Red Pocket Review 2021- Best Inexpensive Cell Phone Service Provider
This Red Pocket Review is extremely personal to me. Several years ago, my husband and I were saving money to build our dream home. We wanted to build our dream home debt free which meant that we needed to put some serious cash in our savings every day.
We started analyzing our budget and cutting expenses. We decided to give our cell phone bill a hard look. The plan itself wasn’t too costly but the added “service fees” were killing us.
Why was our cell phone service so expensive? All we needed was to call, text, and have some data. I mean, we weren’t trying to save the world with our cell phone.
We felt that our company was overdoing it quite a bit in the service fee department.
So, we began a quest to find the best inexpensive cell phone service provider out there. We tested several companies before we landed on Red Pocket Mobile through a recommendation from a coworker.
We quickly learned that Red Pocket Mobile is an excellent cell phone service provider and their customer service is amazing!
We have used their service for years now and have been incredibly pleased. We even recommend it to everyone we know!
We switched based on your recommendation and now save $80 a month! We’ve had it 4 months now with no change in quality of service. Thanks for sharing about it!
my friend, Rebecca
Red Pocket Review quick version: You can get exactly what you have now: YOUR phone, the SAME network, the SAME amount of data…FOR LESS MONEY and NO CONTRACT! And you can turn your phone into a hotspot for FREE.
If you have questions about Red Pocket coverage, Red Pocket Plans and Pricing, How Red Pocket works, Red Pocket Deals, or How to activate your Red Pocket SIM card (among other things), this is the Red Pocket Review for you.
Now, if you’re ready to dig into all the details of Red Pocket Mobile and all its benefits, keep reading!
Red Pocket is an inexpensive cell phone service provider.
They use the towers from the major US carriers to provide you with a more affordable cell phone service with the same coverage and data speeds
Red Pocket Mobile is great for anyone who seeks an alternative option to their current cell phone service provider.
If you budget, save money, have positive financial goals, are on the road to becoming debt-free, or simply don’t like to be taken advantage of, this Red Pocket Review is for you.
We searched far and wide for a cell phone service provider that would meet our needs, not charge high prices and be upfront about their costs. We tested many low-cost, no contract cell phone service providers and Red Pocket exceeded them all.
You can use your existing phone with your current number.
No contracts.
No activation fees.
No overage fees.
Affordable plans.
We have found that the service is excellent, and the data speeds are fast.
I use my phone and data for personal and business purpose, and it had exceeded my expectations. In fact, I even use my phone as a hotspot to teach English to children in China!
I have learned that the customer service wait times can be quite long on the phone. So, I typically choose to chat with them instead.
Red Pocket is an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) that uses the major service providers in the USA to provide service to its customers.
That basically means that Red Pocket uses the towers of the big boys.
That also means that they can charge you less because they have less over-head.
This is a great option for the consumer as it allows you to choose the carrier that meets your needs. You can choose between: Version, Spring, AT&T, or T-Mobile.
Use your existing, unlocked phone (more on that below…it’s easy) or buy one from Red Pocket.
Keep your phone number or get a new one.
Choose a service plan that fits your needs.
Choose a network you like.
Pay.
Then, they mail you a sim card to put in your phone (which can be customized to fit your phone- including standard, micro, and nano sizes).
Activate it when you get it and you’re all set!
Red Pocket makes their service extremely easy to use and if you have any problems during the activation process, just call or chat with them.
Personally, I prefer to chat. Their representatives have always been so helpful!
Red Pocket Mobile uses four different networks. This means that they are compatible with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon devices.
Here is a breakdown of their networks and compatible devices according to their website:
GSMA: This network offers the largest GSM coverage in the US. This network works with most AT&T-compatible, GSM unlocked and CDMA LTE unlocked devices.
CDMAS: Bring your own Sprint LTE or 3G device and most CDMA unlocked devices.
GSMT: This network works with most T-Mobile-compatible, GSM unlocked and CDMA LTE unlocked devices.
CDMA: This network works with most Verizon-compatible LTE devices.
Yes! Red Pocket lets you turn your phone into a Hot Spot for free.
Other providers will charge you a fee to turn that feature on even though you are using the data you already paid for.
Just call them and ask them to turn the hotspot feature on.
I hotspot my cell phone so I can write this blog! I have found the feature to be extremely reliable and convenient.
According to the customer service representative I chatted with, as of the publishing date on this article, only their GSMT Network offers 5G service.
When it comes to paying for cell phone service or anything else, I don’t like contracts.
I don’t like rates increasing without my knowledge.
I also don’t like high prices.
Now, I understand that I must pay taxes (which makes the prices a little higher). After all, I live in America. The Land of Taxes.
But what I really don’t like is hidden fees.
My favorite part about Red Pocket (besides the excellent prices) is that they don’t have hidden fees. You know what I’m talking about.
Other companies do it like this:
The service costs $50 a month (for one line)
+
Administration fees
+
Regulatory fees
+
Activation fees
+
Cancellation fees
+
Smartphone Line Access (seriously?)
And the list goes on.
Forbes states, “On average, Americans pay $225 per year above and beyond their wireless service charges.”
Paying high prices and hidden fees will not get you closer to your debt-free goals and it most certainly doesn’t help you control your budget.
