Unlike disco balls, fidget spinners, and that questionable rhinestone jacket that’s been hiding away in the back of your closet for years, saving money never goes out of style. Following the introduction of our Smartphone Plan Comparison Tool, we have been hard at work looking at all the best wireless plans in order to save you more money.
By now, pretty much everybody with a smartphone is well acquainted with the four largest wireless carriers: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. However, there are quite a few alternatives out there that can save you some cash while delivering access to the same great networks that you’ve grown to love.
Today, we’re taking a look at Tracfone Wireless, one of the longest standing alternative carriers in the North American market. Want to find out if you can save money by switching to Tracfone?
What is an MVNO?
We recently took an in-depth look at how MVNO carriers work and how they can save you money, but here’s a quick refresher: MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator. These are typically smaller carriers that lease network access from one (or more) of the big four wireless networks in order to resell it to consumers at a discount. They purchase network access in bulk so that they can negotiate the best possible rates, enabling them to pass the savings to you.
What is Tracfone?
Founded way back in 1996 as Topp Telecom, Tracfone Wireless is one of the oldest alternative carriers still around. Although branding and services have changed several times since then, Tracfone continues to thrive thanks to its ability to adapt to the ever-changing wireless market.
Although Tracfone is currently an MVNO carrier, this wasn’t always the case. In its early days, Tracfone locked users to self-branded devices and used its own towers in order to provide a regional network centered around Miami. In 2013, Tracfone began offering another means for users to save money: BYOP, or Bring Your Own Phone. Not too long after, Tracfone shifted focus to become the MVNO carrier it is today. Today, Tracfone not only operates under its own brand, but also under 10 sub-brands of MVNO carriers such as Straight Talk, Simple Mobile, US Mobile, and more.
What network is Tracfone on?
Like all MVNO carriers, Tracfone Wireless relies upon one or more host networks to serve as the foundation of its coverage. Unlike most MVNOs that only use one or two host networks, Tracfone uses all four major US carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint). This has several notable benefits, including wide device compatibility, class-leading coverage, and more.
How good is Tracfone’s coverage?
Since Tracfone Wireless uses all four major US carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint) as its host networks, you are able to get the best coverage possible. Before signing up for service, just make sure to check Tracfone’s coverage map for service in your area on the host network you intend on using.
How much does Tracfone Cost?
Traditionally, Tracfone has done quite well in the ultra-low-cost segment with service plans geared mainly towards light smartphone users. However, thanks to a new set of unlimited plans unveiled in the middle of 2019, Tracfone has evolved to offer many more options for a much wider group of potential customers.
New Tracfone Unlimited Service Plans
| $20 Plan | $25 Plan | $30 Plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talk | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Text | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Data | 1GB with Carryover | 2GB with Carryover | 3GB with Carryover |
All of the new Tracfone Unlimited service plans feature unlimited talk and text. They only differ by how much data you can use each month before you must purchase more. All three plans also offer unlimited carryover, meaning that all of the data you don’t use one month will be carried over to the next month — it never “expires,” and it stays with your account as long as your service remains active.
Tracfone Classic Plans
| 365-Day | 90-Day | 90-Day | 60-Day | 60-Day | 30-Day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talk | 1500 | 750 | 750 | 750 | 500 | 500 |
| Text | 1500 | 1500 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 500 |
| Data | 1.5GB | 2.0GB | 1.5GB | 1.0GB | 500MB | 500MB |
| Price | $125 upfront ($10.42/mo) | $50 upfront ($16.67/month) | $45 upfront ($15/month) | $35 upfront ($17.50/month) | $25 upfront ($12.50/month) | $15/month |
| Auto-Refill | $118.75 upfront ($9.90/mo) | No | No | $33.25 upfront ($16.63/month) | $23.75 upfront ($11.88/month) | $14.25/month |
What if you’re still a light user who doesn’t in need unlimited talk or text? In addition to the new set of unlimited plans, Tracfone still offers its older classic plans for light users looking to minimize spending on wireless. Many of these plans can be made even cheaper by enrolling in auto-refill.
What phones work with Tracfone?
Since Tracfone allows you to choose between any of the four major US carriers, you are able to use whatever phone you’d like. This means that you are free to take a look through Swappa’s massive inventory of smartphones and find whatever device suits your needs best. After selecting your device, simply choose your intended network when picking your Tracfone plan. So whether you’re looking to pick up a gently used phone on Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, or Sprint, Tracfone will never limit you in terms of network compatibility.
Tracfone Reviews
Along with the recent launch of our new Smartphone Plan Comparison Tool, we also added the ability for all of you to rate your experiences with mobile carriers. In addition to listing information on the most popular plan options, the Tracfone Wireless Plans summary page also lets you add or view Tracfone reviews. 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 Tracfone and want to rate their service, or if you simply want to see what experiences others have had, click the button below.
Looking for more before you decide whether or not Tracfone fits the bill? Look no further than the Better Business Bureau, where Straight talk has been accredited since 2003 and has earned an A+ rating.
Please be aware that when viewing user ratings on BBB’s site, you may also notice a significant number of low user ratings. These stem from complaints made against the brand over the years. However, it is important to note that the users most likely to leave a comment on the BBB site are those dissatisfied with their service. As such, it may be more appropriate to consider the percentage of complaints that have been resolved by the company. In Tracfone’s case, 100% of user complaints have been resolved, which means that Tracfone takes customer satisfaction seriously.
Is Tracfone any good?
Whether or not Tracfone is worth it depends on you as a customer. In general, Tracfone’s service plans offer great pricing for light users who aren’t constantly using their devices. When bought in bulk and using the auto-renew discount, Tracfone’s classic plans offer some of the best rates for light smartphone users or those looking for service for an emergency phone. Tracfone’s newer unlimited plans help expand the company’s appeal to more typical smartphone users who make a lot of calls and send a lot of texts, but don’t necessarily require a ton of data every month. However, these plans still aren’t ideal for extremely data-hungry users who constantly stream high-definition content while on the go.
With Tracfone, you get access to the same networks, but at a fraction of the price. So, what’s the catch? 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. What does this mean in the real world? This depends quite a bit based on your location, the time of day, which host network you are connecting to, and the host network’s current usage. Independent testing by Tutela has shown that carriers using the T-Mobile and Sprint host networks aren’t quite as effective as those using Verizon and AT&T. Since Tracfone lets you choose between any of the four when you first purchase your SIM card, you can factor this into your decision on which host network to use.
Ultimately, there’s a lot to like about Tracfone if you’re the right type of user. It offers some of the best coverage and device compatibility around, as well as a wide range of plans for various usage profiles. You just have to make sure that the plans make sense for how you typically use your phone. So if you’re a light to moderate user, or simply want to make sure that the next smartphone you buy on Swappa will be compatible, Tracfone may be your best bet. But if you’re a super-heavy user who needs unlimited data, you may be better served with some of Tracfone’s other brands such as StraightTalk, which offers a truly unlimited data plan for extremely heavy users. Looking for Tracfone customer service or tech support? You can find Tracfone’s contact info here.
