We all like saving money, and one of the best ways to do so is by slimming down your wireless bill. Following up on our newly launched Smartphone Plan Comparison Tool, we’ve been hard at work filling in the details on all the best wireless plans available, so that we can save you even more money.
Most smartphone owners are well aware of the four largest wireless carriers in the US: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. However, one of the best-kept secrets in the wireless industry is that there are many smaller wireless service providers that can give you access to the same networks as the big four, but at a substantial savings. Straight Talk Wireless is one such carrier.
With prominent product placement in Walmarts around the country, stemming from a joint-venture agreement with the retail giant; it’s no surprise that Straight Talk is one of the first alternative carriers that people think of when looking for ways to save money on wireless. Are you interested in saving money while still connecting to your favorite network? Want to learn about additional discounts you can get when signing up for Straight Talk service? Read on to find out if Straight Talk is a good fit for you.
What is an MVNO?
In case you didn’t catch our recent in-depth look at how MVNO carriers work and how they can save you money, the basic gist is that MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator. These are typically smaller carriers that lease access to a larger carrier’s network with the intention of reselling it to consumers. And by purchasing network access in bulk, MVNO carriers are typically able to provide their customers service at a fraction of the cost of their host networks.
What is Straight Talk?
Launched in 2009, Straight Talk is an MVNO carrier that started out as a joint-venture between Walmart and TracFone Wireless. As with all MVNO carriers, Straight Talk relies on pre-existing host networks from one (or more) of the big four wireless carriers. As one would expect from joining forces with Walmart, Straight Talk is an extremely popular option for those looking to save money on their wireless bill. And as you’ll soon see below, Straight Talk has a few tricks up its sleeves that make it an extremely compelling option for those looking for the best coverage, truly unlimited data, and the easiest possible setup experience.
What network is Straight Talk on?
Given that Straight Talk is an MVNO carrier, you may be wondering what host network it uses. What sets Straight Talk apart is that rather than having an agreement with one or two host networks, Straight Talk has agreements with all four major US carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint). This means that at the outset, you are able to select a SIM card that works on your preferred choice of carriers and devices. In order to do this, simply select which carrier your device is originally meant for, and their system will do the rest.
Protip: If you haven’t browsed the Swappa Marketplace long enough to find the perfect device to pair with your new Straight Talk service, make sure you check out the coverage maps in your area and wherever you travel on a routine basis. We recommend that you choose wisely when picking a SIM card, as you are tied to that particular host network until you swap out your SIM card to one compatible with a different host network. However, since Straight Talk doesn’t do contracts, you can always purchase a new SIM card on a different host network without incurring any cancellation fees.
Does Straight Talk have good coverage?
As we mentioned earlier, part of what sets Straight Talk apart from the crowd is that they let new customers choose between one of the four major US carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint) when then they purchase a SIM card. What this means is that you can expect top-notch coverage, since you are free to sign up with whichever carrier suits your needs best. As for pricing, it doesn’t matter which carrier you choose; they’re all available for the same low price.
Protip: One minor caveat for potential customers to keep in mind is that you can only connect to one of the four host networks at a time. Switching from one host network means that you’ll have to buy a new Straight Talk SIM Card. Luckily, since Straight Talk doesn’t do contracts, you’re free to switch at any time — without the fear of cancellation fees. The last thing to be aware of is that in order to pop in a new Straight Talk SIM Card and switch host networks, you will need an unlocked device.
How much does Straight Talk cost?
Originally launching with just two plans, Straight Talk now offers several plans to choose from, so you’re sure to find one that fits your budget and needs.
| $35 Plan | $45 Plan | $55 Ultimate Unlimited Plan | $60 International Plan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-Speed Data | 3GB | 25GB | Unlimited | 25GB |
| Hotspot Support | No | No | Yes – 10GB | No |
| International Calls | No | No | No | Unlimited to 15 Numbers |
| Auto-Refill Discount | $34/month | $44/month | $50/mo first 3 months, $54/mo after | $59/month |
| Extended Plan Discount | No | 3 months, 6 months, 1 year | No | No |
Of the plans listed above, all offer unlimited talk, text, and data. However, they differ in a few key ways: amount of high-speed data at full 4G LTE speeds, support for international calls, wireless hotspot support, and how much of a discount you receive when signing up for Auto-Refill. In addition, Wireless Hotspot support is not available for users who select the $55 Ultimate Unlimited Plan in conjunction with the AT&T host network. And one last thing about that Ultimate Unlimited Plan: Although it is “truly unlimited,” Straight Talk reserves the right to analyze your network activity once you exceed 60GB/month in order to prevent abuse.
