Some confusion about unlimited text plans

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Level 5

4,849 points

Some confusion about unlimited text plans

I have my iPhone on my own personal account and am just getting the 200 text messages for the additional $20 per month. I have been told by a couple of people that there isn't any way to bundle packages together with the iPhone, that is, if you want unlimited texting you have to pay $40 per month for each phone. My wife has four phones through her plan, including our two college daughters. She pays an addition $30 per month I believe for unlimited texting on all four phones. I have been told by a couple of other people that there is some way to create unlimited texting without spending the full $40 per phone. Right now my daughters have Samsung sliders, but I might consider eventually putting them into an iPhone is I don't have to spend an additional $80 per month to cover their extensive texting habits. Anyone??

iMac G5 20 inch, 2.16 black Macbook, Mac OS X (10.5.1)

Posted on Jan 25, 2008 4:41 PM

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Answer 1

Nathan C

Level 5

6,266 points

Jan 26, 2008 2:54 PM in response to David Safir

David Safir,

Yes, and during setup it is broken down by each part. To use the $59.99 plan as an example
Voice Plan - $39.99, 450 anytime minutes, 5000 night & weekend minutes, unlimited mobile to mobile minutes. The next one is $59.99, and so on for the voice portion.

The next section of that page shows Unlimited Data - $20

Below that there is the text options:
200 - Included in Data plan
1500 - $10
Unlimited $20

If you were to get your daughter an individual plan, with unlimited messages it would be $79.99 for the 450 anytime minute plan and unlimited messages. There would be taxes on that, and the first bill would have a $36 activation, 1 month service, and a prorated month of service. Likewise for the other daughter. However, even if you didn't get unlimited messaging, they would have unlimited mobile to mobile minutes, and could call each other. Perhaps encourage the them to talk instead of text?

The family plans start t $109.99 for 2 iPhone lines, and would be an additional $40 for unlimited messaging for both lines. ($20 each). The difference when compared to the $29.99 family plan option is only $10.01. That would give them 700 shared anytime minutes, unlimited nights and weekends (after 9:00 pm), unlimited mobile to mobile minutes with other AT&T customers. The extra $40 would give the unlimited SMS, for a total of $149.99/month. One thing you can encourage them to do is use email, its included in their data plan for free. You can email other AT&T customers by emailing 10digitphonenumber@txt.att.net. Also AT&T phones allow you to send SMS to email by putting an email address in the to field.

You can see the family plan options on this link and then clicking on the family plan tab:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/easysetup/rateplans.html

Family plan prices on there are for 2 lines, both with iPhones, additional iPhones are $29.99 month ($9.99 for the line as with any cell phone, $20 for the unlimited data + 200 messages). You can add other phones to an iPhone family plan for $9.99/month, or add an iPhone to an existing family plan for $29.99/month.

Hope this helps,

Nathan C.

NOTE: Information in this post is based on rates information provided by AT&T and on the above link. This of course is subject to change by AT&T, and is current as I personally understand it on 1/26/2008. Other than adding corporate plans it hasn't changed, but still it could change.

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Answer 2

Jan 25, 2008 4:56 PM in response to David Safir

We have two iPhones and one non-iPhone on an AT&T Family Plan, and had the Unlimited Family Texting for an additional $29.99/month (that's $29.99 total - NOT per phone). We ended up dropping it because none of us text very much and it wasn't worth it to us, but that's what it was.

-SB

Message was edited by: SisterBlue

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Answer 3

dunric

Level 1

39 points

Jan 25, 2008 9:52 PM in response to BlingMe

That's really odd. I recently bought two iPhones and enrolled in a new family plan with AT&T. After inquiring about the unlimited messaging plan for $20 or so, I was told by the AT&T rep that the unlimited text plans do not apply for the iPhone plans.

Odd and annoying...

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Answer 4

BlingMe

Level 2

370 points

Jan 25, 2008 9:56 PM in response to dunric

I am still confused by it too.....because customer service told me that it did include the iPhone.....but the reps in the store said NO! When I log into my account....it shows up on my iPhone, though!

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Answer 5

David Safir Author

Level 5

4,849 points

Jan 25, 2008 10:52 PM in response to David Safir

And this is exactly why I posted this thread. I have been given the same exact information. One storeowner of an AT&T affiliate absolutely guaranteed to me that you cannot bundle the iPhone text message minutes with any AT&T plan. He said you can only use the stated amounts, namely $20 per month more for 200 texts, $30 per month more for 1500 texts, and $40 for unlimited. My challenge to all of you who claim that you have family plans where you pay a flat rate of $29.95 per month for all phones on your plan and unlimited texting, have you actually had iphones carry through a few cycle of billing and are you charged that way?

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Answer 6

Jan 25, 2008 10:55 PM in response to David Safir

when i activated my phone it asked me if i wanted to put on the $20 data plan and also a $20 unlimited text plan. so i figured each was 20 dollars and you can have one or the other. i picked both because i always have unlimited everything on all of my phones.

