Top 6 Senior Phone Plans of 2021

In the digital age, owning a cellphone is almost a necessity. If you are a senior, there are many important benefits to owning a cellphone. Owning a cellphone allows you to easily stay in touch with your friends and family members. Cellphones are also much better suited than landlines in case of an emergency, especially if you are at risk for falls. Once you are familiar with your phone, there are smaller benefits available as well. You can set up a calendar to keep track of your appointments, or set alarms to remind you to take your medication.

Because cellphones have many advanced features, it can be difficult to find an affordable plan. Fortunately, the major cellphone providers, such as AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile all offer generous senior discounts. There are also several cellphone plans specifically for senior citizens, such as Consumer Cellular and GreatCall.

AT&T

AT&T provides the most robust options for seniors. The most common plan is AT&T Senior Nation. As of writing, Senior Nation is the least expensive plan available through AT&T. The plan is relatively basic, offering only 200 anytime minutes, with an extra 500 night and weekend minutes. If you only want a cellphone in case of emergencies or to quickly setup appointments and other meetings, you can get by with the Senior Nation plan. In order to qualify, you must be at least 65 years of age.

If you are looking for an expanded plan, you can sign up for the Unlimited Elite plan, as long as you are an AARP member. It is more costly than Senior Nation, but it comes with improved benefits. As part of the Unlimited Elite plan, you have unlimited talk and text, as well as 100 GB worth of data. You also have coverage in both the United States and Mexico. There are even HD streaming options.

The last plan is AT&T Unlimited 55+, but it is currently only available if you live in Florida. The Unlimited 55+ is almost identical to the Senior Nation plan, but there are additional discounts available, and a few extra perks, such as fraud and spam blocking. If you live in Florida and are interested in the Unlimited 55+ plan, you must sign up in person at an AT&T store. 2 lines for the affordable price of $70 a month. Unlimited talk & text for one line as low as $35 a month.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile has a single plan for seniors, the T-Mobile Essentials Unlimited 55 plan. However, there are multiple packages available with this plan. It is also one of the most generous plans in terms of requirements, since you only have to be 55 years of age to be eligible. The least expensive plan includes unlimited talk, international texting and data. The basic plan also offers non-HD streaming and includes a 3G mobile hotspot. Service is available in Mexico and Canada as well.

There are two additional plans available. These extra plans build off of the standard package, offering additional features such as voicemail to text or Netflix streaming. With the extra plans, you can also add more lines, making it the most cost-effective measure if you live with another senior. The exact price varies depending on where you live, but in most cases, T-Mobile has the best prices for senior plans out of the major cell providers. For the most part you will find lines as cheap as $30 a month.

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Sprint Unlimited 55+ Plan

As of writing, there is only one senior plan available through Sprint, the Sprint Unlimited 55+ plan. While there is less customization available, Sprint’s Unlimited 55+ plan includes many of the key features for a cell plan, such as unlimited talk, text and data. You can apply for this plan as long as you are 55 years of age, but you can only apply at a Sprint store. In addition, the plan only provides e-billing options.

Verizon 55+ Unlimited

Verizon has a senior cell plan available, but only if you live in Florida. If you are eligible to apply for the Verizon 55+ Unlimited plan, you get access to unlimited talk, text and data throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Verizon 55+ Unlimited plan has fewer options than AT&T’s Florida exclusive plan, but it is currently the more affordable option.

GreatCall

GreatCall was designed as an emergency cell service for seniors. Compared to other cell services, it has minimal features. A GreatCall senior plan only has 250 minutes available. However, as an emergency service plan, it offers 24/7 access to 5Star urgent response agents. You can also add a family member onto the plan, who can access response agents on your behalf. There is a more expensive package available which includes unlimited talk, text and data, but there are no additional perks available. This upgrade is also much more expensive than the basic emergency package.

Consumer Cellular

Consumer Cellular is another specialized cellphone plan for seniors. There are several variants of the plan available. The most basic is similar to GreatCall, only providing 250 minutes, intended to be used in emergencies. You can apply for a more expensive plan for unlimited talk. There is also a package which includes unlimited text. As of writing, you must be an AARP member to qualify for Consumer Cellular.