Pure Talk Wireless (PureTalk) is one of the more popular MVNO’s (mobile virtual network operator) out there for a good reason. They advertise that their customer support is based in America, which is great because, depending on world events, you never know how that will be affected. If you look at their prices, you can see that they have packages that are very competitive. PureTalk also uses AT&T’s GSM towers, which tend to get into some remote areas better than a lot of the other carriers. To see their coverage map, you can go to their website.
Pure Talk Wireless OFTEN has specials and deals that you can take advantage of, also. If you turn on the radio, you MAY hear some of their latest deals. If you have ANY questions about their deals, packages Coverage Map, etc., I would check out the website https://puretalkusa.com/r/5fb34ef5 first and then give them a call if things aren’t clear. It’s what I did and I found everything easy to manage.
In order to get more specific numbers, you may have to do your own research on some of these other carriers to weigh the numbers for yourself. Some packages require you to have two lines in order to take advantage of different prices. For instance, if you want to activate a Tablet, you’ll need to also have a cell phone line on the account as well (as of the time of me writing this).
Towers
There are two different types of towers that are used in the US; CDMA and GSM. GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communication and CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access. GSM is used by AT&T and T-Mobile compatible towers while CDMA compatible towers are used by Verizon, US Cellular and the old Sprint network (owned by T-Mobile). GSM is widely used outside of the US. While they have different ways of doing getting the signals to your devices, the quality of the coverage depends on the particular carrier that uses those towers.
FOR $20 OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH’S BILL
Who should switch to Pure Talk Wireless?
After doing my homework and experiencing different carriers from the past, PureTalk is great for certain people. Here are some scenarios I think are prime candidates for switching to Pure Talk Wireless:
1. If you are a person who doesn’t need mobile data at all, and you mainly use WIFI at home or when you’re out and about, the monthly cost for Unlimited Talk and Text is VERY competitive.
2. They have VERY competitive plans up to about 4GB-6GB per month compared to other MVNO’s. Compared to the big carriers, you’ll probably save more than that. They have a calculator on their website that may help find out your savings as well.
3. Pure Talk Wireless was the only one that could activate a tablet. As of the time of me writing this, you may need to have a cell phone line attached to the account as well.
4. If you want to support Conservative causes or a Patriot-aligned group, they seem to support causes in that area.
Once you’ve decided to make the move from your cell phone carrier, you may ask yourself, “Now what do I do to actually make the switch?” After having done it a few times now, I figured that I could help with that a little. The process may be slightly different when dealing with the company you’re switching FROM. However, the process is pretty standard once you’ve decided which cell phone carrier you’re switching TO.
What NOT To Do!
If you are currently on a contract with your current carrier, you may have to wait for your contract to be over. I wouldn’t go to your current carrier and start a new contract or change anything with your bill or insurance, or purchase a new phone through them if you are considering moving away from your cell phone company. Sometimes doing these things start new contracts, which make it impossible to switch because the phones are, then Locked by the carrier.
Buying A New Phone? Make Sure It Is Compatible
If you need a new phone, Pure Talk Wireless has phones you can choose from on their site OR you can choose purchase a phone on your own as long as you verify that it is UNLOCKED and capable of using AT&T’s GSM towers. If you are not sure, I’ve learned that if you’re an iPhone user, most (if not all) of the iPhones newer than the 6, should be compatible if they are Unlocked. I would double-check that regardless, so you don’t spend money you shouldn’t spend.
If you own or want an Android, you’ll have to make sure 1. that the phone, AGAIN, is UNLOCKED and 2. Is capable of using the AT&T towers by finding what’s called your IMEI number that is specific to each phone. PureTalk has a way to check this on their website. If you do not currently own the phone and cannot verify using the IMEI number in the phone’s Settings, you will need to make sure by asking and verifying with the phone Seller/Dealer if it’s Full Unlocked and GSM compatible.
eSIM or Physical SIM
Pure Talk Wireless is able to get your phone activated quickly because they use a new eSIM technology, which can get you activated as soon as you’ve set up your account and pay them. This depends on your particular device, whether or not you are able to take advantage of this technology. If not, they will deliver your physical SIM card quickly so that you can get up and running as soon as possible. Because of the age of my cell phone and tablet, I had to use a physical SIM, which is what I had used every other time since I’ve been using cell phones, so it wasn’t as big a deal.
The Information You’ll Need
Once you have figured out your phone’s compatibility, you’ll need four pieces of information; three things from your current carrier if you want to keep your phone number (the requirements may differ, depending on your carrier).
1. The current phone number
2. Your Phone’s IMEI Number. You should find this in your Settings depending on the device.
3. the account number of the carrier you’re moving FROM, and
4. a Transfer PIN from the current carrier. You may have to call your carrier for this information or, as is the case with Verizon, you may be able to generate your own Transfer ID from your online account with that carrier.
Besides this, you will need to create an account, which means you’ll need a username, email address, password, billing information and payment information to make payments on your account.
The information you’ll need to complete everything may depend partially on what the carrier you’re moving over from. My older Android phone and tablet were already Unlocked so I just needed to confirm whether they were GSM compatible, since I was with Verizon, which uses CDMA compatible towers. Fortunately for me, they were and I didn’t need to purchase another phone and tablet.
Support
I found it VERY easy to switch to Pure Talk because I was able to call them and ask questions to prepare my information beforehand.
The PureTalk website is very helpful, if I haven’t mentioned that enough. If you are at all nervous about switching, they make it very easy to do so, from my experience. Once I confirmed that my phone was unlocked and compatible, I went online to set up my account with them, which allowed me to pay for the physical SIM, which they sent out.
I think they knew I might need a little help, so they told me to just give them a call once the SIM cards came in. Once I got my physical SIMs in the mail, I called them. They instructed me to:
1. Put the SIMs inside my devices (making sure the correct one went into the intended device) and then
2. Go online at https://www.puretalkusa.com/activate/start to activate it. I put in the information it asked for, which included the SIM card number that was on the SIM card, the email address that you registered with and your Zip code.
It was very soon after that happened when I saw PureTalk on my phone where it previously said Verizon. As a matter of fact, I was surprised that it would work that quickly. I’m not sure if all devices work that quickly, but that was my experience.
If you are considering switching your service over to PureTalk, please consider using my link above to save yourself $20 off your bill. Once you’ve registered your account and activated your service, you will also be given a link that you can give out to friends/family that could also save them money. In turn, it will save you money off your bill if they stay current with the company for some time.