Now if you don’t think you’ll ever exceed 25 GB of data transfer, that $45 Plan is probably your sweet spot. And if you’re looking to save even more, you can prepay for either 3-months, 6-months, or 1-year at a time, saving up to $45 per year on your wireless bill.
| Extended Plan Duration | Upfront Costs | AVERAGE Monthly Fees | Yearly Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Months | $130 | $43.33 | $5 |
| 6 Months | $255 | $42.5 | $15 |
| 1 Year | $495 | $41.25 | $45 |
Not crazy about buying your service plan in bulk, but still want to save even more? Well, there’s one final way to save money on Straight Talk — multiple lines! If you want to purchase a second line for a loved one, roommate, or child; Straight Talk makes things extremely easy. If you’re looking to purchase two lines at a time and are looking at the Ultimate Unlimited Plan, you are able to do so at just $90/month total for both truly unlimited lines. That’s a savings of $20/month over retail!
What phones work on Straight Talk?
Another area where Straight Talk’s versatility shines through is smartphone selection. Since Straight Talk allows you to choose between any one of the four major US carriers when you first sign up, your selection of phones is limitless — just like Swappa’s massive inventory of smartphones. So whether you’re looking to pick up a mint condition iPhone on Verizon‘s network, a current-generation flagship smartphone on T-Mobile, a lightly used smartphone on AT&T, or a previously-loved device on Sprint, Straight Talk Wireless will never limit you in terms of network compatibility.
Straight Talk Reviews
We just launched the Straight Talk Plans summary page, where we break down Straight Talk’s most popular plan options. Down at the bottom of each of our wireless plan breakdown pages, you may have noticed that there’s space for you to view and post your own wireless network reviews. Well, here is where you come in! Since Swappa customers are some of the savviest shoppers around, we’d like to hear from you! So if you’ve ever used or are currently using Straight Talk, click the button below to get started.
ADD OR VIEW STRAIGHT TALK REVIEWS
Looking for more before you decide whether or not Straight Talk fits the bill? Look no further than the Better Business Bureau, where Straight talk has been accredited since 2014 and has earned an A+ rating.
Note: While browsing the BBB’s site, you may also notice a significant number of low user ratings, which stem from complaints made against the brand over the years. When looking at these numbers, however, we must caution you that the only users likely to leave a comment on the BBB site are those dissatisfied with their service. A fairer metric to consider is the percentage of complaints that have been resolved by the company. In Straight Talk’s case, 100% of user complaints have been resolved, which means that Straight Talk takes your satisfaction seriously.
Is Straight Talk as good as Verizon?
Access to the same networks, but at a fraction of the price — this sounds too good to be true, right? Well there’s one minor catch that you should be aware of. As we mentioned in our article on how MVNO carriers work and how they can save you money, it is common practice for some host networks to deprioritize network transfers for MVNO customers. So how bad is this deprioritization? The answer is that it depends quite a bit based on location, time of day, current network usage, and which host network you are connecting to. At the present, independent testing by Tutela has demonstrated that MVNO carriers using the T-Mobile and Sprint networks are relatively unscathed. However, carriers using Verizon and AT&T may be subject to slower speeds during peak hours.
As one of the most prominent MVNO carriers around, Straight Talk has to be doing something right. And indeed, Straight Talk makes an incredibly compelling case for itself if you’re an extremely heavy data user, need the best coverage available, or simply want to make sure that the next smartphone you buy on the Swappa Marketplace will be compatible with at least one of Straight Talk’s four host networks. While the lower-priced plans may not suit everyone, those willing to pay a little more (but still considerably less than a comparable plan on one of the Big Four) can safely consider Straight Talk as one of the more premium options available in the MVNO space. Looking for Straight Talk customer service or tech support? Head on over to our Straight Talk contact info page for more.
