(image by cookie_studio, courtesy of Freepik.com)
Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of Consumer Cellular’s latest ad “HQ Tour” offering cellphone plans for “up to half of what the largest carriers charge”, and the excited narrator even saying he’ll give me a minute to “get smart enough to know a good wireless deal”.

Their ad is pretty slick, and after hearing it repeatedly over the last month or so I’ve almost got it memorized.

Personally, I use Mint Mobile, once completely owned by actor Ryan Reynolds who now only owns a portion of it after selling it to T-Mobile for $300,000,000. His ads (here’s one) are designed to convey the same message about his cellphone plans: Easy, Simple, and Inexpensive. I use a phone I brought to them, and I’m quite happy with the service (despite an occasional low signal and extremely rare random reboots of my phone).

I think I’m a fairly smart shopper so I checked if Consumer Cellular could sell me a less expensive, full-featured wireless plan.

Except for some minor differences offered to new customers, when it comes the usual wireless plan features – like talk, text, roaming, hotspot, voicemail, billing, etc. – both companies offer nearly identical plans (to see that boring comparison Click Here). One important difference is Consumer Cellular is a month-to-month service while Mint Mobile requires at least a 3-month contract.

However, most of the cost of a wireless plan is the high-speed data, and in plans offered by companies who don’t own their own network (called “MVNOs”, or “Mobile Virtual Network Operators”) the more money you spend the more data you get.

Let’s compare the data plans offered by each company:

Only two data plans are offered by both companies, and in each case Mint Mobile is cheaper: You’ll save $60 per year for the 5GB Plan and $180 per year for the Unlimited Plan.

For those who prefer nice plots (like me), here’s the same data plotted:

Unlike Mint Mobile, Consumer Cellular also offers extra-cost services – such as Medical health Monitoring by Bay Alarm and Roadside Assistance (towing up to 10 miles, $3/month) – and a “GrandPad” tablet device pre-loaded with convenient links and features ( at $300 for the tablet and $40/mo for the data).

Those looking for even a less expensive Unlimited Plan might want to consider Boost Mobile’s Unlimited “Infinite Unlimited” or “Unlimited Plus” Plans for $25 per month for as long as you remain a customer, saving you an additional $120 year over Mint Mobile and a whopping $300 per year over Consumer Cellular. (FYI: Boost Mobile is owned by DISH, and uses T-Mobile’s wireless network).

The big difference in data plans between these wireless companies is when the data is slowed down from 5G speed to a much slower speed: It’s 30GB per month for Boost Mobile, 40GB for Mint Mobile, and 50GB for Consumer Cellular. Once again, the more you pay the more you get. And because all MVNOs rent a wireless network from one of the major providers (like T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, etc.) they’re all subject to something called “Deprioritization”: When the entire network gets too busy MVNO users will experience slower service to maintain the speed given to customers of a major provider (who pay more).

Bottom line? The market for cellphone plans is very competitive, with lots of plans, lots of ways to pay for it, and each company bragging about they provide the latest phones, most features, lowest cost, fastest service, or more content. Consumer Cellular may provide “the exact same coverage as the largest carriers” and save you “up to half as much”, but smart buyers might want consider Mint Mobile if they don’t mind signing up for at least a 3-month contract to save even more money, and Boost Mobile for even greater savings.

Caveats:

• Comparison performed February 28, 2024 based on info from the official websites of Consumer Cellular and Mint Mobile
• Comparison based on post-paid, talk, text and data plans for a single phone line.
• This posting is not an exhaustive review, so not all plan features are shown.
• Consumer Cellular and Mint Mobile may modify or discontinue their plans at any time.
• Prices shown do not include Federal, State, and Local taxes and up to 75 Surcharges and Fees, which can increase the prices shown by up to 35%.
• Consumer Cellular also charges their own Operational Compliance Fee, which can change at any time, to cover their costs to comply with and pay for government-imposed fees.
• Trademarks, Copyrights, and Trade Dress are property of their respective companies and are acknowledged.

Thanks for Reading!