I want to know what I’m paying for up front. If a company is going to charge me $50 plus all these other fees, then they should just go ahead and say it’s a $100 plan. Let’s not beat around the bush.
That is why I like Red Pocket. They aren’t like that. No secrets.
That’s what I want you to learn the most out of this Red Pocket Review. Their plans are extremely economical.
As of today, we are paying $20 a month for a service that would cost us over $50 a month with another carrier.
I even turn the phone into a hotspot so I can have WiFi to my laptop so I can write this blog! (We can’t have reasonable home internet here in the Bermuda Triangle.)
My favorite part about Red Pocket is their pre-paid service plans.
You can pay monthly (pay as you go)or yearly. There is a small discount for paying yearly.
We just pick the plan we want, we pay for an entire year up front, and we don’t have to think about it for another year.
You even get to choose which network you prefer for the best signal in your area (AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint).
Check out Red Pocket Monthly Plans here.
Currently, Red Pocket offers several yearly (annual) plans.
They are offering the unlimited plan which is 3GB of data per month for $15/month (for a year).
Or, the ultimate plan which is 8GB of data per month for $20/month (for a year).
Finally, they are offering the XL plan (which I have). It is 20GB of data per month for $30/month (for a year).
Check out Red Pocket Yearly Plans here.
Activating your Red Pocket SIM card is quite easy.
Visit redpocket.com/start and enter you SIM card number. You will follow the directions from there.
Personally, I prefer to call customer service and have them activate it. They can also help you port your existing number if you are new to Red Pocket.
You can reach Red Pocket Customer Service at: 712-775-8777
Red Pocket offers a free SIM and shipping with your service plan. You can shop for Red Pocket SIMs here.
Most of their SIM sales are from their eBay store. So, don’t be surprised when their website directs you there! It’s completely legit and easy to order there.
Both!
Actually, Red Pocket offers 4 different networks for you to choose from: GSMA, CDMAS, GSMT, and CDMA. You can choose the network that works best for you and your device.
We weren’t sure which network would have the best reception/coverage out here in the Woods. So, we bought only one month of service using Sprint’s network.
I could only send a picture of the kids to my in-laws if I stood on the back porch with one leg in the air and my tongue sticking out. Clearly, that wasn’t going to work long term.
So, we switched to AT&T the next month to test it and it was perfect! We had no problems with their service whatsoever.
Once we determined which network would provide us the best signal, we started purchasing a year’s worth of service at a time because it’s cheaper that way. (Every penny counts, right?)
My advice is to try out the networks before you buy a yearly plan (if that’s your goal). See which one works best for you.
No Red Pocket Review would be complete without discussing the quality of their customer service.
Red Pocket Customer Service has always been excellent and extremely helpful. I prefer to use the chat feature instead of calling because their wait times can be several minutes or more during peak times.
I am a homeschooling mom to three kids, so I don’t have a lot of time to wait on hold. With the chat feature, I just start the chat and my phone alerts me when the customer service representative is live and has responded.
Their representatives are always friendly, knowledgeable, and quick to help.
You can reach Red Pocket Customer Service at: 712-775-8777
Buying a phone from Red Pocket couldn’t be easier! Shop here.
If you have an unlocked phone, you can bring it to Red Pocket and use their service. Be sure to check with Red Pocket/ you carrier to make sure it is compatible.
Getting your phone unlocked is easy.
Just ask your carrier to unlock your phone after you have finished your contract.
You can also get all sorts of new, unlocked phones online. Red Pocket sells them too! We even got a free, unlocked iPhone from Red Pocket through a promotion they were running one time.
No. The data, minutes, and texts do not roll over. I have used Red Pocket for years and was 100% sure I was correct, but I chatted with customer service to verify this information.
So, I always make a note in my calendar of when my data expires each month. Then, I let my 8-year-old watch drawing and art tutorials on YouTube OR I watch a few YouTube videos about RV remodels (which seems to be an obsession of mine).
Another good option for you to use extra data would be to watch my YouTube Channel!
Yes! Tethering (and hotspot) services are supported with Red Pocket Plans. According to their website, “Tethering and Hotspot service availability will vary depending on the network and device.”
You can read more about that here: Does Red Pocket Support Tethering?
Red Pocket often offers deals on their plans and products. So, always keep a look out on their website if you are in the market for a new cell phone service provider or a new iPhone.
Red Pocket also makes a point to take care of their customers. When the Covid pandemic of 2020 began, my husband started working from home.
All of the sudden, we needed more cell phone data. We signed into our Red Pocket Mobile account to see how much it would cost. That is when we noticed that they had already given us extra data.
I called them to ask about it and they told me that they had given all their customers extra data because they knew many people would be working from home during this time.
I was blown away.
I am giving Red Pocket a solid 9/10.
If their customer service wait times were shorter, I would give them a perfect 10.
To combat long wait times, try to contact them in off-peak hours.
It is completely worth it to switch to Red Pocket Mobile.
It’s the same service on the same towers with the same phone as you have now…it’s just less expensive.
We have loved using Red Pocket for years and I’m sure you will too!
I hope this helps you. Decently priced cell phone service shouldn’t be something we have to search so hard for, but it is.
If you have any questions about this Red Pocket Review or my experience with Red Pocket Mobile, don’t hesitate to leave me a comment.
All the best,
Lindsey
*This post contains affiliate links.
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