Up 'till now my partner's backup phone has been an AT&T marked ZTE Maven 3 with Android 7.1.1, and it was using TF since we'd been given some credit and had points that kept it going - but not any more.
Looking at the TF pricing...well...sickens me - the notion of paying them for this very low use is something I cannot justify in good conscience.
(Even refill deals via ebay cost more than RP...meh.)
Looking at what Redpocket has via ebay shows their $60/360 day or $30/360 day (which seems unlikely to work with this phone).
Either of those is STILL better than what TF offers from what I can see.
My query is this:
Does anyone here know of a really economical & reliable deal that may allow 200 minutes/month & zero data ??
Sticking with AT&T
H20 or Black Wireless paygo?
If you'd actually use 200/min. month it's more than Red Pocket plans you mentioned.
Not sure if either might have a multi month plan or new customer deal that might work.
Most likely she'll use no more than ~60 minutes/month max., and she mostly uses her Twigby phone...but sometimes there's not enough signal strength.
The central problem is that her work is 20 miles away with a totally dark, wooded dead area ~7 miles long in between - which frightens her, so she MUST be able to call home BEFORE driving through that area.
Here in Vermont & surrounding areas getting cellular signal is a krap shoot, so she carries both phones all the time, hoping at least 1 will connect.
As of now it looks like Redpocket is easily the winner for us - just waiting for more info & then I'll move forward with this ASAP.
They send you an AT&T sim instead of T-Mobile. Users cannot choose which one they receive when ordering online. Alternatively, you could try to find one at a local Boost store (not retailers like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, or Amazon) though they might charge an activation fee.
Be willing to earn points using the Boost One app on a device that uses Android 8 or newer. Boost One app does not have to be installed on the same device as the one using the phone service.
Boost One app requires interaction everyday to get enough points to make the service free. For the least expensive $10 plan, just starting the app, watching a video or two, and spinning the wheel for coins everyday should be sufficient. Of course, you could also watch the daily limit of 25 videos to get the most points.
A slight update with what may be some good news for us...
Since cellular things have changed a bit around here in recent times the variety of what started working seems a bit better.
Since I have a number on the FP/free/walmart deal, I stuck that SIM into the inactive phone - and to my amazement it took it just fine.
Made a couple of test calls from home & it worked fine too, BUT=>
She'll have to test it from the iffy zone tomorrow night to see if it works there, or not.
If it does - great, if not, looks like time to get with Redpocket/AT&T again.
Sadly the FP freebie service got zero signal where some is needed, so=>
The lowest cost 360 day Redpocket GSMA service has been ordered & will fill that empty slot.
One last bit of info to share:
With so little usage via TF, that number went inactive & we didn't find out until she tried to use it without success - getting only a pay us now message.
Since PAYG via tf is stooopid expen$ive, we didn't do that & wanted to port out to Redpocket...but - NOPE - only if we get sucked in to paying them just to get the needed info, so=>
That number will now be lost & we'll have to get a new one instead.
The cheapest possible tf re-up would be ~$20...just to keep that number;
VS:
Zero cost to just get a new number with RP BYOD. No contest.
BOTTOM LINE FOR ME:
If I didn't despise TF so strongly before - this cements it firmly into place FOREVER.
I gather from post history that Target (or most any big box) is not convenient for you but figured I'd mention to take a look at the FP thread as it appears there is a new, free, GSMA 100/100/100 plan SIM for sale in some Target stores
I'm going to take a look when I go by one this week.
Wow.
The activation email has an 'Activation Code' and their site demands a
'Confirmation Code' - and then returns=>
'Error! please enter valid Confirmation Code'
I wanted to use their live chat which is 'sposed to be open - but it ain't;
So I called them for help.
I spent 45+ minutes with a heavily accented rep making me repeat info over & over & over - with no good results.
Wow.
And then I waited for higher level support to do something (?) so the activation could proceed...aaaand - it didn't.
After all that time & effort wasted I asked for a supervisor & the rep tried refusing until I asked a few times - and then a guy with a slightly milder accent came on.
Turns out that their site has a serious omission/error in that it says to EITHER input the 'Confirmation Code' OR the ICCID & IMEI without clarifying that for a PHYSICAL SIM it can ONLY use the latter info.
(Turns out the 'Confirmation Code' is ONLY used for ESIM activations.)
After telling him what happened he apologized multiple times and we got done - it only took an hour - meh.
Report in reddit thread that a person used a RP sim to activate the FP free 100/100/100 GSMA plan if you feel like playing with your spare sim when you get it.
This method worked for a while for the FP free Walmart 300/1000/100 plan if you recall.
Our quest for decently priced GSMA did finally conclude with getting the least cost Redpocket deal for it.
Unless something comes along that is an amazingly great deal, we'll just re-up for this when it comes due.
The good news for us is that my longer travels ceased to exist, so I gave up my GSMA because the coverage from Twigby reaches the few places that I still visit, which spares us from that (now) extra expense.
The Target Freedompop GSMA plan works, 100 min, 100 txt, & 100 MB. $4.99 one time, and $0 / month going forward. Shipping only to where I live, where shipping is free with $35 total purchase before taxes. Otherwise ~$5 shipping.
I agree with jamielih, the Target FP GSMA free plan (100,100,100) is the best low use plan out there that I know of. It will be hard to beat free with an initial investment of $5 or even $10 if you have to pay for shipping. The only drawback I see is if your location has taxes or fees added. It does indeed work on an older Moto G6 VoLTE phone I tested.
Since FP has been shady in the past I would recommend using a virtual CC with early expiration to setup account.
Seeing the mention here by Jamielih, I visited target & searched every way I could think of, but no joy.
In our area all they offer is the 10+10 for 4.99 or the free ACP SIM deal - a total of just 2 FP items.
We've never bought from target before, either online or the store (~45 minute drive away...) so I was tempted to get a few well priced necessities via their free shipping, but hesitated in hopes this item may pop-up there somehow.
Will a kind person please share a direct link to the FP 100/100/100 SIM ??
Yes, I saw that, and the title gave me some doubts: "FreedomPop SIM Starter Kit ACP"
Made me wonder if you HAVE to qualify for ACP to use it, so I asked here instead.
Silly as this may be, I did previously get their 10 & 10 deal with a spare SIM for use as a glovebox phone, but this would be better IF it'll work...??
You don't have to qualify for ACP but those that do get unlimited everything. The sim is for ACP or the 100,100,100 plan.
It works with all the phones in the list from this link 3G Shutdown - is my phone 4G LTE or 5G? – FreedomPop plus some other phones not in the list like my Moto G6.