Most mobile phone service providers have plans that allow more than one phone number (and thus, more than one phone) to share a single monthly service plan. For example, a family that has three phones could buy three separate 250-minute-per-month plans, but a single shared 750-minute-per-month plan would probably be cheaper because monthly fees don't increase as fast as the number of minutes.

Verizon's Family SharePlan

Getting specific, Verizon's 250-minute plan costs $35 per month, but the 750-minute plan is only $75 per month where three 250-minute plans would cost $105. Of course, there's a catch. Several, in fact.

Verizon charges $15 per month for each line beyond the first (GTE used to charge only $10 per month). Thus, a 750 minute plan shared by 3 lines would actually cost $105 per month, exactly the same as three separate 250-minute plans. Furthermore, each 250-minute plan gets 1,000 free off-peak minutes and 1,000 free local mobile-to-mobile minutes. With the shared 750-minute plan, 1,000 free off-peak minutes are shared and each line gets only 250 mobile-to-mobile minutes.

On the other hand, four separate 750-minute services cost a total of $300 per month, but a 3,000-minute service shared by four lines costs only $270 per month. However, the restrictions on off-peak and mobile-to-mobile minutes still exist.

If you look at more combinations of separate monthly plans and shared plans, you'll find that sometimes sharing is cheaper and sometimes separate plans are better.

What to Do

To find out what's best for your family, figure out how many minutes each person needs and add up the cost of the separate plans. Then, add up the minutes and determine the cost of a single shared plan, remembering to add $15 for each line beyond the first. Verizon has a nice pamphlet that does this for you for plans between 250 and 3,000 minutes and up to four lines.

Then, if a shared plan is cheaper, you still need to decide whether or not you can live with the limitations on off-peak and mobile-to-mobile minutes.

Armed with these facts, you can decide if separate or shared plans are better for you.

What We Did

My partner and I are light mobile phone users. Two 120-minute plans would cost us $60 per month, but a shared 250 minute plan only costs $50. Because 120-minute plans get only 250 off-peak minutes, we benefit even more by getting 1,000 with the shared plan. Sharing is a big win for us, but it's generally not so beneficial for heavier users.
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All figures from Verizon's pamphlet Family SharePlan, Northern California.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 50