Our detailed guide to the best senior cell phone plans Canada offers can help you or your loved ones find the perfect plan!

Senior Cell Phone Plans Canada: The Best Plans for Seniors in 2024

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What are the best cell phone plans for seniors available in Canada, and how do I make an informed decision?

Seniors represent an important portion of telecommunication users. Indeed, seniors have very specific needs and are unique in the way they use their mobile phones. They are often looking for a reliable, easy-to-use mobile phone with an economical plan that can send and receive phone calls and text messages, with as few bells and whistles as possible.

When searching for a phone plan for seniors, you want to find something that is both economical up front and doesn’t have any bad surprises at the end of the month. For example, having to pay overage fees. As usual, we recommend figuring out your personal needs before shopping.

Senior Phone Plans Canada – Prepaid Packages

Due to their generally affordable price, prepaid plans present themselves as attractive cellular options for seniors. The clearly defined services of these packages help save money and avoid surprises at the end of the month. For quick browsing, they often include calls, text messages and cellular data. However, most prepaid plans for seniors in Canada require in-depth knowledge of each customer’s specific needs.

Koodo’s basic plan, which costs around $15, includes 100 minutes of nationwide calling and 250 MB of mobile data, making it one of the best prepaid options for seniors. The $29 plan includes unlimited calling within Canada but not any mobile data. For those with more serious needs, Koodo provides monthly plans with up to 3 GB of data for $35 per month.

Chatr sometimes has higher data limits than Koodo, but it also provides prepaid plans for seniors. Their cheapest plan, which costs $15 per month, includes 250 MB of data and 100 minutes of calls within Canada. However, their most expensive offer, priced at $75 per month, includes 22 GB of data and unlimited calls to the United States and Canada.

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Summary of plans:

  • Koodo: $15 per month, 250 MB of data, and 100 minutes of calls within Canada.
  • Chatr: $15 per month, 250 MB of data, and 100 minutes of calls within Canada.

Customizable cell phone plans for Seniors

This is the best option for seniors who want more comprehensive plans that address their specific needs. You can add or remove options in these plans as needed. As a result, they prove to be significantly less expensive than the all-inclusive plans offered by major providers.

This type of plan is available from operators such as Public Mobile, Fido, and Fizz. With Public Mobile, you can customize your plan by selecting the desired talk time, the number of included text messages, and the amount of mobile data. Fido also offers similar options for adjusting talk time, long-distance call duration, included data, and other features.

Fizz allows customers in Quebec and Ottawa to select the amount of data and add unlimited calls and texts. You can also choose which coverage you want: Quebec only, all of Canada, or Canada and the United States. This is ideal for those who have a clear understanding of their needs.

Each option is billed separately below, but we estimate that this type of plan costs approximately $25 per month for “normal” usage.

Summary of plans:

  • Public Mobile: 4 GB data, unlimited calls, ~$24/month
  • Fido: 3 GB data, unlimited nationwide minutes, $35/month
  • Fizz: 1 GB data, unlimited calls and texts, $26/month

Traveler cell phone plans for Seniors                 

Cellular plans designed for travelers are especially beneficial for people who frequently travel outside of Canada. These plans provide significant savings by reducing roaming charges, whether you’re traveling to the United States for a winter getaway or exploring new destinations.

Roaming fees, as a reminder, are charges that operators may levy when you use your phone abroad. Depending on the length and location of your trip, you can either suspend your line or bring your phone and plan with you. If you decide to bring your phone, here are some options that may assist you.

Check out our article on this topic for more details on roaming options.

Summary of plans:

Family packages for Seniors 

Families can be consolidated under a single operator and receive a unified bill through these plans, making them ideal for family savings. 

Many operators provide this type of service. The three telecommunications giants in Canada—Bell, Rogers, and Telus—offer plans that allow sharing up to three lines with an average of 100 GB of shareable mobile data. Additionally, this option consolidates expenses on a single bill and allows seniors to include their family members in a family plan. This option is often the most cost-effective for families.

