This one of a series of Prepaid Phone News' profiles covering the major US mobile operators and MVNOs.
Overview: U.S. Cellular (888-944-9400) is the largest regional operator and the the fifth largest mobile network operator in the US. U.S. Cellular operates in California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. At the end of 2013, U.S. Cellular had 4.8 million subscribers including 343,000 prepaid subscribers.
Technology: CDMA on the 850 and 1900 Mhz bands with 1xRTT and EV-DO data support. 4G LTE on the 700 Mhz band 12. LTE data is available to prepaid customers on plans priced at $50 and higher.
U.S. Cellular offers the following prepaid plans:
Monthly Cost
Activation Fee
Voice
SMS
MMS
Data
$10 (PayGo) 1
$50
10¢/min
25¢ 2
None
None
$35 1
$20
400, overage 25¢/min
400 2
400
None
$50
0
unlimited
unlimited
unlimited
Unlimited (throttled after 500 MB)
$50
0
unlimited
unlimited
unlimited
1 GB
$65
0
unlimited
unlimited
unlimited
2 GB
1 Feature phones only
2 Incoming texts are free
U.S. Cellular also offers the U-Prepaid brand, which is available exclusively at Walmart and Sam's Club stores. U-Prepaid plans tend offer more minutes, texts and data than comparably priced U.S. Cellular Prepaid plans. However LTE is not available on U-Prepaid and handset selection is limited to a handful of lower end models. The top phone on U-Prepaid currently is the $129.99 Motorola G. For details of U-Prepaid plans see the U-Prepaid site and US Cellular/Alltel U-Prepaid Now Available - Here's What it Costs.
U-Prepaid Plans
Feature Phone plans
Pay By The Month Plans
$40/month
Unlimited Talk, Messaging and Mobile Web
$30/month
1500 Minutes & Unlimited Messaging
Overage: 10¢ minute Data: 50¢ MB
Pay By The Day Plans
$2/day
Unlimited Talk, Messaging and 50 MB of data
Overage Data: 50¢/MB
$1/day
Voice 10¢/minute, Unlimited Messaging, Unlimited Nights and Weekends
Data: 50¢/MB
Smart Phone Plans
Pay By The Month Plan
$50/month
Unlimited Talk, Messaging and 2 GB of data
Overage Data: 50¢/MB
Pay By The Day Plan
$2/day
Unlimited Talk, Messaging and 50 MB of data
Overage Data: 50¢/MB
Taxes and Fees: Applicable state, county and local taxes apply, and they vary by state.
International Rates: U.S. Cellular rates for international calling are very high; sample rates per minute: Canada 44¢, Mexico 52¢, India $3.15, Philippines $2.25, U.K. $1.62. A $3.99 International add on is available that reduces rates to: Canada 8¢, Mexico 16¢, India 27¢, Philippines 19¢, U.K. 20¢.
Domestic Roaming: U.S. Cellular plans include no extra charge nationwide voice, SMS and 2G data roaming. Data roaming is capped at 200 MB/month. Customers whose roaming minutes exceed 50% of their total minutes in three consecutive months are subject to termination.
Coverage: (map) U.S. Cellular has native coverage in portions of California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. There's nationwide roaming on Verizon and other CDMA operators.
Devices U.S. Cellular offers a selection of prepaid feature phones and and smartphones including current flagships like the iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S4. Good values include the Motorola Moto G for $79.99 and the $299.99 Moto X is $299.99. U.S. Cellular postpaid phones can also be activated on prepaid.
How to Activate: Activate by calling 888-944-9400. You can port in a number from another carrier during activation. There's a $50 activation fee on the pay as you go plan and a $20 activation fee on the $35 plan. Activation is free on $50 and higher plans.
Payment Options: U.S. Cellular stores (store locator) accept cash payments. Users can pay by credit or debit card at a store or by dialing #ADD (#233) from their U.S. Cellular phone or 888-944-9400 from another phone.
Automatic Refills: Automatic refills using a credit or debit card are available. Customers can choose to automatically add a specific amount each month or when their balance falls below $10. Set up automatic refills by calling 611 from your U.S. Cellular phone or 888-944-9400 from another phone.
Account Management:
Dial #BAL (#225) to check your balance
Dial #ADD (#233) to add money to your account
Dial 611 to hear how many minutes you have left
Call forwarding: not supported
Call waiting: Call waiting is enabled by default. It lets you place one call on hold while you take another call. When you are on a call and have another incoming call, you will hear a short tone. You'll have approximately 30 seconds to answer before the second caller hears a standard message or is forwarded to voicemail. Unless you are on an unlimited plan, you will be charged for both calls.
To answer Call Waiting: To put the first call on hold, press "SEND." You'll automatically be connected with the second call. To return to the first call, press "SEND" again. To switch between the two calls, press "SEND."
3-Way Calling: lets you create a conference call between yourself and two other people. You will be charged for both calls if you are not on an unlimited plan.
While on the first call, dial the 10-digit number of the second person and press "SEND." The first person is automatically put on hold while the call is made.
When the 2nd person answers, press "SEND" to create the conference call.
If the second person doesn't answer, press "SEND" twice to return to the first caller
To end both calls, press END
Free information services calls
#BAL (#225) - check balance
#ADD (#233) - add money
611 - Customer support
711 - Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) for the hearing and speech impaired
911 - Emergency services
PRL Update
The preferred roaming list (PRL) controls which towers your phone can use. If you have no service in areas where you think you should, updating your PRL may help: Dial *228, to update the PRL.
Customer Service:
Phone support: 888-944-9400 Support is US based. Hours: daily except holidays 6 AM - 11 PM CT, holidays 7 AM - 8 PM
Email Support: use the Web form on the Contact Us page
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter
Sales and General Information Web Site: www.uscellular.com
U.S. Cellular Pros: No extra cost voice and text roaming, LTE and high end smartphones available. Free incoming texts. Top rated US based customer support.
U.S. Cellular Cons: Activation fees. no call forwarding, pricey pay as you go plan, high rates for international calls, limited account management options.
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