Choose A Cheaper Wireless Plan

If you haven’t re-shopped your wireless phone plan in a few years, you’re probably paying a steep price for your loyalty.

- Kaitlin Pitsker

As cellular providers continue to vie for customers, many are revamping their plans and pricing structures and beefing up their plans’ appeal with perks and extras for customers who make the switch. And regardless of how you use your phone or which plan features matter most to you, you’ll likely find more options and better deals than in years past. //

“Carriers make changes all the time, so to get the best deals, people should re-shop their plan twice a year,” says Toni Toikka, president of Alekstra, a New York City–based research firm that analyzes wireless bills. Most people are overpaying by about 30%, he says. But picking the right plan could save a family of four $1,400 to $2,000 a year, says Toikka.

The days of selecting a package of minutes, number of text messages and bucket of data are largely over. And although you’re no longer tethered to a two-year contract with a built-in phone upgrade every few years, you can’t count on getting a new phone subsidy, either. Rather, you’ll generally pay the full retail price of your new smartphone, either up front or in monthly installments. And data gobblers rejoice: Unlimited plans, which were on the brink of extinction a few years ago, are back.

Shopping for a phone and phone plan today can leave even the savviest customers confused. But you’ll be rewarded if you take the time to review your service and navigate the other offerings on the market.