Introduction
Total Wireless offers affordable prepaid wireless service for as low as $25 per month. Total Wireless also offers Add-On data for average price of $2 per 1 GB
Today I am going to take a look at the Total Wireless plans and features for July 2021. Before we get started I want to say this is not a full review.
I last reviewed Total Wireless back in April 2018. If you are interested in that review, see https://smartphonematters.com/total-wireless-review-summary-and-conclusions/
At this time, I’m going to take a look at the plans and features to see what has changed.
Company
First a little bit about Total Wireless. Total Wireless is a Tracfone Brand. Tracfone is the largest prepaid wireless companied in the US. Total Wireless is one of a dozen or so Tracfone brands. Total Wireless offers a number of fixed data plans and the cheapest add on data with a price that averages $2 per GB
Network or Towers
Total Wireless uses Verizon’s 4G LTE and now 5G networks. Verizon is the largest wireless company in the USA and is known for covering more areas than any another network.
To see if Total Wireless has coverage in your area, see their coverage map here, https://www.totalwireless.com/coverage/check
Phones
With Total Wireless you have the choice to either buy a phone directly from Total Wireless.
Total Wireless sells a variety of Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy Models and other Android phones too.
They sell top of the line and value priced phones. This includes current and prevoius year models
You get the best deal when Total Wireless sells the phone at a discounted price and you can combine a phone and plan combo promo code. To learn more about the latest deals, see Total Wireless Latest Deals and Promo Codes
You can also Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) and just order a SIM card / kit. To check if your phone is eligible
see https://www.totalwireless.com/activation/byop/collectesn?carrier=VZW
Plans
Total Wireless offers a total of seven different plans. This includes:
- 3 Individual Plans
- 1 Extended Plan
- 3 Family / Shared Plans
All of Total Wireless’s plans include a fixed amount of high speed data. There are no unlimited data plans.
Features
Let’s take a look what’s included with the plans.
Talk
All plans include unlimited nationwide talk. You can make calls to US numbers from inside the US.
Messages
All plans include unlimited nationwide SMS text messages. Total Wireless also includes MMS picture messages and MMS group texts as well. They do not guarantee MMS messaged for BYOP phones. In the past, this was a potentila problem but in 2021 it would be rare.
Data
All Total Wireless plans include a fixed amount of high speed data. Any unused high speed data left over at the end of your 30 plan is lost. It does not roll or carry-over.
If you use up all your high speed data before your plan renews, you’ll still have slow 2G unlimited data. You’ll have the option to purchase additional high speed data as an add on.
Total Wireless does not enforce a maximium download speed on high speed data. You’ll see the reduced speeds when you use up all your high speed data. They claim your speeds will be slower when the network is congested or busy. Verizon customers are given priority over prepaid wireless customers on Verizon network.
Streaming video is limited to SD, 480p, or DVD quality.
Taxes and fees are not included in plan price and differ depending on your location.
Plans
1 GB Plan
The 1 GB plan cost $25 per month(30 days) and $23.70 with Auto Pay Discount.
The plan include one line.
Mobile Hotspot is not included.
5 GB Plan
The 5 GB plan cost $35 per month(30 days) and $33.20 with Auto Pay Discount.
The plan include one line.
Mobile Hotspot is included
25 GB Plan
The 25 GB plan cost $50 per month(30 days)
It cost $47.50 with Auto Pay Discount.
With the auto pay discount the first three months are $45
The plan include one line.
10GB of Mobile Hotspot is included
5 GB Plan Extended Plan
The 5 GB plan cost $90 per three months(90 days)
No Auto Pay discount – You save $3.20 per 30 days by paying in advsnce.
Mobile Hotspot not included
The plan include one line.
30 GB Family Plan
The 30 GB plan cost $60 per month(30 days)
It cost $57 with Auto Pay Discount.
The plan includes 2 lines
Includes Mobile Hotspot up to 10 GB per line.
60 GB Family Plan
The 60 GB plan cost $85 per month(30 days)
It cost $87 with Auto Pay Discount.
The plan includes 3 lines
Includes Mobile Hotspot up to 10 GB per line.
100 GB Family Plan
The 100 GB plan cost $100 per month(30 days)
It cost $95 with Auto Pay Discount.
The plan includes 3 lines
Includes Mobile Hotspot up to 10 GB per line
Voicemail & Visual Voicemai/
All Total Wireless plans include voice mail and Visual Voicemail on supported phones.
Visual Voicemail lets you see a list of all your voicemail messages and choose which ones to listen to or delete all from your phones screen.
To learn more about Visual Voicemail see What is Visual Voicemail?
Service Add-Ons
5GB Add-On Data for $10
Total Wireless offers 5GB add-on data for $10. That averages to $2 per GB.
Add-On data does not expire as long as your account remains active.
Total Wireless add-on data can only be used for your phone, not mobile hotspot.
This may be the best deal for add on data in the prepaid business, $2 per GB.
In fact for some people the $25 1 GB plan, might be the best deal.
Global Calling
Total Wireless also offers a $10 Global Calling add on.
With this add on you can call from the US to 100s of international destinations.
A per minute rate will be deducted from your Global calling.
Check the list of countries on Total Wirless to see what countries can be called and what the per minute rate is.
Note that for some countries, land line and cellular phone numbers may have a diffrent rate.
Mobile Hotspot
Total Wireless includes Mobile Hotspot with all of their plans except two plans. I’ll point which plans do no include hotspot in the plans section.
Mobile Hotspot lets you connect your laptop, tablet, or other Wi-Fi connected devices to the Internet using your phone’s cellular data connection.
Note that Global Calling doed not support international direct dialing. You need to call an access number and then dial your international number. Total Wireless offers and international dialer app that will automatically call the access number for you. You can dial an international number directly or from your contacts.
To learn more about Mobile Hotspot, see What is Mobile Hotspot?
Wi-Fi Calling
According the their web site, Total Wireless now includes Wi-Fi Calling.
With Wi-Fi calling, your phone can make and receive phone calls as well as send and receive text messages using your Wi-Fi connection instead of the cellular network. With Wi-Fi calling you’ll be able to use your Wi-Fi connected phone in areas where you have little or no cellular network coverage. To learn more about Wi-Fi calling see $WI-FI-CALLING$.
I’m going to note that in my experiece, Wi-Fi calling can be a problem on any of the Tracfone brands. Even though Total Wireless claims to support it, you may have problems setting it up and turning it on. You may need to contact customer service, to get it to work, and even that might not help.
Discounts
Total Wireless offers s couple of discounts.
Auto Pay
Total Wireless offers an automatic payment program called Auto-Pay. Enroll in Auto Pay and you can save a few dollars off your monthly plan.
To get the Auto Pay discount, you need to sign up and agree to let Total Wireless automatically charge your plan each month to your credit card.
Note that the Auto Pay discount may not be a better deal than buying prepaid wireless cards at a retail location.
Compare the total price of a service plan card at retail with the the price total wireless charges. Where I live you pay sales tax on the prepaid plan card in the store, but when you buy plans online you pay sales tax plus total wireless passed other fees on to you. (E911, Univeral Service Fee, etc)
Rewards Program
Total Wireless offers a Rewards program.
With Rewards, you earn points when you purchase plans, watch video promotionals and play games. Those points can be redeemed later for service plans and add on data.
If your enrolled in the Rewards Program, you’ll earn points for each plan or add-on you buy. If you are enrolled in Auto-Pay, you’ll earn double rewards points for qualifying purchases. Once you have accumlated enough points, you can use those pints to pay for future service plans or add-ons. Check the totalwireless.com to see the details for the points earned and points to buy each specific plans.