Unlimited Talk/Text Plans from Tracfone: More Expensive than the Competition?

Tracfone Launches Unlimited Plans with Discount for 3, 6 or 12 Month Purchase

Tracfone unveiled new monthly plans and pricing that included discounts for 3, 6 or 12 month increments but these plans might not be as new, or nice, as they appear.

When Verizon's acquisition of Tracfone was finalized in late 2021, many expected changes would be coming to the budget friendly prepaid carrier. And now a new selection of monthly unlimited plans that mirror several other popular service providers has been launched and promoted by Tracfone.

At this time, Tracfone still offers most of their prepaid airtime card options they are well known for, simply adding these new plans to their unlimited service plans. The new unlimited plans, however, aren't as new as they might seem, which we will be covering here.

Guide to Tracfone's Unlimited Monthly Plans

The unlimited monthly plans from Tracfone come with unlimited talk and text, and 0-10GB data, plus 30 service days. They also offer increments of 3, 6 or 12 months purchased at one time, at a discounted price. See the full list of prices and plans below:

While the option to purchase the plans in 3, 6 or 12 month increments is new, the monthly plans are the same unlimited talk/text options Tracfone has offered for a few years. Tracfone also offered an unlimited 1 year plan with 24GB data for $199 that is now replaced by the new options.

From the image above, we see that the discount gets better the more months that are purchased at one time, with the best discount of 20% for 12 months. 

FAQ - Monthly Unlimited Talk/Text Plans:

Q: How much data do you get with the 2GB plan when purchasing a full year?

A: Users who purchase a full year of the unlimited talk/text plan with 2GB data per month for $192 will get 24GB data. According to what we can gather from Tracfone, this data will be allotted in a lump sum upon purchase with unlimited carryover (as long as users have an unlimited plan). Users can purchase additional data separately at any time for $10 per GB.

Q: Will the data carryover from one year to the next if I purchase another year of unlimited talk/text?

A: Yes, as far as we can tell, if a user has remaining data and purchases another 12 months of unlimited talk/text, any remaining data will carryover. Example: A user purchases the $192/year plan with 24GB data and uses only 10GB of it during the year. The user then purchases another $192/year plan with an additional 24GB. The users should then have a balance of 38GB data. 

Q: Is there any plan similar to the $199/year plan with unlimited talk/text and 24GB data?

A: Yes, the 2GB/mo with unlimited talk/text is $20/mo but when purchasing 12 months at one time, it is $192 and includes 24GB data. So it is actually a little cheaper for the same plan.

Tracfone did not release very much information about how these new plans worked initially, but we have been continuing to gather and share what we know and will update with more when available.

So how do these new plans compare to the competition? Let's find out. 

Are Tracfone's Unlimited Plans a Good Deal?

For some, they might be a good option, but for many, these plans just don't offer enough data for the price. 

The $20/mo plan with 2GB data when purchased as an annual plan comes out to $192, or $16 per month. This is a relatively good deal, but if more data is required, it will cost $10 per GB.

For a plan with 5GB each month, users will have to pay $30/mo, or $288 for 12 months (which comes out to $24 per month). 

For the highest amount of data, Tracfone offers a $40/mo plan with 10GB data which is more suitable for high-data users but it will cost $384 for the annual plan, or $32 per month. 

And note, these prices do not include taxes and fees, which was almost $25 for the 10GB annual plan on top of the $384.

Here is the problem. Many other service providers offer plans with similar or more data (and even unlimited data) for less:

• Mint Mobile offers unlimited talk and text with 5GB data/month for $180 annually ($15/mo)
• Visible offers unlimited talk, text and data for $25/month (taxes and fees included)
• US Mobile has unlimited talk, text and data (but only 10GB premium data) for $180 per year ($15/mo)
• Tello offers unlimited talk and text with 5GB data per month for $14. Or an unlimited plan for $25/mo.
• And more options available beyond these carriers.

Tracfone is trying to offer similar plans as their competitors yet they are charging significantly more. But Tracfone is making another mistake. They are forgetting who their main customers are.

Tracfone users are very price conscience, and are typically very active in managing and limiting airtime and data usage. Most Tracfone users would likely prefer more low cost options rather than these unlimited plans.

Many of Tracfone's customers purchase the 1 Year/1500 minute airtime card for $99 which is less than $10 per month. Better yet, some purchase their phone and service bundled, getting a year of service and certain amount of airtime included in the cost of a new phone. (Check out our latest deals list to learn more!)

Tracfone should focus on creating plans that are $5-$10 per month, or under $100 per year, rather than trying to push users to unlimited plans that are simply overpriced. 

We don't know what future changes Verizon has planned for Tracfone, but if they want to keep their customers, they will have to focus on simple, affordable options that put users in control of exactly what they want to use.

We want to hear form our readers, and what plans you want Tracfone offer. Leave a comment or head over to our Facebook page to continue the conversation and share your thoughts.

If you're new to Tracfone, Start Here with our beginners guide. Also take a look at our Guide to Activating or Transferring a Tracfone Smartphone for tips and a step by step list.

Take a look at the Latest Deals and Sales on Tracfone devices and also our Tracfone Promo Code page!

Finally, learn how to Make your Airtime Last Longer and also check out our recent post on How Data works with Tracfone.

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