Did You Know: To learn more about our favorite providers, check out our rundown of senior cell phone plans.
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December 6, 2022
Offering low-cost, prepaid cell phone plans, Tracfone is an ideal option for seniors who need minimal cellular service. Piggybacking off the networks of T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon, this provider covers the entire country — and even offers 5G service.
In this rundown, we’ll take a closer look at what Tracfone offers older adults and how their services perform.
Did You Know: To learn more about our favorite providers, check out our rundown of senior cell phone plans.
Unlike other providers, Tracfone doesn’t have names for its plans. Instead, plans are delineated by cost, talk minute allowance, message allowance, data allowance, and duration. Tracfone offers 11 service plans, an overview of which is compiled below.
| Cost | Minutes | Messages | Data | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15 | 500 | 500 | 500 MB | 30 days |
| $20 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 GB | 30 days |
| $40 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 8 GB | 30 days |
| $79.99 | 450 | None | None | 90 days |
| $99.99 | 400 | None | None | 365 days |
Tracfone does not offer a specific plan or discount for seniors, but it offers several plans that would be great for older adults.
For starters, Tracfone offers a plan with 500 minutes, 500 messages, and 500 MB of data for $15 per month. For people who don’t use their phones too heavily but still need some data, this plan would be a great option.
The Tracfone $99.99 plan is also a great deal. This talk-only plan costs $99.99 for an entire year, which breaks down to about $9 per month. If you need a cell phone only for emergencies, this would be one of the most affordable plans out there.
FYI: To learn which cellular providers offer discounts, check out our guide to senior phone discounts.
To purchase a phone and service from Tracfone, start by visiting the company’s website. You can find more information about each of its service plans and the devices it currently offers. You can also purchase a device or Tracfone plan at CVS, 7-Eleven, Total Wireless, and other authorized retailers.
Walmart is also a popular retailer of Tracfone phones and service plans. They can be purchased either over the internet or in person, which is particularly useful since Tracfone doesn’t automatically renew unless you want it to. If you wish to extend your service or add extra minutes, then you can quickly head to Walmart to do so.
Compared with other wireless providers, Tracfone is one of the most affordable options. In addition to no long-term contracts, its cellular service can be as cheap as $9 per month. If you wish to pay month to month, then its plans start as low as $15 per month.
Your talk, text, and data allowance also roll over to your next service period, provided your phone stays continually activated. If you let your service lapse, then it will not roll over.
Unlike many other providers, Tracfone does not have overage charges. When you use up your monthly allowance of minutes, messages, or data, your service is simply cut off.
Considering other providers charge extra money by the minute, message, or MB of data, this can be a handy feature. Some, however, may find it annoying to have to purchase extra coverage when they use up their allowance.
Extra minutes, messages, and data cost the following:
Tracfone and Straight Talk are two of the most popular prepaid wireless providers, but they differ in price, data allowances, and rollover abilities.
If you plan to use large amounts of data, then Straight Talk is the better option. If you don’t need unlimited data and you want your service allowances to roll over each month, then Tracfone may be the better option.
| Tracfone | Straight Talk | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting month-to-month price | $15 | $30 |
| Minutes, messages, and data rollover | Yes | Only with add-on purchases |
| 5G access | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited data | Not offered | Starts at $55 per month |
| Long-term commitment | Not required | Not required |
If you’re looking for an affordable wireless provider with no long-term contract required, then Tracfone could be a great option. Particularly for people who use their cell phone minimally, one of the company’s 365-day plans can be a great way to have a phone for emergencies that costs less than $10 per month.
If you plan to use your phone for streaming video or browsing the web, then Tracfone can quickly get more costly than other providers. For example, T-Mobile senior plans start at $27.50 per month, and they include unlimited talk, text, and data.
Still, if you want a month-to-month way to keep in touch with loved ones, Tracfone is worth considering.
To learn more about our favorite wireless providers, check out our helpful guides:
The best plan will vary from person to person, but we think Tracfone’s 365-day plan with 400 minutes is a great option for seniors. It costs less than $10 per month, and it’s a great way to have an active cell phone in case of emergencies.
As long as you don’t let your service lapse between months, your unused minutes, messages, and data will carry over to subsequent months.
If you have an unlocked cell phone, then you can use it with Tracfone service.
Yes, you can buy Tracfone service, add-ons, and compatible cell phones from Walmart, both online and in store.
