The Best Cell Phone Plans for Seniors

If you’re a senior who’s wondered if your age merits you a deal — or if you’re just tired of paying too much for cell phone service — you’ll be pleased to learn there are several great options without sacrificing service. In fact, some major wireless providers offer affordable plans specifically for people who are 55 and older. But which service offers the best cell phone plan for seniors?

I’ve researched more than 70 phone plans to find the best phone plans, prices, key features and discounts on reliable networks that offer talk, text and data. In this article, I’ll share my picks for the best cell phone plans for seniors.

This article was updated in November 2023 and I review it every three months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.

Choosing the Best Cell Phone Plan for Seniors

Because there are so many options, both features and pricing are important to consider when it comes to senior cell phone plans. While there are several plans marketed toward seniors, a senior plan or discount doesn’t necessarily make it the best choice.

A few of my top picks for senior phone plans do include senior plans and discounts, but these aren’t the only options available to seniors. Providers including Tello and Boost also offer great phone plans at some of the cheapest rates available without any discount. You’ll see these below under “Other Plans To Consider.”

For this reason, it’s important to shop not only for senior plans but also to consider the price, features, customer service, reviews and coverage of all available phone plans. Those are the main factors I compared when researching this article. Here are my top picks:

• Phone Plans for Seniors
  • Consumer Cellular: Best Overall Cell Phone Plan for Seniors
  • Lively: Best Senior Services
• Phone Plans with Senior Discounts
  • T-Mobile Magenta Max 55+: Best Unlimited Data Plan for Seniors
• Other Plans To Consider
  • Tello Economy: Cheapest Cell Phone Plan for Seniors
  • Visible: Cheapest Unlimited Phone Plan for Seniors
  • Boost Mobile: Best Annual Phone Plan for Seniors

Below, you’ll find more detailed information on each cell phone plan including how much it costs, what it includes and how it compares. For even more options, be sure to check out our guide to the best cell phone plans and deals.

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Phone Plans for Seniors

Many phone service carriers market certain plans specifically toward seniors. Generally, these are cheap plans with limited data. Carriers such as Consumer Cellular also pride themselves on excellent customer service, especially for seniors. Other carriers, like Lively, focus on senior-specific services such as easy-to-use phones that can come with health and safety features. These two companies stand out for their low prices, high reviews and senior services.

• Best Overall Cell Phone Plan for Seniors: Consumer Cellular (Review)
• Best Senior Services: Lively (Review)

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Consumer Cellular

Best Cell Phone Plan for Seniors

Team Clark’s Review Price: $25/month (plus taxes & fees) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: 5GB Data Cap Overage: If you go over 5GB, you’ll be upgraded automatically to the next plan. Hotspot Data: Free; pulls from monthly data

Consumer Cellular provides a variety of customizable phone plans that range from phone calls only to unlimited data. The most affordable plan that includes unlimited talk, text and 1GB of data is available for $20 per month per line plus taxes and fees. However, you can now get 5GB of high-speed data per month for $25. Previously, this plan only offered 3GB of high-speed data, which makes this plan a great deal. Consumer Cellular also offers a 5% discount for AARP members.

Although its prices aren’t the lowest available overall, the carrier is an excellent choice for seniors given its affordable plans, high customer satisfaction scores and strong Consumer Reports ratings. Good customer service is hard to find right now due to short staffing, the expansion of the 5G network and more people switching phone plans to save money. I had a great experience with Consumer Cellular when I tested the service earlier this year. You can read my full review here.

Consumer Cellular also runs on two reliable networks: AT&T and T-Mobile. If you do switch to Consumer Cellular, you may be able to bring your own phone, either an Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or any Android phone, to save even more. You can check your phone’s eligibility online. You can also check out additional plans and information on Consumer Cellular’s website.

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Lively

Best Senior Services

Team Clark’s Review Price: $24.99/month (plus taxes & fees) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: 1GB Data Cap Overage: None Hotspot Data: No

Lively is a cell phone service provider that’s marketed specifically toward seniors. The company sells cell phones made for seniors and even offers a health and safety package that provides access to emergency assistance, medical advice, locksmiths and more via the Lively app.