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Answer 7

David Safir Author

Level 5

4,849 points

Jan 25, 2008 11:00 PM in response to MaddenKing216

I'm not sure what you are referring to. Data transmission is unlimited and free. The only thing AT&T is charging for that I can see is text messaging as I stated in my last post.

ds

Message was edited by: David Safir

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Answer 8

Nathan C

Level 5

6,266 points

Jan 26, 2008 1:18 PM in response to David Safir

David Safir,

$20 of the price you are listing is the data plan portion. When activating the iPhone it shows the Data plan as required, and then options to have 200 messages for noting extra, 1500 messages for $10 more, or unlimited messages for $20 more for that line.

Those are the only message plans that are supposed to be compatible with the iPhone.

Hope this helps,

Nathan C.

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Answer 9

will2b

Level 2

271 points

Jan 26, 2008 1:31 PM in response to David Safir

Anyone,

This IS confusing. This is what I was told about unlimited texting: First let me explain that we have 4 iphones on the family plan; we share the minutes. The three additional phones cost 9.99 each. When I inquired about a similar plan for texting this is what I was told: I still must pay the 20.00 a month for each phone 4 x 20.00 = 80.00 plus an additional 29.99. Is this right???

will2b

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Answer 10

igrok-mac

Level 3

947 points

Jan 26, 2008 1:44 PM in response to will2b

No it's not. I have an iphone with a $20 plan, which includes 200 text messages. Plus we have 2 other non-iphones on our family plan, and I pay $29.99 for unlimited texting for the whole family, and includes the iphone too. This has carried through at least 6 billing cycles.

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Answer 11

will2b

Level 2

271 points

Jan 26, 2008 2:15 PM in response to igrok-mac

igrok-mac,

Are you absolutly certain that the unlimited texting does not only apply to your two non-iphones? This is what I'm being told...kinda what Nathan said in his post. You cannot get a "bundled" txt plan without paying the 20.00 per phone. This is what at&t told me. Please anyone....verify.

will2b

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Answer 12

David Safir Author

Level 5

4,849 points

Jan 26, 2008 2:39 PM in response to David Safir

Thank you everyone for your continued input. Thank you Nathan C for your response--it's almost a semantic argument. My understanding was that data transmission was free and the $20 was for the 200 text messages--you are saying the same thing except the $20 is for data transmission and the first 200 text messages are for free. Here is the paragraph off the website:

"To use iPhone, you’ll need to sign up for a 2-year service agreement. Plans start at $59.99 and include Visual Voicemail and Unlimited Data — email and web — and 200 SMS text messages (you can add more text messages for a little more a month). You can browse the Internet and send emails as often as you like without being charged extra." Then it goes on to show the additional fees for 1500 and unlimited text messaging.

I honestly believe there is no way to bundle the $29.95 unlimited family text plan with the iPhone. I have been told that by more than one person who should know. I think each iPhone is charged separately for text minutes. I would be happy to be wrong, otherwise if I am foolish enough to buy my two daughters iPhones, we will be paying $80 per month just for unlimited text.

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Answer 13

David Safir Author

Level 5

4,849 points

Jan 26, 2008 3:04 PM in response to Nathan C

Thanks Nathan. As I mentioned in my original post, my girls phones are on my wife's family plan which I have not had a chance to review. Frankly, I've never seen anything so confusing in my life. I'm not rushing out to put iPhones in my college daughter's hands anyway, I'm not sure they are kind enough to their phones yet. I have noticed my wife's cell phone bill which includes four phones is something like 150 pages long. The whole thing is ridiculous the way it is set up. You shouldn't have to use email instead of text messaging--that can't cost anyone much of anything. Texting is clearly the preferred method of communication for my daughters' generation. Anyway, somewhere down the line someone has got to simplify the charges and billing for cell phones--it is currently undecipherable for any normal person. I always have assumed that anything set up with this degree of complexity is a sure sign of taking advantage of people.

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Answer 14

Nathan C

Level 5

6,266 points

Jan 26, 2008 3:16 PM in response to David Safir

David Safir,

Look at the history of SMS. This is a gross simplification, but the points are there. It is also my personal views, as mentioned in the terms of use for this site.

As email became more popular on mobile devices, like the original non-phone blackberries, cell users wanted email. Cell carriers made SMS instead. It is limited to 160 characters per message, and essentially two way paging. If something is more than 160 characters, it counts as two messages. Cell carriers could charge for it.

If you look at the code for SMS and MMS servers, they are really email servers with additional restrictions on them.

Why not use real email instead of an imitation?

Real email can communicate with most SMS and MMS services. Some block it. Also on the iPhone you finally have a mail client worthy of the name.

Hope this helps,

Nathan C.

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Answer 15

David Safir Author

Level 5

4,849 points

Jan 26, 2008 3:28 PM in response to Nathan C

I agree, but I think my daughters sense and prefer the immediacy of text responsing as opposed to email which adds an extra step or two to retrieve. I of course have argued in favor of phone calls, but that's my generation I guess. When I asked my daughter why she liked to communicate in small parcels like text messaging, she says she finds that pace of communication very enjoyable, a small piece at a time. Go figure.

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