A few years ago Consumer Cellular conducted a survey of its own customers and found that rather than extra features like web surfing or text messages, the most important features were high-quality service at a reasonable price. So that is what they’ve focused on until recently, and they have been very successful by offering no-contract plans, attractive phones and reasonable prices.
1 - Coverage & Rates from $10
As smartphones have taken over, they have adjusted to meet this demand by offering the latest handsets like the iPhone 13 and the Samsung Galaxy S22. You can pay for these on an installment plan or purchase a more affordable device that still has great features.
Consumer Cellular is an approved (no longer exclusive?) cell phone provider for the AARP. If you
are already a member, you get a 5% discount on your phones and service
and a 30% discount on accessories. If you are not a member, you can sign up for a membership right there.
There is a street-level coverage viewer available. Coverage is provided by AT&T as you can see above. So if AT&T has good coverage in your area, you're all set.
The interesting thing is that in contrast to AT&T which often gets low ratings on customer satisfaction, Consumer Cellular usually gets high ratings.
Even though it's a no-contract plan, you can get a standard (paperless) bill that you pay online every month. You don't have to keep buying airtime refill cards as you might with a prepaid phone. Because there's no contract, you can cancel at any time without any termination fees. You can also change your plan at any time.
If you don't need to text or use data, there is an unlimited talk only plan for $15 per month
Here are the unlimited talk and text plans offered by Consumer Cellular.
You can get discounts when you add a line to your plan. For example, the $25 per month 3GB plan drops down to $45 per month for two lines combined for a $5 discount and to $60 per month for three lines for a $15 overall discount.