

(You may also need to add the other people on as “authorized users” so they can make changes to their individual lines as needed.) Who offers family plans for friends Your group has to designate one person to put their name officially on the account, then you have to figure out how you’ll pay back the primary account holder each month.

So, when friend groups enter the mix, splitting the phone bill becomes similar to splitting living expenses with a roommate. Since they’re built for families, it’s assumed the person paying is covering the whole group. So even though they’re called family plans, can you share them with friends? The answer is yes, but-as you can imagine-there are lots of factors to consider.Īlmost every family plan requires a primary user on the phone account who is responsible for paying the bill. But is it that easy to orchestrate a joint account with friends? And is it smart-or deceptively silly? How does a family phone plan work?Įven adding one extra person to a phone plan can save each of you $10 on your monthly bill on most networks, and as the number of people on the plan rises, so does the discount. Family cell phone plans are an incredibly appealing option for those looking to save money each month-just gather a group of four people, get them on the same line, and feel confident that you’ve bested The Man. That drives many people to take advantage of family plans, or multi-line shared plans, offered by carriers. Getting a single-line phone plan is an easy way to overpay for your monthly phone bill (unless you’re using a plan built for individual lines, like Visible. It all leaves you with one question: Am I getting the best deal on my phone plan? It doesn’t help that the big three carriers are constantly changing their plans, offering yearly contracts and phone leases that make your phone bill fluctuate every few years. There are literally dozens of phone plans available, all with varying levels of data caps, minutes and texts. Navigating all the different cell phone plans out there leaves you feeling just about the same way my mother does when I sing the chorus of “Work It” to her: confused and frankly terrified.
