AT&T keeps adding data to its GoPhone plans. The cell phone company pumped up the data on its signature prepaid plans in January 2016, then tacked on more data a few months later, doubling the data included in one plan over the course of just six months.
This bodes well for wireless customers who want service on AT&T’s highly regarded network but would rather skip the credit check. While GoPhone plans have come a long way in recent months, the carrier’s monthly plans still fall short on price and features when compared with other prepaid providers.
AT&T’s pay-as-you-go plans, on the other hand, are hard to beat.
AT A Glance
- Monthly GoPhone plans start at $30 for unlimited talk and text.
- Strengths: Strong pay-as-you-go plans, including a $2 Daily plan. Rollover data and international coverage included on select monthly plans.
- Weaknesses: Pricey plans with few features; only two plans include data.
AT&T GoPhone plans
AT&T offers five prepaid plans under its GoPhone brand. The plans can be divided into monthly plans and pay-as-you-go plans. Monthly plans operate much like a traditional plan, where you pay upfront for a set amount of data each month. Some even include features like rollover data or unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada. Pay-as-you-go plans work a bit differently, drawing on your account balance only when you use the phone, and are great for people who use their phones sparingly (AT&T’s $2 Daily plan is one of NerdWallet’s picks for best prepaid cell phone plans). All of AT&T’s GoPhone prepaid plans are available with no contract or credit check.
Monthly
- Unlimited talk and text, no data: $30.
- 3GB: $45.
- 6GB: $60.
Pay-as-you-go
- Daily plan: $2 per day for unlimited minutes and texts. You are only charged if you place or receive a call or send a text. There is no charge on days you don’t use your phone.
- Per-minute plan: 25 cents per minute, 20 cents per text message.
AT&T’s pay-as-you-go plans do not include data. Any data used is charged at a rate of 1 cent per 5KB. On the $2 Daily plan you can purchase a Day Data Pass for $1, which gives you 100MB to use for the day.
» MORE: Best cell phone plans
AT&T’s prepaid network
AT&T has a top-notch network, and GoPhone customers use the same towers as those on the carrier’s traditional plans. But keep in mind that prepaid customers aren’t given priority. That means that during peak times, GoPhone customers may experience slower data speeds than those on a regular plan.
Click the map to check coverage in your area.
Current AT&T GoPhone deals
AT&T GoPhone prepaid deals as of July 2016 include:
- Get an iPhone 5S for $199.99 when you buy a $45 airtime card.
- Save $20 on select GoPhone smartphones when you buy a $45 airtime card.
How AT&T GoPhone plans compare on price
AT&T’s monthly GoPhone plans are less expensive than the carrier’s traditional plans, but on the pricey side when compared with prepaid offerings from other carriers. For $60 you can get 10GB with T-Mobile’s Simply Prepaid plans, versus 6GB with a GoPhone plan. And Straight Talk Wireless offers a 5GB plan for $45, rather than just 3GB for the same price with a GoPhone plan.
Where GoPhone really stands out, in terms of price, is its $2 GoPhone Daily plan — one of the best pay-as-you-go plans out there. The plan includes unlimited minutes and texts, but costs nothing if you don’t use your phone. T-Mobile’s pay-as-you-go plan is $3 per month and includes just 30 minutes or texts.
How AT&T GoPhone prepaid plans compare on features
GoPhone plans aren’t as feature-rich as those offered by competitors, such as Boost Mobile or MetroPCS, but you do get a few perks — rollover data, international coverage, monthly discounts — depending on your plan.
Click the image to see in more detail how T-Mobile stacks up on features. Asterisks indicate features available for an additional charge.
Autopay discount: You can get a $5 per month discount if you sign up for automatic payments on any of AT&T’s monthly GoPhone plans.
Family plans: GoPhone plans don’t include the option to add a line, so if you want a family plan, you’ll need to stick with the carrier’s traditional plans. Or you can check out Cricket Wireless, which is owned by AT&T. Cricket knocks $10 off your monthly cost when you add a second line, $20 off if you add a third line, $30 off if you add a fourth line and $40 off if you add a fifth line. That’s a $100 monthly discount for a five-line family plan, and you’ll still use AT&T’s network.
» MORE: Best family cell phone plans
Unlimited 2G: Blow through the high-speed data in your GoPhone plans and you’ll still have access to data, but it will likely be at much slower speeds. The 3GB and 6GB GoPhone plans include rollover data, which is good for 30 days and will kick in if you use up the data in your plan. If there is no rollover data to pull from, or you burn through that data, too, you’ll drop to 2G speeds until your monthly plan resets.
Unlimited music streaming: GoPhone plans do not include unlimited music streaming, so listening to tunes will pull from your data package. Heavy music listeners take note: T-Mobile, MetroPCS, Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile all let you stream music from select services without using your data, depending on your plan.
International calls and texts: AT&T GoPhone includes international coverage, but only on one plan and only within North America. The 6GB monthly plan includes unlimited calls and texts from the U.S. to Canada or Mexico. It also lets you use your minutes, texts or data while traveling in Mexico or Canada for no additional charge. Customers who opt for any other GoPhone plan will pay per minute or text when calling to or from another country, unless they add an international package.
» MORE: Best international cell phone plans
Mobile hot spot: If you have a data plan and a capable smartphone, you can use your device as a Wi-Fi hot spot for your tablet or laptop. Doing so will eat up your monthly data allowance, though, so opt for a Wi-Fi network when you can.
Is AT&T’s prepaid service right for you?
People looking for a prepaid plan that mimics a traditional plan, with a set data package and unlimited minutes and texts, will find cheaper plans and more options with carriers like T-Mobile, Boost Mobile or Cricket Wireless (which is owned by AT&T and uses its network). But people who want a cell phone for peace of mind and little else will find it hard to beat AT&T’s $2 Daily GoPhone plan.
Kelsey Sheehy is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: ksheehy@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @KelseyLSheehy.
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