Lively also offers a variety of phone plans beginning at $19.99 per month without data or $24.99 per month with data. For $19.99, you’ll get unlimited talk and text and you can add 1GB of data for $5 monthly. You can also add 5GB for $10 or 20GB for $30. Additional plans that include more senior safety features such as Urgent Response and Nurse On-Call are available. Lively runs on the Verizon Wireless network.

Unfortunately, Lively does not allow you to bring your own phone. Instead, you’ll have to purchase a Lively phone. As of August 2023, Lively offered the Jitterbug Flip2 for $99.99 and the Jitterbug Smart3 for $149.99. These are easy-to-use flip phones and smartphones that are specially designed for seniors.

For more information on Lively’s phone plans and devices, visit the company’s website online.

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Phone Plans With Senior Discounts

Some phone plans offer discounts specifically to people who are over a certain age and/or have an AARP membership. Unfortunately, these plans aren’t always the best choice, even with the discount. Many plans with senior discounts have very limited minutes, no texting and no data. Still, there is one plan that offers a great senior discount with truly unlimited data. 

• Best Unlimited Data Plan for Seniors: T-Mobile Magenta Max 55+

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T-Mobile Magenta Max 55+

Best Unlimited Data Plan for Seniors

Team Clark’s Review Price: $65/month (taxes & fees included; autopay required to get best rate) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: Unlimited Hotspot Data: 40GB

T-Mobile Magenta Max is my top pick overall for the best unlimited data plan available, and anyone over the age of 55 can get this plan at a discounted rate. With the discount, seniors can get T-Mobile Magenta Max 55+ for $65 per month with one line or $45 per line with two to four lines with taxes and fees included. The plan includes unlimited talk, text and smartphone data with speeds that can’t slow based on usage. It also comes with 40GB of mobile hotspot data and a basic Netflix subscription.

In addition to the Magenta Max 55+ plan, T-Mobile also offers 55+ senior discounts on the basic Magenta plan ($50 monthly with the discount) and on the Essentials plan ($40 per month with the discount). If you do decide to switch to T-Mobile, you may be able to bring your own phone. You can check your phone’s eligibility online. 

To learn more about unlimited plans, check out our T-Mobile vs. AT&T vs. Verizon comparison. You can also find additional T-Mobile plans and information online. 

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Other Plans To Consider

While senior-specific phone plans and senior discounts are great, they aren’t your only options. If you’re looking for the absolute cheapest mobile phone plan available, you’ll want to check out Tello Mobile. Mint Mobile also offers incredibly low prices, including the cheapest option for an unlimited phone plan. And Visible offers unlimited hotspot for as low as $30 per month.

In addition to senior phone plans and senior discounts, here are three other plans to consider: 

• Cheapest Cell Phone Plan for Seniors: Tello Economy (Review)
• Cheapest Unlimited Phone Plan for Seniors: Visible (Review)
• Best Annual Phone Plan for Seniors: Boost Mobile (Review)

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Tello Economy

Cheapest Cell Phone Plan for Seniors

Team Clark’s Review Price: $10/month (plus taxes) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: 1GB Hotspot Data: Free; pulls from monthly data

Tello Mobile offers the cheapest cell phone plans I’ve found, and it runs on T-Mobile’s reliable network. You can get unlimited talk, text and 1GB of high-speed data for $10 monthly. If you don’t need the 1GB of data, you can get an even cheaper plan with unlimited talk and text for just $8 per month. You can also bring your own phone to Tello if it’s eligible. 

To learn more about Tello, be sure to check out our review. You can also visit Tello’s website to begin building your perfect cheap cell phone plan.

If you’re looking for another cheap prepaid phone plan on T-Mobile’s network, also be sure to check out T-Mobile Connect. These plans also begin at $10 per month for 1GB of data.

