Generally, family cell phone plans work best with at least three people on the account. Having one person pay the whole family bill works well with a younger family but once members leave home or want to be more financially independent, dropping the plan down could be less cost efficient. That's why it's important to check cell phone network coverage maps to know what's best for you. Sticking to the same network for the whole family can cause issues here if one family member regularly visits an area where cell phone reception for that network is flaky. Instead, it could be better to buy single-line plans for each family member so that the plan suits their needs better.ĭoes your family travel around the local area often? Depending on where you live, your cell phone signal may vary depending on where you go. For instance, if only one member of the family extensively uses data, and most family plans offer unlimited data, you end up paying for a service you simply don't need.
There are some times when an individual phone plan is better, even if it involves your family having separate cell phone plans.Ĭrucially, if each family member uses their phone very differently, it can be poor value to use a family plan.
When is an individual phone plan better value?Ī family plan might seem like the perfect idea on the surface but it's not ideal for everyone. However, that's not needed if you're dealing with a young family and one bill payer. Separate billing means that each member of the family plan can pay separately each month, saving you the need of rounding up payments regularly. The former often costs extra besides Verizon Just Kids plan which does so for free, but it can mean you can monitor your child's usage reasonably well while using a family plan. Other additional extras can include features like parental controls and separate billing. A larger family will benefit most here from a substantial discount. Generally, the first line on any family plan is the most expensive with extra lines dropping in price steadily. That all might sound great but consider if you really need them or if they're perks that you're paying extra for no reason for. Verizon offers many benefits too including streaming services like Disney+ (opens in new tab). Many cell phone providers add extra bonuses such as T-Mobile (opens in new tab) providing you with Netflix for free, or AT&T bundling in HBO Max (opens in new tab). Be aware of this and try not to go over the cap. While your connection won't be disabled for excessive use, you may find speeds dropped down to 3G or even lower if you and your family exceed the cap. Despite many cell phone providers promising unlimited data, many also have soft caps on usage. Generally speaking, it makes sense to pick out a plan that offers unlimited data when looking for a family plan of three or more lines. Someone who uses it to check email once in a while doesn't require as much data as someone who regularly streams YouTube videos while on the move or plays online mobile games frequently. It's important to think about how each member of your family uses their phone. You also need to think about how many people you need the plan to cover, as well as your budget. In part, that's because you need to think about how your whole family uses their phones. Picking out a family cell phone plan involves a slightly different approach than picking out an individual plan.
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How to pick the best family cell phone plan Others may charge you the same fee for all users but it works out cheaper as you're bulk buying. By essentially providing you with a package deal, it works out cheaper as you pay a lower cost individually because the cell phone provider benefits from having your whole family signed up at once.įor instance, some cell providers will charge a set fee for the first line, then gradually reduce the price for additional lines. The difference is that instead of it working for one line/phone number, it works for a number of lines with you being able to choose how many you want to add. Individual vs family cell phone plans: What is a family cell phone plan?Ī family cell phone plan works just like a regular individual one. Read on while we explore which plan offers the best value for you - individual or family cell phone plans - and discuss what you need to know about both. However, like with all major decisions, it's important to think about what works for you and what represents the best value. Instead, you might want to consider signing up for a family cell phone plan rather than an individual one.
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