- Plans to meet a variety of needs
- Throttled data speeds on all plans faster than most at 256Kbps
- Supports tablets, hotspots, and watches
- Discounts on phones available
- Family plan discounts available
- Pricing a little on the expensive side
- No in person customer support
Since 2013, I’ve been researching, reviewing, and writing about the wireless industry through BestMVNO with a focus on MVNOs.
In this guide, I will explain everything you need to know about Pure Talk before you subscribe. I’ll review each of their phone plans with you, and go over any gotchas that they might have. I want you to learn the ins and outs of Pure Talk so that you can make an informed decision on if this is the best place for you to spend your money.
Pure Talk Phone Plans
Last Updated: Sep 26, 2024Single Line Monthly Prepaid Plans
Prepaid Family Plans
Data Only Plans
How Pure Talk Plans Work
PureTalk was founded in 2004 originally as Pure TalkUSA and it is a subsidiary of Telrite Holdings as is its sister brand H2O Wireless. It is owned and operated by a USA veteran. The company asserts that they “proudly support our active-duty military and veterans by partnering with numerous military organizations.”
PureTalk operates as an AT&T MVNO, which means that if you signup for a plan with PureTalk you will get service on AT&T’s network.
In early October of 2020, Pure TalkUSA launched a redesigned website, a new logo, and rebranded to just PureTalk. A new tagline was also launched: “Simply. Smarter. Wireless.”
Risk-Free Guarantee
The company prides itself on being able to offer USA based customer service and a risk-free guarantee. New customers have until either their next month’s bill or 500 minutes or 500MB of data usage, whichever comes first, to request a refund if they are unhappy with their service. Refunds are credited back to the original payment method. Service plans, SIM cards, and any applicable taxes are all eligible to be refunded. Customers must not port out to another provider before requesting a refund. Devices and phones are not included in the risk-free guarantee. However, devices can still be returned for a refund as long as the customer contacts customer service and requests a refund within 14 days of receiving the device. Customers must pay for return shipping.
Pure Talk Offers 7 Phone Plans
Pure Talk offers 7 standard phone plans.
- $20/month – 3GB high-speed data, 2GB of dedicated hotspot data
- $25/month – 5GB high-speed data, 2GB of dedicated hotspot data
- $30/month – 10GB high-speed data, 5GB of dedicated hotspot data
- $35/month – 15GB high-speed data, 5GB of dedicated hotspot data
- $45/month – 25GB high-speed data, 5GB dedicated hotspot data
- $55/month – 60GB high-speed data. 25GB dedicated hotspot data.
- $60/month – 60GB high-speed data. 30GB dedicated hotspot data.
Taxes and fees are not included in the prices and will cost extra. All plans include dedicated mobile hotspot data that does not count towards the plan’s 5G/4G LTE on-device high-speed data usage.
All of the standard plans include the same basic features.
In late January of 2022, Pure Talk added support for eSIM devices on iPhones only.
Basic Features Included With Every Pure Talk Plan
- Unlimited talk, text, and data
- Mobile hotspot
- WiFi calling
- VoLTE HD voice calling
- Ability to add international calling to a plan
- 1080p HD video streaming
- No data prioritization policies
Fine Print You Need To Know About Every Plan Feature
Although all plans include unlimited data, data speeds are not unlimited at high-speeds. Each plan comes with a finite amount of high-speed data which is highlighted in the plans listed above and further down below. Once that threshold is reached, data speeds get reduced to 256Kbps for the remainder of the subscriber’s billing cycle. Subscribers are billed on the same date every month. Data speeds at 256Kbps are best suited for emails, light web usage, basic social media, streaming audio, and possibly low-resolution video streaming. PureTalk updated and improved its throttled data speeds from 128Kbps to 256Kbps in January of 2022.
According to Pure Talk, customers can expect high-speed data speeds to be in the range of 1 to 35 Mbps. Download speeds should vary between 4 and 35Mbps and upload 1 to 5Mbps. Network latency should be less than 60ms. Data speeds are said to remain stable during network congestion as Pure Talk does not use data deprioritization. Data prioritization is typically used by other providers to temporarily slow a subscriber’s data speeds down during times of heavy network traffic but Pure Talk says this won’t happen to its subscribers.
WiFi calling is supported with all plans on both Androids and iPhones.
Mobile hotspot is also supported and enabled for all iPhones. Android users will need to contact Pure Talk to ask them if it can be enabled. Not all Android devices will support hotspot, and some Android phones bought from another carrier may have the feature blocked by the phone’s firmware when attempting to use it with another provider.
International calling is supported but customers must contact customer support to purchase an international PIN to enable the feature. International texting is not supported.
Videos stream at a resolution of 1080p. Tablets plans are also available.
Customer Referral Program
Pure Talk runs a pretty generous referral program. Those that refer a friend receive a $20 account credit. The person signing up through the referral also receives a $20 account credit. Customers can accumulate an unlimited number of referral credits. Subscribers will not receive their referral credit until after their referee completes their second month of active service.
