Have you heard of a company called Straight Talk Wireless? They are the #1 fastest growing cell phone company in the world!
They are a “no contract” cell phone provider. Now, before you run away thinking about how awful the coverage will be… Stop! Straight Talk uses either the Verizon Wireless Nationwide Network (with roaming) or the AT&T + T-Mobile Nationwide Network (with roaming) or the Sprint PCS Network (for a few select phones).
They offer no-contract, no-cellphone-tax cellular service starting at $30/month – 1000 minutes, 1000 texts and 30/mb of data. This includes all taxes and fees (except for local sales tax). Wow! Do the math comparing what you currently pay – my guess is that you might be paying a lot more than this – now multiply that by 24 (typical 2 year contract) and you can see that the savings really add up.
Continue reading to hear the Good & Bad about Straight Talk and how to sign up and get 10% cash back (see below) on your initial order!
The Good & The Bad
Advantages to Straight Talk:
- No contract.
- No contract. Did I mention NO contract?
- Uses AT&T+T-Mobile or Verizon Network, including roaming! (Most prepaid providers do not have such extensive networks that include roaming)
- Inexpensive phones available (Free and up)
- You can bring your own phone to Straight Talk with their Straight Talk SIM program!
- You can save 10% or more on the regular Straight Talk prices for phones (keep reading for more information)
- Android & iPhone Smartphones available
- 3G & 4G Data Speeds
- 1000 minutes, 1000 texts & 30MB of data for $30 a month, including all taxes and fees (except for local sales tax)
- Unlimited everything (data/text/talk) is $45 a month, including all taxes and fees (except for local sales tax)
- Free calls to 411
- Clark Howard highly recommends this service!
Disadvantages:
They don’t have the latest and greatest phones. They have no Android phones, nor do they have the iPhoneWow! Straight Talk now has an Android phone! Wow! Straight Talk now supports the iPhone through Straight Talk SIM!- Their customer service has a bad reputation. But, remember you are not under contract, so there is very little risk here, you can bail out at any time.
Sign me up!
You can save in two ways below – first you can get Free shipping, and second you can get 10% cash back by using Mr. Rebates when you sign up!
Get a Free Shipping from Straight Talk
Get Free Shipping with the Purchase of a Straight Talk Phone when you sign up using this link!
Save 10% on Straight Talk with Mr. Rebates + a $7.50 Bonus!
Ready to sign up for Straight Talk and save 10% on your phone or SIM Card order? If you initiate your phone purchase through Mr. Rebates, you will get 10% cash back (plus up to a $7.50 bonus) on the purchase of your phone and initial refill card. Mr. Rebates is an Better Business Bureau A+ Company that gives you cash back when you shop on many popular sites, including Straight Talk, Travelocity, Dell, Target, etc. Here’s how you get started:
- Visit MrRebates.com
- Sign up for an account. (You will collect a $7.50 sign up bonus just for signing up!)
- Search for “Straight Talk”
- Click “Straight Talk” to go shop at Straight Talk and get a 10% off of your order
Once your are signed up, be sure to see our post on how to save money on Straight Talk Refill Cards.
It’s great to read a review that gets right to the point, and really goes through both the pluses and the minuses. I’ve heard through the grapevine that Straight Talk is now offering International long distance. Any word on how it compares, rate-wise and in terms of call quality, to other prepaid providers with overseas rate plans?
Denise, Straight Talk does now have an international “calling card” type plan. Since they are almost certainly using someone else’s network to connect the calls, I imagine that the call quality is acceptable. I did find a site that lists the Straight Talk International rates as of a month ago, which should be pretty similar to today.
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, Wise Finish, and for the weblink. Very handy!
Just so I understand…you cannot port your current phone number to the Straight Talk plan?
Thanks for the great review!
Jack,
Thanks for your comment.
Actually, you CAN port your number to Straight Talk. When you sign up you will provide them with your current carrier, phone number and account number and they will port the number to Straight Talk.
can u stream pandora on a nokia e5 with straighttalk service?
Amy,
Streaming music is against the Straight Talk terms of service.
If you have to ask barrage after barrage of questions about whether switching to an inferior cell service provider will allow you to do this, do that, have this feature and have that speed and is it just as good as Verizon or AT&T, then, as with everything else, you’ll get what you pay for. If you want performance, get a VZ or AT&T contract. If you want cheap, get a Straight Talk. The first type of consumer is more happy and confident in his/ her device and performance. The latter type of consumer is still always wondering “will my Internet be fast enough today, will I have service when I go here today, or there next week, etc. You get what you pay for in the tech world. Why else would Joe willingly pay more for a Mercedes Benz, when Jim goes out and settles on a low-trim Hyundai? The answer is obvious: Joe wants that superior performance and has no problem paying for what he knows he can get. And Joe is confident in his Mercedes purchase because the auto co. has a solid reputation and track record of craftsmanship/performance etc.
