This is a sponsored post, but the opinions are all mine.
Cell phones are one of those necessary evils in life. I love them because they allow me to stay connected to family and friends and they are super handy to have if a tire blows or a car battery dies and leaves you stranded. It’s comforting to have a way to summon help. It’s especially nice to know that as your kids grow and gain more independence, and then as they leave the nest, a phone will not only allow them to stay in contact with you, but also give them that same security that comes with a reliable phone. So for all of those reasons, I love cell phones. But I hate the cost that comes with owning one, and it seems that cost just keeps on rising year after year.
That frustration came to a head recently when The Girl began searching for a new phone and new phone plan. Phones are expensive and she’s responsible for paying for her own, and when you’re a college kid {or anyone, really} on a tight budget {or just crazy frugal like me!}, shelling out almost $100 a month for phone service seems crazy. The Girl was paying around $65+ a month, but with the cost of a new phone and plan, that price would have would have increased.
And then we found Republic Wireless!
Now if you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I never recommend a product or service unless I’ve tried it. If I try it and love it and think my readers can benefit from it, I’ll share away. You know, sharing is caring after all. So that’s why I’m talking up Republic Wireless today. The Girl switched her service a few weeks ago and we are both amazed at the excellent coverage, the cost and the customer service. And those 3 areas are really what we based our final decision on. The 3 C’s: cost, coverage and customer service.
Cost: The Girl She signed up for their $20 a month plan. I was nervous that a plan that cheap would be, well, cheap. I thought she wouldn’t have enough data or there would be some sneaky hidden fees. Nope on both. Even though she’s paying a fraction of what she was paying before, she has more than enough data. She uses WiFi when she can {which is something they really stress!}, but she used her data often when WiFi wasn’t available and didn’t come close to going over! Plus, there are no hidden fees at all! They offer all sorts of affordable options with phones starting at $99. And they offer flexibility to change your phone plan as your needs change. You can start on the $20 per month plan like she did and if you need more data you can upgrade your plan, or downgrade if you need less!
Coverage: Right after The Girl got her new phone, she headed out on a camping trip in a super remote area. She still got service. She was shocked, I was shocked, the people she was camping with were shocked. And I have to tell you that as a mom sending her kid out into the world, there’s all sorts of peace of mind knowing she can be connected when she needs it. So far, she has only seen BETTER coverage than on her previous plan she was paying THREE TIMES as much for! Plus, they just launched an app, Republic Anywhere that allows people to text from their computer, tablet, etc. so if your phone dies or you find yourself stuck in a classroom with no phone access, you can still stay connected.
Customer Service: This is really where Republic Wireless shines. If you run into any problems or have a question, you can always submit a help ticket online or talk to someone on their live chat. They are fast, efficient, knowledgeable and super friendly. Plus, most answers to your questions can be found on their community! Their community forums are vast and pretty much all encompassing. The Girl had a few questions after she got her phone and she found answers to them there within minutes. I figured with a phone plan that cheap, she’d be giving up the great customer service she was used to. Not the case AT ALL!
Overall, we’ve been nothing but impressed and The Girl has no plans to ever switch to any other carrier. She’s become one of Republic Wireless’ biggest cheerleaders!
If you’re looking for a new phone service or are unhappy with your current provider, you can try Republic Wireless risk free! There are no contracts and they have an awesome 14 day money-back guarantee. So you can give them a try and see for yourself why they are so awesome!
~Mavis
This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.
Daddio7 says
A little research shows that only the lower tiers are a good buy. For $45 a month they offer 4GB a month but my Virgin Mobile plan offers 10GB. They only offer three phones that will work in my area and there is only a short list of other phones that will work if you want to transfer your old phone
Josh says
I’ve been with Republic Wireless since Mr. Money Mustache was raving about them 4-5 years ago. I still have my original phone and the $10 plan, which is now the $15 plan. I love them and have never had a problem ever. Great company!! Good move Girl!!
billy says
aye, $10 dollar plan myself. won’t be upgrading until the phone dies… = )
Lilliannapickles says
I purchased two phones on Amazon for a total of 120.00. Republic sent two free Sims cards and we activated them. They gave us 6 months of free service . ( 30.00 plan ). We only have to pay the taxes for the six months. That’s running less than 6.00 a month . We have 4 months left. I love Republic wireless. This was one of the best deals
I have ever seen. When the deal is up, we will go back to the cheaper plan.
Linda says
Ting is another great low cost carrier that my husband and I use. For both phones it costs about $35 – 40 a month. I’m very happy with it too. They also have great customer service.
