Our Methodology

Why "True Cost" Matters

Every carrier advertises a monthly price. None of them tell you what you'll actually pay. The advertised price excludes taxes (which vary by state from 6% to 25%+), regulatory fees (FCC Universal Service Fund, E911), activation charges, and autopay requirements. A plan advertised at $25/month can actually cost $35/month in some states. TrueCellCost shows you the all-in number.

How We Calculate Total Cost

For every plan we compare, our pricing engine computes:

1. Base monthly price — the carrier's published rate for your number of lines. Family plans have per-line pricing tiers that change at 2, 3, 4, and 5+ lines.
2. Autopay & paperless discounts — most carriers offer $5-$10/line discounts for autopay (some require debit/bank, not credit card) and paperless billing. We apply these only if you indicate you'll use them.
3. Eligibility discounts — military, first responder, 55+, student, AARP, and employer discounts. Not all discounts stack; we enforce exclusivity rules per carrier.
4. State & local taxes — wireless taxes vary dramatically by state. We use state-level wireless tax rates from the Tax Foundation and state PUC filings, plus county/city surcharges where data is available.
5. Federal fees — FCC Universal Service Fund (currently assessed at ~35.8% of interstate charges), E911 surcharges ($0.50-$2.50/line depending on state), and regulatory recovery fees.
6. 24-month total — monthly all-in cost × 24, plus any one-time activation fees, minus any trade-in credits applied as a lump sum.

Where Our Data Comes From

• Plan pricing: Directly from carrier websites. Each plan is manually verified and dated. Plans not verified within 90 days are flagged as "may be outdated."
• Tax rates: Tax Foundation annual wireless tax report, supplemented by state Public Utility Commission filings. Updated quarterly.
• Coverage data: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC) Mobile dataset. MVNO coverage inherits from the host MNO network with deprioritization noted.
• Discount eligibility: Carrier terms and conditions pages. Verified at time of plan entry.

Fit Score

Each plan receives a Fit Score (0-100) based on how well it matches your stated needs. The score penalizes:

• Data overage risk — if your usage exceeds the plan's priority data cap
• Coverage gaps — if the carrier's network is weak in your ZIP code
• Missing features — no hotspot when you need one, no international when you travel
• Deprioritization risk — MVNO plans that throttle during network congestion

Affiliate Disclosure

TrueCellCost earns commissions when you click through to a carrier and sign up. This is how we keep the site free. Our recommendations are ranked by total cost to you, not by commission rate. We compare plans from carriers we have affiliate relationships with and carriers we don't — if a non-affiliate plan is cheaper, it still ranks higher. We will never suppress a cheaper option because it doesn't pay us.

Limitations

• Tax estimates are state-level averages. Your actual taxes may vary by city/county.
• Carrier pricing changes without notice. We verify plans regularly but can't guarantee real-time accuracy.
• Coverage data is based on FCC filings, which carriers self-report. Actual coverage may differ.
• We do not currently factor in: device financing, insurance, international long-distance, or premium add-ons.

Spotted an Error?

If you see incorrect pricing, an outdated plan, or a missing carrier, please let us know at james@truecellcost.com. We take data accuracy seriously and will investigate within 48 hours.