Not to say that Jim isn’t happy with his Hyundai, but Jim is well aware his Hyundai doesn’t have the same engine, handling, dashboard amenities of Joe’s more expensive Mercedes. That said, if Jim is truly happy with his Hyundai, he will drive it and feel no need to bark about those who are driving Mercedes Benz’s and trying to convince numerous Mercedes drivers to trade-down and get a Hyundai because it’s cheaper and still gets you from the same point A to point B as does the Mercedes. Of course both get you to the same place! One just does it in a more refined and faster manner.
And just because a Hyundai may claim to use certain parts that Mercedes uses in THEIR autos (not to say they do, this is as an example), that doesn’t make a Hyundai a Mercedes, obviously. Just as Straight Talk may bounce off AT&T towers, the entire network of a Straight Talk is not the sum whole of an AT&T. AT&T’s customers get precedence of service and take advantage of the full network and towers at all times, whereas Straight Talk customers bounce off various leased portions of AT&T towers and other small local carrier towers. Streaming music is not against terms of service when you have a superior carrier as your network. All the little gripes that add up to a headache are vanished when you pay more to have an edge. You pay more for that, just like Joe. And even if Joe has bad credit he can still get into the Mercedes contract, he just has to pay a huge deposit up front. But if that what it tKes, Joe will do it, as hehas the right to. Joe doesnt pester all the Straight Talk users and balk at them not for wNting to buy a Mercedes like he did! The experience is just not the same. But to those who feel it is the same experience and therefore it’s crazy not to have everyone go to Straight Talk, do yourself a favor and save your energy, as the Mercedes drivers don’t care about saving the money you are. And if you are truly, truly happy in your Straight Talk ride, you’ll have no need to lecture the Mercedes drivers. After all, why would you even care what the other driver paid for his vehicle? You didn’t pay for it.
Willis,
Thanks for your opinion.
To continue your analogy, most people in America are paying for the Mercedes when they really only use/need the Hyundai. Many, many people have $100+ smartphone bills and they would be really happy with the service that Straight Talk provides, and they would be even happier to save $500+ over the course of a year.
Our personal experiences with Straight Talk in our area have been very good. Ultimately, I don’t see much difference between the service that Straight Talk provides vs AT&T and Verizon except for: they don’t themselves sell the latest/hottest phones (though they can easily be brought over through the Straight Talk SIM program, and they constrain what can be done on their network like limit streaming services.
Thanks again for your opinion, and I hope that you will give Straight Talk a try and see how good it personally is.
He definatly works for verizon lmao. Prob vice pres or pres of verizon or att. My data works fabulous on 4g with straight talk, not to mention i can buy an extra tank of gas each month. Boom
Understood- but *can* you do it? What good is “unlimited” web access that is restrictive like this? Can we use Pandora?
Straight Talk’s “unlimted” web access allows things like:
– Checking e-mail
– Using chat programs like Google chat
– Browsing the Internet
– Using applications that use data, like sports core applications, stock ticker applications, weather applications, etc (so long as it is not streaming data)
It is limited to 2GB of transfer in a month, otherwise your service may be terminated. Use Wi-Fi whenever possible. When on Wi-Fi you can use your phone to do anything, even things that are against the Straight Talk Terms of Service, because you are not on the Straight Talk network at that point. As you keep your Straight Talk data usage under 2GB for the month, you should have no issues with the Straight Talk data plan.
No, you cannot use Pandora or any other streaming music service – unless you are on Wi-Fi
Just a thought… a loooong thought,
I have used EVERY service provider in the US, literally, over the pas 10+ years. Not to insult or be a douche, but that Mercedes analogy was a bad one, in that if I purchase a phone, (just in my opinion) primarily, I need to make calls/ text (these days), it IS a phone after all, and I would like to do so WITHOUT any dropped connection, even when I am doing a cross country road trip. And yes, It would be nice to use the internet as I please which Straight talk still does but they have streaming limitations because of the costs, which they will probably offer add on’s later anyway.
With the Mercedes analogy… Vs a Hyundai ??? People who do higher end Lexus’ , Mercedes and Toyotas do so because in the long run your friggin life can bee at stake buying a BS car with crappy parts. You buy a car to drive, and this can be a dangerous thing if your overall vehicle is not well built, and yeah I guess its nice that they look better. But in the end, we get cars to “drive” and lets be honest, some just dont do it that well, and if they do, they may not do it for long, and you wont feel as secure . Anyone who has had the chance of driving many different kinds can feel the difference in safety and performance.
A phone is not life or death for one, for 2, Straight talk DOES get the job done. I travel A LOT, have not lost connection yet aside from driving through the oh so long Holland Tunnel which goes underwater which even then, I was still pulling one-two bars. I lost service a lot when I had sprint AND t-mobile (just to name a couple). Plus their so called customer services are crooks, thats why people WANT a no contract phone to begin with.
