone, its parent company, Net10 uses networks from Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile. But which network you’ll use depends on where you live and what model phone you choose. It’s not always clear up front, so talk to a Net10 salesperson if you prefer to be on one network over another. Or bring your own compatible phone.
» MORE: Best prepaid cell phone plans
Is Net10 right for you?
Net10 is a great option for someone who just wants minutes and texts. Its pay-as-you-go plans give you more for your money than other services, including Tracfone, but still give you the flexibility to buy airtime that lasts for 90 days or even a year, if needed. While Net10’s data plans stand up to some competitors in terms of price, they lack the features offered by some less expensive carriers, including Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile.
Kelsey Sheehy is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: ksheehy@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @KelseyLSheehy.
from NerdWallet
https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/utilities/net10-cell-phone-plans/
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