How Do You Choose A Cell Phone Plan?
If you’re about to purchase your first mobile device, or are just arriving on Canadian soil, you’re going to need an appropriate plan. So, how do you choose a cell phone plan? Well, the process of purchasing one is quite simple. However, there are many factors to consider before doing so. The last thing we want is for you to end up paying for a plan that you dislike. Fortunately, we at Planhub will provide you with a detailed guide outlining all the options to consider when choosing a new plan. This post will introduce some of the best cell phone plans in Canada, as well as several promotions and perks you should take advantage of.
How to Get a Cell Phone Plan
First and foremost, you should know how to get a cell phone plan. Typically, there are two primary methods: Going to a store/kiosk or purchasing one online. For the most part, the method of your choice should depend on what you need to purchase. If you need a new smartphone, we suggest visiting a physical location. This way, you’ll be able to see all the available devices, talk to a customer service representative, and leave the store with a brand new cell phone. If you’re already with a provider, simply look up their closest physical location and pay them a visit. If you don’t have a provider or want to try out a new one, you have plenty of options. Try researching current limited time deals and promotions, until you find one that sticks out to you. Figure out if you want to support a large telecom company, or an independent provider. Then, find the nearest location and talk to a sales representative.
The alternative choice is a bring your own device (BYOD) plan. For these plans, all you need is an unlocked phone and you’re ready to go. Usually, we recommend ordering BYOD plans online. Independent providers such as Fizz will send you a SIM card in just a few days. If you already have a smartphone and want to get a new plan, you can find one quickly online. This is a great choice if you’re coming to Canada from elsewhere, and don’t want to spend money on a brand new phone upon your arrival.
How to Set Up a Phone Plan With International Calling
Speaking of relocating, this next section may be of interest to you. Upon moving to Canada, one of the first things you want to do is get in touch with your friends and family back home. To do this, you might want a cell phone plan that lets you text and call without borders. Fortunately, we’ll outline how to set up a phone plan with international texting and calling in a few simple steps. All you really need to do is order a plan that includes long distance calling, texting or data if you travel frequently. Alternatively, many major providers offer long distance add-ons. With these add-ons, you pay an additional monthly fee to be able to experience unlimited long distance calling. Here are some great choices for long distance plans and add-ons in Canada:
Mobile Plan – $50 Per Month – 10GB of Data | Unlimited Canada-Wide & US Calling
- Texting & Calling: Unlimited across Canada and the United States
- Data: 10GB
- Price: $50 / Month
More information about Lucky Mobile Canada-Wide & US 10GB Calling Plan
Mobile Add-On – $10 Extra Per Month | 250 International Call Minutes in Select Countries
- Calling: 250 Minutes to India, United Kingdom or China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
- Price: $10 / Month
More information about Shaw International Calling Add-Ons
Mobile Add-On – $25 Extra Per Month | 1000 International Call Minutes
- Texting: Unlimited texting to over 55 countries worldwide
- Calling: 1000 Minutes to over 55 countries worldwide
- Price: $25 / Month
More information about Telus World 1000 Add-On
Data Sharing
Purchasing new phone plans for your whole family can be expensive. Fortunately, certain providers offer data sharing plans. With this feature, users can save money by adding several members to a shared plan. Family members will share from a large pool of data, rather than individually paying for data plans. The larger telecom providers offer some of the greatest options for shared data plans, so we suggest looking into one of them if you’re interested.
Bell currently offers four different shareable data plans ranging from 20GB to 100GB per month. Additionally, for every member you add to the family plan, you save $15 per month. Thus, this is a rewarding option if you want to sign up your whole family for mobile plans. Telus also offers four data sharing family plans. Their plans include 20GB, 25GB, 50GB or 100GB of shared monthly data. They also offer a reduction of $15 a month for every additional family member. Overall, Telus’ prices are similar to Bell’s. However, their prices reduce more if you add more family members onto the plan. So, it is probably more economic if you want to sign up four or more members for a shared data plan. If you only plan on purchasing a family plan for three individuals, Bell’s plan will probably save you more money.
