Straight Talk Prepaid Cellphone Plans

Straight Talk is a prepaid cell phone service from TracFone Wireless. Since Straight Talk doesn’t have its own network, it relies on other established and reliable networks for its service. According to their website, they share networks with the four top carriers, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. As a result of their network sharing, they offer phone coverage nationwide.

If you’re concerned as to whether or not Straight Talk offers service in your local area, go to their website and enter your zip code and you’ll quickly find out if they service your local area.

Prepaid, No-Contract Service Plans

Straight Talk has a wide variety of service plans. Before you take a look at their plans, you should have a good idea of the type of phone user you are. Here are a few things to ask yourself:

• Do I spend more time on the phone talking or texting?
• Will I only need the phone for emergencies (minimal talk time) or will this phone replace my landline (requiring more talk time)?
• Do I make international calls or only domestic calls?

• How many emails with attachments do I send/receive monthly?
• Do I use my phone’s GPS frequently?
• How do I spend my time online:
• researching and web surfing
• streaming music/videos
• downloading apps/games
• posting photos on social media

It’s not imperative that you know the exact answer to the above questions, but having a general idea will help you in determining which monthly plan to choose. The good thing about prepaid, however, is that if you need more data before the month is out, you can always purchase more.

Phone Plans

Currently, their cheapest plan is appropriately called the Basic Phone Plan. It costs $30/month and offers unlimited texting, 1500 Talk minutes (nationwide), and 100 MB of data for 30 days of service. 10GB of data plan. In contrast, their most expensive prepaid plan is called Extended Unlimited. It’s a one-year plan for $495 that offers unlimited talk, text, and unlimited data and 5GB hotspot data per month for 365 days of service.

There are several plans falling between the two price points offering a variety of data, days of service, and hotspot combinations. Having a good idea of what type of cell phone user you are will help in deciding which plan to select.

Phones

Straight Talk offers a large selection of phones. You can opt for a basic flip phone for $29.99 or splurge and get the latest iPhone or Android. For the more expensive phones, you can pay for them in monthly installments with interest. Although, in my opinion, monthly installments defeat the purpose of having a prepaid cell plan. You're on the hook until you pay off the phone. Keep in mind that the monthly installment is in addition to whatever monthly service plan you choose. If you’ve got a tight budget, I recommend going for a much cheaper phone.

Bring Your Own Phone

Rather than purchase a new phone, you can bring an existing phone. Straight Talk has a compatibility checker on their site to help you determine whether or not you can use your existing phone. Whether you have an unlocked phone or currently have a phone provided by one of their network partners, the compatibility checker walks you through the process.

After confirming your phone is compatible, then order the Phone SIM kit so you can switch your service.

Purchasing Air/Data Time

You can purchase additional airtime service cards at Walmart, Amazon or from StraightTalk. Or, you can text ADD or BUY to 611611 from your StraightTalk phone. If you’re new and unsure of how to add benefits to your phone, you can always call the Customer Care Center at 1-877-430-2355.

If purchasing service cards and replenishing your account monthly is too much of a hassle, you can enroll in the auto-refill option. Auto refill not only saves time, but you can potentially save on certain plans. You get monthly notifications prior to your credit card being charged so there are no surprises. And, since it’s a prepaid program, you can cancel the auto-refill at any time.

Tracking your Order

Whether you ordered a SIM Kit or a new phone, you can track your order. You’ll need your Order ID and of course, your email address. Or, if you have your phone, text ORDER to 611611. You’ll receive a text with a link. After clicking on the text link, enter the order number to find out the status.

What Folks are Saying about Straight Talk

Before purchasing the Straight Talk services, spend a little time reading reviews. This service has gained popularity over the years and so there are many customer reviews online. Here’s a link to Straight Talk reviews on the Consumer Affairs website.

For Your Information

Straight Talk Wireless also participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program. As such, eligible individuals/households may qualify to receive free or discounted phone service.

Did you know?: If you meet the Lifeline and/or Affordable Connectivity Program criteria, you qualify to receive a free device (smartphone or tablet) along with discounted or free wireless service (plans vary by state).

About the Author: LaForey is a person who was fed up with contract phone plans and opted for something more practical.

Last Modified: 22 November 2022