Multi-Line Discounts Are Available
Customers who have multiple lines are eligible for a group plan discount. Adding a 2nd line gives 10% off, 3 lines 15% off and a 4th line 20% off the total cost of the combined plans price.
Secret Discounts, Plans, And Bonus Offers
Those who are members of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) are eligible for special plans and promos from Pure Talk. AMAC subscriptions start at $16/year. AMAC members have the option to purchase an additional Pure Talk phone plan that is not readily available directly through Pure Talk’s website. The extra plan is the following:
- $10/month – 400 minutes, 300 text messages, 300 MB of monthly data
Like Pure Talk’s other plans, this AMAC exclusive plan does include unlimited data at 2G speeds or 128Kbps once the plan’s high-speed data allotment gets consumed.
Besides the bonus phone plan, exclusive phone deals are sometimes available for AMAC members. One example has included the ability to get an iPhone SE for free, whereas on the Pure Talk website it was being offered for $149.99 to non-AMAC members. New Pure Talk subscribers that are currently AMAC subscribers can also get a 3-year renewal of their AMAC membership paid for by Pure Talk. The membership renewal fee is valued at $42.
The discounted plans can be purchased through AMAC or through a special page on Pure Talk’s website.
Supported Phones And BYOD Devices
For those that need a device, a small selection of phones are available for purchase. Phones for every budget are sold, including premium offerings from Samsung and Apple. If you already own a phone that has been used on AT&T, it is compatible with the Pure Talk network as long as the device is out of contract, paid off in full, and not reported lost or stolen. Most GSM unlocked phones sold in the USA, including devices made for T-Mobile should also work. Most Verizon phones sold over the past few years should also work as will phones purchased unlocked directly from the manufacturer.
Pure Talk does offer a device trade-in service. So potential customers can trade-in their old phones and use them to purchase a new one from the provider.
Where To Buy Service Plans And SIM Cards
Phone plans are sold online exclusively through the Pure Talk website and possibly through AMAC. Some third-party sellers may sell service through eBay. The brand is carried in-store by independent dealers.
Year Founded: 2004
Pure Talk Contact Information
Website: https://puretalkusa.comCovington, GA
BEWARE: According to their Customer Service rep, PureTalk does not guarantee that WiFi hotspot will work on Android devices.
Research How AT&T service works in your Area FIRST
Good Initial Customer Service
Decent but not great Price Plans
Intermittent Service. Check how AT&T works in your area first. Talk to neighbors, do NOT rely on their coverage maps. My coverage in my own house was terrible but map showed it was good. Had to go outside in the street to make calls.
Once they have you signed up it seems like they just don't care.
Who is this veteran that owns PureTalk?
I have been a Pure Talk customer for several months and I have been happy with my service. However, when I convinced my wife to join the network, we started to have problems. When my wife was added to my account she ordered a new Apple I Phone 13. When she received her phone she did not activate it right away. She wanted to wait until she had time to concentrate on setting up her new phone. After she activated her phone she was not happy with the size of the screen on her new phone. She called Pure Talk Customer service to find out if she could exchange her new phone and upgrade to the Apple I Phone 13 Pro-max that has a larger screen. She was told that it had been over fourteen days since she had received her phone and that the time had expired for her to exchange the phone. My wife explained that although she had the phone for fourteen days it had just recently been activated. She was told that it did not matter and that the only way she could exchange her phone is if it was paid off. This conversation took place around January 20, 2023. At this time I paid off my wife’s phone. At this time I requested the exchange for the upgraded phone. Unfortunately, I was told that I needed to wait 24 hours before requesting the exchange. On the 23rd of January, I called Pure Talk again and once again, I was told that I need it to wait longer. Finally, after numerous calls, on February 3, 2023, I was told that my issue had to be referred to I.T. for resolution and that a supervisor would be calling me back. I never received that call. Today, February 6, 2023, I contacted Pure Talk again, and was told that due to “high volume of cases” that I needed to wait until someone was available to help solve my problem. I find this to be extremely frustrating and not what I consider to be good customer service. However, I would like to add that the customer service persons that I have spoken with. have been extremely patient, empathetic, pleasant and polite. I have been very patient during this frustrating situation and I feel that Pure Talk could restore my confidence on their product by crediting the full price of my wife’s
Apple 13 I Phone towards the purchase of the Apple 13 Pro-Max.
THIS IS A SCAM
I’ve really enjoyed the customer service and the great prices!
Yep, I’m a new subscriber, bringing a Samsung Note 9 and S9 Plus. Come to find out, AFTER getting them set up (I thought), that they would not be compatible after THIS MONTH. I told them that I wanted the new customer discount… they KNEW the phones wouldn’t be supported for more than a few weeks… and wouldn’t you know it… neither of them can make a voice call, for some reason. Verizon says the problem is PT, PT says the phones are locked… I’d buy new phones, but I’m not going to pay full price when they knew, but didn’t inform me.
For voice calling to work, you need to enable HD Voice (VoLTE) calling.