Data Rollover
If you’re only buying a mobile plan for yourself, you can still take advantage of some great promotions. Currently, data rollover is a huge perk that many independent providers have started implementing. Data rollover rewards users with leftover data, and allows them to use it the following month. For example, if you have a 5GB plan with data rollover, and you only use 3GB, the remaining 2GB will be added to your total the following month. Data rollover is a great promotion for users that rarely go over their data, and end up paying for too much. This way, you can spend your money wisely while easily gaining extra gigs of data. For Ontario and Quebec residents, Fizz currently offers the greatest deals on data rollover plans. Here are some of their best plans:
Mobile Plan – $33 Per Month – 3GB of Data + Data Rollover | Unlimited Calling & Texting
- Texting & calling: Unlimited nationwide
- Data: 3GB – Unused data rolls over to the next month
- Price: $33 / Month
More information about Fizz 3GB Data Rollover Plan
Mobile Plan – $37 Per Month – 9GB of Data + Data Rollover | Unlimited Calling & Texting
- Texting & Calling: Unlimited nationwide
- Data: 9GB – Unused data rolls over to the next month
- Price: $37 / Month
More information about Fizz 9GB Data Rollover Plan
Mobile Plan – $58 Per Month – 20GB of Data + Data Rollover | Unlimited Calling & Texting
- Texting & Calling: Unlimited nationwide
- Data: 20GB – Unused data rolls over to the next month
- Price: $58 / Month
More information about Fizz 20GB Data Rollover Plan
Unlimited Data
Finally, if you need a data plan that won’t hold you back, consider an unlimited data plan. Rather than set a limit of data, these plans allow you to use as much as you want without worrying about going over or running out. Instead of paying for a limited amount of mobile data, users pay for an amount which they will experience as high-speed data. For example, a 15GB unlimited data plan will offer 15G of high-speed data. Once the cap is reached, you will still be able to use mobile data, but it will be slightly slower. In 2019, Rogers introduced the first unlimited data plan. Since then, every other major provider in Canada has followed their lead. All these plans allow the huge amount of data to be shared among family members, so you don’t have to use it all up on your own. Here are some of the bulkiest unlimited data plans from Canada’s most reputable telecom providers:
Mobile Plan – $80 Per Month – 20GB of High-Speed Data (Reduced Speeds After) | Unlimited Calling & Texting
- Texting & Calling: Unlimited nationwide
- Data: 20GB High-speed data – Reduced speeds afterwards
- Price: $80 / Month
More information about Rogers 20GB Infinite Plan
Mobile Plan – $125 Per Month – 50GB of High-Speed Data (Reduced Speeds After) | Unlimited Calling & Texting
- Texting & Calling: Unlimited nationwide
- Data: 50GB High-speed data – Reduced speeds afterwards
- Price: $125 / Month
More information about Telus 50GB Unlimited Plan
Mobile Plan – $160 Per Month – 100GB of High-Speed Data (Reduced Speeds After) | Unlimited Calling & Texting
- Texting & Calling: Unlimited nationwide
- Data: 100GB High-speed data – Reduced speeds afterwards
- Price: $160 / Month
More information about Bell Unlimited Share 100 Plan
How Do You Choose A Cell Phone Plan: Conclusion
As you can see, there is a lot to consider when choosing your first cell phone plan in Canada. Fortunately, there are plenty of helpful providers offering perfect plans for any occasion. If you’re new to Canada, plenty of providers allow you to call and text numbers all over the world. Alternatively, you can easily purchase a family plan or unlimited data plan that lets you save money by covering more family members. Finally, if you’re new to smartphones and mobile plans, data rollover plans are a great way to earn rewards with minimal effort.
Overall, there are plenty of great options for your first mobile plan in Canada. Even if you know everything about the telecom industry, it can still be difficult to navigate the internet for plans. Thankfully, Planhub makes this process much easier for its users. By using our mobile plan searching tool, you can immediately compare the country’s greatest mobile plans based on your personal needs and geographic location. In doing so, you’ll be able to find your perfect mobile plan in just a few short minutes.