Picking the right service: More than just a price tag

You might think that getting phone service is as easy as walking into a store, but in truth, it’s a lot more complex than that. First, come the service considerations: How much data do I need, what kind of phone plan do I want: prepaid or postpaid, what network has the best coverage in my area. Then, come the price considerations: What can I afford, how much should I be paying per GB, is this even a good price. There are over 100 phone carriers in the U.S, offering varying plans at varying prices, so you can always find a phone plan that matches both your budget and your service needs, but what about matching your values?  

Shifting Shopping Habits 

According to a Harris Poll shared last month, 4 out of 10 Americans have shifted their spending over the last few months to align with their moral views. Another interesting statistic is that 31% of Americans in that same poll reported having no interest in supporting the economy at all this year. It’s not completely surprising, as we’ve seen a rise in underconsumption or no-buy trends online, with more people leaning into a money-saving mindset, recognizing that there are better ways to spend their money and be financially healthy than giving it to products or services that aren’t serving them long-term.  

These consumer-led political stances are mostly aimed at retail stores, but that doesn’t mean that other products you pay for can’t be held to the same standard. You don’t have to go digging into past posts from your internet and phone services’ executives or find a trailing campaign donation to determine if your values match, you just have to look into how they treat their customers.  

Phone service that actually cares about you  

We get it – in order to make it as a business, you have to be profitable. In order to be profitable, you have to set prices that will make you so, and in order to set those prices, you have to have a product or a service that merits the price tag. But that’s an outdated and limited way of running a business. Streaming services have long figured out that providing something for free is possible (and frankly, easy), if you can make your money in other, more inclusive, ways, like ads.  

So, why can’t something as essential as phone service do the same? For 16 years, TextNow has fought to change the way phone service is offered. What started as a free texting app to combat high text message rates has evolved to a nationwide free phone service that includes unlimited calling & texting, plus essential data for apps like maps, email, and rideshare, so you’re never truly stranded without service. It may not seem political, but it’s an important stance to take: A company that provides an essential service should at the very minimum provide its customers with a way to stay connected, even when a rough patch hits and they can’t afford it.  

When you turn on the news or scroll through your feed, you’re bound to catch some headline around the price of eggs. It’s a grocery staple that serves as a signal that families’ budgets are getting tighter and paying an average of $141/month for phone service is no longer a sustainable practice. Not only is traditional phone service expensive, it’s also not forgiving. On a postpaid plan, you can continue having service for a little while after missing a payment, but that will eventually lead to a suspension and termination of your service, not to mention the debt you now owe. On a prepaid plan, if you can’t pay for the service, you simply won’t get any. Neither of these options are forgiving to someone who may have just lost their job and needs to allocate more of their savings toward groceries and rent, omitting other expenses like a phone plan.  

Americans are learning that their money is worth a lot more than just a numerical value – it’s a sign of trust. Trust that it will be spent justly, trust that it will better their life, and trust that it’s supporting the right causes. So, when looking at your monthly budget and figuring out which brands to support, make sure you trust that your money will be spent well, even if that means spending none of it and still getting the same service you deserve – for free.