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Visible

Cheapest Unlimited Phone Plan for Seniors

Team Clark’s Review Price: $25/month (taxes & fees included) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: None, but speeds may slow during congestion. Hotspot Data: Unlimited (speeds up to 5Mbps)

If you’re looking for unlimited mobile data (or unlimited hotspot data) Visible is a great carrier to consider. For each line, Visible costs $25 each month. Visible’s plan includes unlimited talk, text and high-speed data, though speeds may slow during congestion. The plan also includes unlimited mobile hotspot, but speeds are limited to 5 Mbps on one device. If you do need faster download speeds, you can check out Visible+ for $45 per month with unlimited mobile data in addition to 50GB of premium high-speed data.

You can also bring your own phone to Visible; check its compatibility online before switching to see if your Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Android phone is compatible. To learn more about Visible before switching, read our Visible review. Visit Visible’s website for more detailed plan information and options for switching.

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Boost Mobile

Best Annual Phone Plan for Seniors

Team Clark’s Review Price: $100 ($8.33/month) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: 1GB Hotspot Data: Included; data counts towards mobile data allowance

Boost Mobile offers annual plans on AT&T’s network that begin as low as $100 upfront. For this price, you can get 12 months of unlimited talk and text as well as 1GB of high-speed data per month. That works out to be $8.33 per month before taxes and fees! If you need more data, Boost also offers an unlimited annual plan for $300 ($25 per month) that includes 30GB of high-speed data per month for a year. These are great options to consider if you don’t want to worry about monthly phone bills.

If you want to bring your own phone to Boost Mobile to save even more, be sure to check its compatibility before switching. In addition to checking online, I recommend checking in person at your nearest Boost Mobile store. When I tested Boost Mobile earlier this year, I found that my phone wasn’t compatible with the particular plan that I wanted despite being eligible with Boost Mobile in general. It’s also important to make sure you’ll have service in your area before switching. To learn more about Boost Mobile’s carrier crusher plans, be sure to check out the details.

Before you pay for an annual plan, take the time to read my full review of Boost Mobile here to make sure you don’t end up paying for a year’s worth of service that may not work for you. Plus, I always recommend trying at least one month of service with a carrier before committing to a full year. That way, you can make sure you’re happy with the service before you’re out too much money!

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Team Clark’s Methodology

For the purposes of this review, Team Clark determined that the top three priorities for seniors when choosing cell phone carriers are price, network reliability/coverage and overall satisfaction including customer service.

Various staff members tried out each of these popular cell phone providers to get a feel for their reliability and service. We have individual reviews of those providers available on the website.

I personally researched more than 70 phone plans and analyzed the following characteristics when determining the “best” options for seniors:

• Price
• Network reliability
• Network coverage
• Monthly data allotments
• “Bring your own device” availability
• Available deals and discounts (55+, autopay, additional lines, etc.)
• Online reviews from real customers

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Final Thoughts

If you’re a senior looking to save on your phone bill, look for a plan that offers the right amount of data and service. If you don’t need much mobile data, avoid pricey plans labeled “unlimited.” Also, make sure you’re switching to a network that has coverage in your area. Every wireless provider has its coverage map online, but if you’re happy with your current service, you can simply switch to a low-cost carrier that uses the same towers.

Know that senior-specific plans can be great, but a discount doesn’t necessarily make it the best option. If you aren’t sure where to begin, consider starting with one of the plans listed here. 

Consumer Cellular offers exceptional service for a reasonable monthly price, which makes this provider an excellent option for seniors. If you want a senior-friendly phone as well as reliable service, Lively is a great option. But if you need an unlimited data plan, consider the senior discount you’ll get with T-Mobile’s Magenta Max 55+.

For the cheapest cell phone plan available, check out Tello Economy. For an affordable phone plan that offers unlimited data, consider Visible instead. Finally, if you’re willing to commit for a year to Boost Mobile (and find that the service will work for you), you can get unlimited talk, text and 1GB of high-speed data per month for $100 total.

If you’re shopping for more than one line, check out our top picks for the best phone plans for two or the best family phone plans.

For even more options, be sure to read our guide on the best cell phone plans and deals available now. Once you’ve decided on a new phone plan and you’re ready to make the switch, check out this guide that we put together to take you step-by-step through the process.

Did we miss a plan on our list or did you find a better deal? Let us know in our Clark.com Community or check out the latest conversations around cell phones.