Most carriers make data usage reports readily available via their customer sites, so you should be able to find the information you need fairly easily by logging into your existing account. While you won't be shut off from your cellular connection, you could be downgraded to 3G speeds or worse if you exceed your soft cap - which is often around 35GB to 50GB, depending on the plan. While most of the family cell phone plans on our list are unlimited - at least on paper - most of them do have soft caps on data usage. It's always a wise policy to have an idea of your family's monthly data usage while you're shopping around for a family cell phone plan. (Image credit: Getty) Deciding which family cell phone plan is best See our Mint Mobile plans guide for a detailed breakdown of this service. Still, Mint is a fantastic choice with a number of decent budget low-data options and a competitively priced unlimited data plan, all of which can be mixed-and-matched with the Mint family plan. Unlike other carriers, you're not really 'saving' with Mint's family plan, rather cutting some red tape and getting access to an easier to manage setup versus buying multiple plans. Mint has also recently introduced a family plan of its own recently, which will automatically enable you to bundle multiple lines together at the cheapest rate possible. This can mean a relatively hefty sum to pay upfront, but there's also the distinct advantage of no monthly bills or contracts to deal with. With Mint, you get the choice between three month, six month, and yearly plans that you can buy outright, with the longer service durations equating to lower monthly rates on average. Mint Mobile is an absolutely awesome prepaid carrier if you're looking to maximise value and don't mind paying for a plan upfront. See our Visible wireless plans guide for a detailed breakdown of this service. That's a bummer when it comes to paperwork but it's definitely worth considering as there's potentially a lot of value here as well as no pesky contracts to sign. Essentially, you've traded out that lowest monthly rate possible on four lines with a more flexible fixed-rate option - which is going to benefit those wanting two or three lines specifically.Īs with most prepaid options, the Visible Wireless plan isn't a traditional family cell phone plan per se, so you'll essentially have to set up each line as its own plan. There's a little give and take at play here because the Party Pay feature used to be able to score you a 4-line unlimited data plan for just $25 per line with the baseline plan costing $40 per month. It is, however, still an amazing choice overall with its basic unlimited data plan coming in at just $30 per month per line, which is fantastic considering all Visible plans have unlimited 5G access, unlimited calls and texts, and operate on the larger Visible network (for great coverage). Visible used to be our top overall pick for best value family cell phone plan due to its awesome Party Pay feature - an option that's sadly no longer available. For more options, we also recommend checking out our main best cell phone plans article, where you'll find a great overview of the market as a whole. If you need any help, guidance, or unbiased advice, you'll find a very helpful frequently asked questions section at the bottom of the page. Visible and Mint Mobile are especially great options right now for those who are really on a budget and willing to cut out some of the perks and priority data that you'd normally find on the more expensive post-paid options.Īnd, we're not just weighing in with a simple list of the best family cell phone plans in this article either. Not only do you have some very competitive discounts on multi-line premium unlimited data plans from the traditional 'big three' carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile), but you've also for some great options from smaller prepaid carriers. Now more than ever you'll also find the market absolutely flooded with fantastic options for the best family cell phone plans. Coverage, data allowances, and discounts for 2-line or 3-line plans specifically have all been considered here with our recommendations, so hopefully you'll find something that's relevant to your requirements. Price is of course the most important factor for most when considering the best family cell phone plans, but we've also considered plenty of other things too. How to decide which family cell phone plan is for you

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