Lisa R says
I use Ting as well. For my phone and my husbands it is about $35-40 for the two phones. You can’t beat them. They have awesome customer service as well.
Debbie Phillips says
We have been with Republic for more than a year. We were able to bring out own phones. we bought a new simm card from amazon for the phone and I have been paying 24$$ a month for service for 2 phones. Can’t beat that price…
bobbi dougherty says
I found them about 2 years ago and haven’t looked back. everything you talked about is so true. I have their $20 a month plan with 1 GB, and for the last 2 months, they have gifted me another gig! They are so much better than anyone else. 🙂
MEM says
Sounds good, except it doesn’t support iPhones and it looks like your daughter had to spend $599 on a new phone? I am looking to drop Verizon in a year but my iPhone is still perfectly good. Thank you for the review but it won’t work for us right now.
Ron says
There are a handful of virtual carriers (called MVNOs) that use the Verizon network and their phones at a much better price. My partner uses total wireless for less than $25/month (getting 5% discount for using auto-pay. You can add 3 GB of data for $10 and it lasts until you use it all (rolls over)
Pete says
That sounds good. However when I go to Total Wireless website, it looks like that$25 plan is for talk and text only. I pay that much with Republic for to lines on talk and text, after taxes.
Jaynie says
That looks like a Samsung phone to me. Unless Apple started putting Samsung across the top of their phones.
Sunny says
I have used it for a few years too. I recently had to upgrade my phone (and my plan) and got an unlocked Amazon phone. It saved me quite a bit of money and I don’t care if there are Amazon ads on the lock screen. I also have the plan that gives me Wifi when I have access. So I call it my “half smart” phone!
Tracy says
I love ya, Mavis, but, respectfully, I don’t come here for commercials.
Sue says
Keep doing whatcha doing Mavis! I love love love that you do the research and everything for us! And above all, you give your absolute honest opinion! I happen to trust you and totally appreciate it!! Thanks!!
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Sue. We really do think it’s a fantastic deal and I was really surprised at how well something that costs so much less than what she was paying, was worth the switch. Every dollar counts if you ask me.
Sharon@MLT says
I enjoy money saving tips of all kinds. I told my daughter about this company as she is soon to start grad school.
Anna G says
Hi Mavis! My HB and I have had Republic for 3.5 years and we love it! With tax our two phone bill is about $25 per month. It worked great in Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada on past trips. And the phones they offer come at a great price and work as well as an Iphone.
Paula says
I have been with Republic Wireless since 2013 After leaving Verizon and I have Never looked back. My cell phone bills for 3 phones have been $35 month for all 3 Not each. When I was with Verizon I paid $350.@month Service is Amazing and so is Customer Service. I just recently upgraded 2 of the 3 phones and I am paying $50@month for all 3 Where can you get Great cellphone Service, for this price!?! No Where else but Republic Wireless..
I WILL Never leave This Company and recommend them Highly to Everyone I know
Ellen R says
Well…I’ve had RW for a couple years and it’s just ok. You get what you pay for. The calls are terribly echo-y and you can’t get international service when traveling out of the country. You can’t text photos to Canada, which is rather inconvenient. And the actual service on my phone is sketchy in my area.
So… As long as you’re happy with that, RW is fine.
Josh S says
I have not tried republic yet, but a few weeks ago I bought three months of service from Mintsim.com. if republic will not work for you due to your phone not being on they’re list of supported phones you should look at them. The plan I used was only $15 per month for unlimited talk, unlimited text, and two gigabytes of data. They have plans with more data also. They use the TMobile network. I have been very happy with them.
Pat says
I’ve been with Republic for 3.5 years now and am very pleased with their services. In fact, we have 5 family members enjoying Republic’s great values. Easy to switch plans as you need to any time,any month. Where do get that with other phone companies? I can’t say enough about Republic, in fact they just me a special present recently, for just being me!!!!
Elizabeth says
I had republic for years. Was the service great? No. But it was cheap and I advocated and had any others switch to then. Then they upped their prices and they’re not competitive any longer. I switched to simple mobile, it’s cheaper and has better coverage.
Bill says
Republic Wireless has access to the exact same towers as Simple Mobile (T-Mobile) and if you live in a place where Sprint is better, Republic will set you up with a Sprint SIM instead.
Scott Blackmon says
I used republic for awhile but when they had their old 25 dollar a month 5gb of 3g data plan. When they changed up their plans to the current model we were able to get a much better deal at Cricket.