Tracfone Plans
Verizon's value brand, and the last major carrier still selling minute-based plans. Two completely different lineups live here — monthly smartphone plans and long-dated basic plans — and most comparisons only cover one.
Tracfone is owned by Verizon and runs on Verizon's network, which makes it one of the cheapest routes onto that network. Typical speeds are 20–148 Mbps down with 43–85 ms latency — respectable, though below what Verizon postpaid customers see.
What makes Tracfone unusual is that it still sells airtime the old way. Alongside conventional 30-day smartphone plans, there are 90-day and 365-day plans measured in minutes — a $99.99 plan that lasts a full year works out to $8.33/mo. Nothing else at this scale still does that, and it's why Tracfone remains the default answer for a phone that barely gets used.
Tracfone at a glance
Every Tracfone plan compared
Prices are what Tracfone advertises. The line under each plan name is what you actually pay once taxes and fees land.
Plan names link to our full review of that tier. We re-verify every price against the carrier daily.
What it really costs
Tracfone quotes prices before taxes and fees. The charges are itemised and modest — the $50 plan adds a $3.14 recovery charge plus $0.29 federal universal service fund, so figure $53–55 all-in depending on your state.
Unlimited Carryover is the underrated feature. Unused data rolls into the next cycle as long as service stays active, which means the $20 4GB plan behaves more like 5–6GB for anyone whose usage varies month to month.
Hotspot is the one place Tracfone is genuinely restrictive. Only the $50 plan includes a real 15GB hotspot allowance; the $40 plan carves up to 8GB out of its own 20GB, and the cheaper tiers are hotspot-capable but have nothing to spare.
The annual plans are priced completely differently from the monthly ones. $99.99 for 365 days works out to $8.33/mo, well under half the cheapest 30-day plan — but you're buying minutes, not a smartphone plan.
Tracfone is a good fit if…
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Frequently asked questions
What network does Tracfone use?
Tracfone runs on Verizon's 5G and 4G LTE network and is owned by Verizon Value, Inc. Typical speeds are 20–148 Mbps down and 2–15 Mbps up with 43–85 ms latency.
What is the cheapest Tracfone plan?
Among 30-day smartphone plans, $15/mo for unlimited talk and text with 1GB of data. Measured per month, the cheapest plan overall is the 365-day 400-minute plan at $99.99 for the year — $8.33/mo — but that's minutes rather than a data plan.
Which Tracfone plans include hotspot?
The $50 Unlimited plan includes a dedicated 15GB hotspot allowance. The $40 plan allocates up to 8GB from its own 20GB for hotspot or regular data. Cheaper plans are hotspot-capable but have no separate allowance.
Does unused Tracfone data expire?
No. Unlimited Carryover rolls unused data into the next cycle as long as you maintain active service on an unlimited talk and text smartphone plan. On other plan types, unused minutes, texts and data don't expire provided any Tracfone plan is active and used within a six-month period.
Does Tracfone have yearly plans?
Yes — two 365-day plans. $99.99 buys 400 minutes for a full year ($8.33/mo) and $125 buys 1500 minutes, 1500 texts and 1500MB of data ($10.42/mo). Both are minute-based rather than smartphone data plans, which makes them best suited to lightly used or backup phones.
Are taxes and fees included in Tracfone's prices?
No. Each plan adds a federal universal service fund charge and a regulatory and telco recovery charge, plus state tax. On the $50 plan that's about $3.43 before state tax; on the $20 plan it's about $1.38. There is no activation fee and no termination fee.