Tips to Deciphering Carrier Rate Plans and Invoice Charges
As technology advances, the variety of mobile devices and service plans continues to expand. While having numerous options might seem advantageous, it quickly becomes clear how overwhelming and confusing these plans and services can be. For instance, Verizon Wireless offers over 350 different names for their data plans. Some Verizon Wireless invoices contain more than 5,000 unique charges from features and rate plans, often without any helpful description of the charges. Verizon is not alone in this; AT&T Wireless has nearly 400 different data plans, with some invoices listing up to 6,000 different charges. With such a vast array of charges and plan names, managing invoices becomes a daunting task, especially when multiple carriers are involved.
This confusing array of names and charges is exactly why, when we began managing mobile services for our customers, we decided to normalize naming conventions across providers through our Buyers' Club (QuantumShift by vCom). This makes it easier for customers to understand what they are purchasing and the charges on their invoices. Whether you buy a 4GB Mobile Plan for your new iPhone 16 from AT&T or Verizon managed by QuantumShift, it’s simply called a 4GB Mobile Plan. Additionally, your 4G plans are pooled with your 5G plans, making it straightforward. Simple.
If you haven't migrated your mobile services to QuantumShift yet, there are some tips and tricks to help you navigate the daunting task of selecting the best plan and deciphering your invoice. The key is to take it one step at a time.
Data Versus Voice
- Do you require Talk, Text, and Data services? If you do not need all three (for instance, when using a tablet), ensure that you exclude Talk and Text options from your package.
Signal & Device Support
- For devices with 5G capabilities, opt for a 5G plan, provided it is available in your region. If you have an older device that doesn't support 5G, choose a 4G plan instead.
- Most plans typically specify whether they are 4G or 5G on your monthly statement, using labels such as Verizon Smartphone Unlimited 5G or AT&T Value Plus 4G.
Pooling versus Non-Pooling Plans
- To avoid overages with multiple lines on an account, you can combine them into a shared data pool. If each line needs its own data limit, make sure the chosen plan isn't a pooling plan.
- Your invoice will generally indicate a pooling plan with terms like ‘pooled,’ ‘shared,’ or by including a (p) symbol; it won't appear as unlimited but will usually display data amounts such as 1GB, 2GB, or 5GB.
Data Allotment
- It's obvious that increasing the data package also increases the cost. The billing plan should specify the data amount, like 1GB, 5GB, or 10GB. Data Only plans usually offer more data. For instance, AT&T’s Data Only plans specify amounts such as DataConnect 50GB/100GB, whereas their smartphone plans often include smaller amounts or are labeled Unlimited Premium or Unlimited Extra.
- To avoid the mistake of choosing a plan that is either too small or too large, it's essential to determine your users' average monthly data usage and select a plan that aligns with these typical usage patterns. We often notice customers making the error of ordering Unlimited data plans without careful consideration. Keep in mind: carriers do not aim to "give things away." We observe that customers opt for Unlimited Data plans for convenience, even when their usage is only around 3 or 4 GB, leading to overpayments of 40-50% each month. When this happens across 100+ users, it results in significant waste.