 

Summary of options:

  • Rogers: Infinite Plan, $85 per month, 120 GB of shareable data, unlimited calls and texts. ➔ Click here
  • Telus: Telus Family Plan, $65 per month, 100 GB of shareable data, unlimited calls and texts. ➔ Click here
  • Bell: Family Data Share Plan, $70 per month, 100 GB of shareable data, unlimited calls and texts. ➔ Click here

Best cell phone plans for Seniors in 2024

Plan Types Carriers Phone Lines Data Price per Month Details
Prepaid Plan Koodo 1 250 MB $15 Attractive pricing
Chatr 1 250 MB $15
Fizz 1 1 GB $18.90
 

Customizable Plan

Public Mobile 1 1 GB $20 Ideal for those seeking a short-term plan
Fido 1 3 GB $35
Fizz 1 1 GB $26
Traveler Plan Fido 1 As per existing plan $7 per day (U.S.) Ideal for frequent travelers
Koodo 1 As per existing plan $12 per day (International)
Bell 1 As per existing plan $15 per day (International)
Telus 1 As per existing plan $15 per day (International)
Rogers 1 As per existing plan $15 per day (International)
Family Plan Bell 3+ 10 GB $75 Allows for family savings
Telus 3+ 10 GB $65
Rogers 3+ 10 GB $85

The best cell phone plans for seniors Canada 

An ideal mobile plan is only part of the solution for Seniors and in many cases, it depends upon the other half – the ideal phone for a Senior. As with plans, it helps to identify your particular needs before deciding on which device to buy – whether you are a Senior or are shopping for a Senior. Here is a quick overview of the best cell phone plans for seniors Canada has to offer.

Best Flip Phones

Flip phones have been around long before the first smartphones came along. Even though their popularity has decreased, they continue to remain the phone of choice with many people because of a few major advantages: their low prices, simplicity of use and their rugged construction which allows them to take rougher use than most of today’s glass-encased smartphones. 

Even though they offer relatively few “smart” features, they often have everything that many people need for their day to day use – the ability to make and receive calls, a large physical keyboard to make typing in numbers and text messages easy, an easily programmable button for emergency calls, the ability to set an alarm, a calendar etc. Some are even compatible with hearing aids in addition to the fact that the phone’s speaker is very powerful. Flip phones can be a very good choice for seniors, depending on their needs. Check out our pages on Alcatel, Sonim and ZTE to learn more about Canada’s greatest flip phones. .

Best smartphones 

Smartphones can be a very good choice for seniors. Although they have more features and are relatively more delicate, they remain quite simple to use. Even though the initial learning-curve to learn to use a smartphone can be steep for some seniors, once learnt, they can be very easy to use on a daily basis. In addition to the basic features offered by a telephone (make calls, send texts), smart phones offer a wide range of applications that can make everyday life easier for seniors – to improve accessibility, for memory, for entertainment, and more. Smartphones can be a good choice for seniors who feel confident with new technologies and who need help every day.

The key to the perfect plan or the perfect device for anybody, including seniors is to know your needs. One of the best ways to do that is to subscribe to a detailed invoice and keep track of your usage for a couple of months. Then, use PlanHub’s detailed search tool, to search various options and compare all the available options in the market and choose the one that best suits your needs. 

What will be your choice?

With the variety of offerings currently on the market and the nearly constant updates, there is sure to be an ideal plan for everyone – young and old, power user or not. 

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Do you agree that seniors sometimes have specific needs with their mobile and internet plans? Are you currently shopping for a plan either for yourself or for a member of your family? And do you agree, that “seniors’ needs” will change over generations? Have we missed something important in this article?

Let us know in the comments.

 

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5 Comments

  1. My wife and I are on Speak Out which is though 7 11 they use the Rodgers network, we put whatever we want on the phone, if you buy $100 you get a bonus $25.00 they have data plans but we don’t use them just send messages and calls and a $100 last me a year.

  2. Excellent summary . Currently $95 / mo. 5gb 12 years with Rogers . Man , am I getting ripped off.!!!!
    I use my cell! extensively ,bills ,etc . . . samsung 9plus

    1. I don’t think that any of these plans are “senior” plans, they are just the regular plans.

  3. Where do you come up with these plans, I looked at Bell, Rogers and Telus and they are no where near the prices you quote?

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