There are all these nifty things people THINK a phone is required to do these days. Look, I browse the internet constantly, I use the phone constantly, I dont lose service, and almost everywhere I go has wifi… when they dont, I dont notice, frankly I have a very large music collection so I dont use pandora on the go, cause I dont want to worry about skipping crappy songs, and if I am on the go, I am probably not streaming netflix on a tiny friggin cell phone screen anyway.
Just saying, service wise, Straight Talk more than stands along with its competitors… the benefits of signing a contract for more streaming possibilities is not worth it.
A better analogy would have been if I would drive a supped up Honda Civic/ Mustang over a Lexus, BMW or Mercedes… and no… no I would not, cars are meant for driving, and if the Mercedes can drive just as fast as those cutesy cars with all the add on’s, only it is safer (no possible secrety secret fees) more reliable (connects to all sorts or networks & doesnt lose connection), better warranty (yeah I consider no contract better assurance that my bill wont own my pockets later on), but I have to miss out on all the neon lights, fancy shopping cart looking spoilers, and the added on muffler sounds … LOL, then Yes… I will miss out on all the perks of some applications, and be content with my still beautiful but less dolled up Mercedes.
Just saying. unless i was rich enough to finally not give a crap about getting owned by contracts, crappy service and bills… Its not happening, and even then, I dont like companies trying to pull a fast one on me. And I think the majority or people dont want to have to deal with that either, they just felt like they had to because they wanted the phone. You do not have to care for it, but there are many people that simply want the option of walking away and keeping their pretty phones that they more than likely dont use to their full potential anyway.
In other words, the “bring your own phone” option is awesome of Straight talk. My car analogy is “If I could buy a BMW for the price of a Kia, but not have electric-warmed seats, have cushioned ones instead, … would I?” And I do love the warmer seats, but for the price of a Kia, which means lower monthly payments and insurance costs… Yes, yes I would. Heck, they could take away my key-less start up option as well… you know why…because it doesn’t get in the way of what I actually need my card to do… travel comfortably !
I have a Verizon iphone 4s and I want to get it on Straight Talk. Is that possible?? Please help!! Thanks
Yes, see our post on iPhones and Straight Talk for more information.
I read through your articles and it seems an unlocked sprint iphone 4s will work, but when I go to straight talk website they repeatedly say it won’t work. Is there a website that can give me information on unlocking my phone? I can get the sim card area open and see that I need a micro card.
If the phone is truly unlocked i see no reason why it cannot use its GSM capabilities to connect to a GSM service like Straight Talk SIM. Many people have done this, give it a try and let us know how it goes.
Thank you, I will try it and let you know.
I live in Welcome, NC and med to know if I can get a good signal at Conard Sowers Road. I have an android smartphone with family mobile and my phone is through tmobile. I have No signal here like they promised I would. I have to put me phone in my kitchen window in order to send a text. Cannot even talk on it due to this crappy coverage! Van I switch to straight talk and get a good signal where I live. I’m just furious about this!!!! Love my phone and thank God for my wifi so I can msg thru it. Please someone help!!!!! Thanks so much<3
I would suggest reviewing coverage maps from all the popular carriers and checking to see which show the strongest signal at your residence.
No matter what carrier is best, you can get a phone from Straight Talk that will work on it – since Straight Talk has phones on the AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon & Sprint networks.
Im confused if i buy this for my ipad for the Internet, how many gb do i hav for the month? Can i stream Netflix
You cannot stream video under the ToS. I believe you have 2.5G of data before throttling kicks in. Go to Phone Bill Cut to search for plans, you might find one that is more suitable for your needs.
Will an LG volt from virgin mobile work on straight talk?
No
I have MOTO E4G LTE that was given to me, it was under a no contract account with Consumer Cellular. Can I use this phone with my active Straight Talk account?
I don’t believe so, but give it a try and let us know how it goes!
I’m going to get a lg he phone that is unlocked would this be a good phone for straight talk
Yes, go to Straight Talk SIM or Net 10 SIM to order today!
I would like to leave boost, come back to straight talk, keep my phone and phone number. Is this possible?
No
I got a new phone and switched to Straight Talk. I switched my number from metro to Straight Talk. The new phone did not work out and I sent it back. I called customer service to have my old phone, a Samsung Galaxy On 5, activated with Straight Talk and was told it is not compatible with Straight Talk. So i have service but no phone and the activation card i purchased is being wasted.
See our article on how to contact Straight Talk Executive Customer Support.
How do I know if my current phone is truly unlocked? I currently am not involved in a contract as my U.S. Cellular contract has expired and I have paid for the phones. I would like to know how I can tell if the phone is “unlocked”?
You will need to contact US Cellular to have the phones unlocked. Once complete, they will be able to be used on Straight Talk or many other BYOD wireless carriers.
just got a blackberry classic SQC 100-4 and would like to use it with Straight Talk. Is there any way this can be made to work?
It can work but it might only work for calls. Blackberry functionality probably won’t work.