What States Have Poor Cricket Wireless Service

Cricket Wireless is one of the biggest names in prepaid, but should you switch to this depression-cost cell phone service provider?

Money skilful Clark Howard is a onetime Cricket Wireless customer. He says the carrier's regular rates aren't typically the lowest, but its limited-time deals on plans and devices tin be hard to beat.

In this article, nosotros'll review the superlative things you need to know before yous sign up with Cricket. Permit'due south get started!

Quick Links:

Plans and Pricing
Network Coverage
Additional Features
Phone Selection
Customer Service

1. Plans and Pricing

Cricket Wireless offers four main plans: ii unlimited plans and two fixed-data plans. The cheapest programme starts at $30 a month for a single line of service.

With all Cricket plans, taxes are included in the price and there'south no contract or credit check required.

Single Line Price	Plan
$30/month	2GB
$forty/month	10GB
$55/calendar month	Unlimited
$lx/month	Unlimited + 15GB Mobile Hotspot

As you can see, Cricket's charge per unit plans for a single line of service aren't exactly inexpensive. But Cricket becomes a better value when boosted lines are added and auto pay discounts are applied.

For example, 1 of Cricket'south long-running promotions is 4 lines of unlimited for $100 a calendar month.

2. Network Coverage

Cricket Wireless launched its 5G nationwide network in Baronial of 2020. The carrier is owned past AT&T and runs on AT&T's network, but there are some areas where roaming coverage may be different.

That's non uncommon with prepaid carriers, so always check the coverage map online before you become started.

Equally y'all're reviewing Cricket's plans, make note of the fine print. Depending on the plan, Cricket may slow information when the network is decorated or restrict data speeds to 8 Mbps.

Although 8 Mbps isn't fast, you tin can surf the spider web, sentry videos and stream music at that speed.

3. Additional Features

Cricket Wireless has elementary plans with fewer perks compared to the major carriers. Nonetheless, Cricket offered a 30-day free trial of HBO Max in August of 2020 for a limited time.

Other features will vary depending on the Cricket Wireless plan that yous choose.

For example, the Cricket More than unlimited data plan offers 15GB of mobile hotspot, but that's an additional charge with the cheaper Cricket Core unlimited plan.

Both unlimited plans offer SD quality video streaming, not Hard disk.

And Cricket Core and Cricket More include usage in Mexico and Canada, plus unlimited texting from the The states to a few dozen countries.

Take a side-by-side look at the plans and their features here.

four. Phone Selection

When you switch to Cricket Wireless, you lot can choose to purchase a new telephone or keep your existing device if it's compatible. Either style, y'all can keep your phone number.

If you want to bring your ain telephone, first here and enter your device's IMEI.

If you're not bringing an existing device, y'all'll desire to purchase a new 1 from Cricket Wireless.

The carrier offers dozens of smartphones at every price point. When we last checked Cricket's phone deals and sorted by the most popular devices, the results included some free phones!

To go a phone for $0, you commonly take to bring your number to the service and activate it on a programme that qualifies.

Cricket now offers a phone payment program through Progressive Leasing, but that shouldn't be necessary for virtually people since in that location are and then many devices for $100 or less.

You tin browse Cricket's latest iPhone and Android deals hither.

5. Customer Service

Cricket Wireless offers more than customer service options than many of its prepaid competitors. That's because Cricket has retail stores beyond the country where you can get help with your account.

In add-on, customer back up is available through live conversation and past phone. The number is 1-800-CRICKET.

Some online-only wireless carriers have limited customer support to just chat. The availability of in-person and phone customer service sets Cricket apart.

If you have feedback well-nigh Cricket'southward customer care, add to our review in the comments below.

Final Thought

If yous're looking to switch from AT&T to Cricket Wireless, you'll save the most money if yous tin can take advantage of the four lines for $100 a month promotion.

But Cricket's best deals come with drawbacks, including slower data speeds. That may be a dealbreaker for you lot.

There are other low-cost cell telephone service providers that offering plans on AT&T'south network. Two popular carriers are Straight Talk and Consumer Cellular.

Larn more than and compare your options in Team Clark's guide to the best cell phone plans and deals!

This article was originally written past Michael Timmermann and published on Apr 30, 2018.

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