| Cell
Phones & Service: Family
Plans
By Allan
Keiter
Family
plans have become increasingly
popular, as the introduction
of free family calling and
$9.99 pricing for additional
lines have made them a compelling
value for many. For those
of you who are considering
one, here’s what you
need to know.
We define cell phone family
plans as 2 to 5 lines or more
that are combined on a single
bill, and generally with a
single family rate plan. Each
person on the family plan gets
their own cell phone and their
own phone number. However,
by sharing the minutes in the
rate plan, the family can often
significantly reduce their
overall wireless bill.
Family
plans help save money in
several ways. By sharing
airtime, it is more likely
that the family can make better
use of their bucket of minutes,
thus reducing waste. Additionally,
if the family makes heavy use
of free family airtime, you
may be able to buy a smaller
overall plan. Finally, the
charge for additional lines
is generally just $9.99 a month,
much less than the stand-alone
cost of establishing a new
single line account. Finally,
despite the reduced cost of
additional lines, the great
phone deals available with
a single line are usually available
on the 2nd and additional lines.
Things to Consider
- Make
sure the family plan
includes free airtime
between family members.
If it doesn’t,
your anytime minutes will
go away two at a time when
you talk to each other!
- Buy
a plan with slightly
more minutes than you
think you will need.
With overage rates of
40¢ a minute
or more, your bill can
quickly double if you
exceed your anytime allowance.
- You
don’t need to
actually be in the same
family to get a family
plan! They are a good
solution for many small
businesses as well. Any
group of 5 or fewer could
potentially benefit, although
keep in mind that there
will only be one bill,
and that person is contractually
responsible for payment.
MyRatePlan
contains many resources to
help you compare family plans
from the convenience of your
desk. For a start, visit our
matrix page, which lets you
compare the current family
plans of the five national
carriers all on a single page.
For
more information and to see
some current comparisons, visit
MyRatePlan.com
Allan
Keiter is president of MyRatePlan.com.
Founded in 1999, MyRatePlan
offers unbiased content,
filters and calculators
to help consumers make
more informed decisions
about the products and
services they research
and buy online.
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