How to Buy a Cricket Phone

Cricket is a leading prepaid wireless service provider. A prepaid wireless plan works differently from most mainstream cellular carriers. 

These plans allow you to pay upfront for the plan you want. Prepaid wireless plans usually come with lower costs, fewer surprise fees, more flexibility, no locked-in contracts and no credit checks.

A Cricket wireless plan offers many of these benefits. Learn how to buy a Cricket phone now.

Cricket Cell Phones and Devices

There are 2 main ways to buy a Cricket cell phone. You can either shop phones directly from Cricket or bring in your own device. 

Cricket offers popular phones from major brands including Samsung, LG, Apple, Nokia, Alcatel, Motorola plus Cricket’s very own line of smartphones and flip phone options. There are a couple of certified pre-owned options, but most of the cell phones Cricket offers are new. In some cases, there may be a surcharge if you wish to get a new phone number. 

Some phones are offered for $0 under certain conditions. The most expensive option is the iPhone 12 Pro Max at $1,099 plus taxes. For more expensive cellphones, you may have the option for a payment plan, which can make covering the costs more manageable. 

You can also opt to bring in your own phone. Just make sure your device is unlocked and compatible with Cricket’s network.

If you’re unsure how to unlock your phone, oftentimes your original carrier may be able to unlock it for you. You can check whether your phone is compatible with Cricket’s network by finding your device ID number (IMEI), which can be done by dialing * #06# on your phone and inputting the 15-digit number on Cricket’s website. 

Here are the detailed instructions for how to buy a Cricket phone. 

Step 1: Select the model of your choice.

Start by selecting the type of phone you want. Your budget may have an influence over what phone you ultimately choose. 

You might also want to consider other factors such as the size of the device, the camera power and data storage capability. Ultimately, it’s a good idea to read through a few reviews before you settle on a choice. 

Step 2: Select a payment plan.

Cricket offers a wide range of payment plans. You can choose to add up to 5 lines and there are 4 distinct payment options for each line. Here’s a quick snapshot of what you can expect from each payment plan, starting from the cheapest option to the most expensive. 

• 2 GB: This payment plan is priced at $30 per month per line and is the most affordable option Cricket offers. It features 2 GB of high-speed data, unlimited talk and text and more. 
• 10 GB: This payment plan is priced at $40 per month on a single line and falls to $26/month per line on a 5 line plan. It comes with all the same features as the 2 GB plan with a higher data usage limit. 
• Unlimited: If you prefer to not have any data restrictions at all, Cricket’s unlimited plan would be a great choice for you. It’s offered at $55 per month on a single line plan and is as low as $25 per month per line on a 5-line plan. It features unlimited data usage, unlimited talk and text, SD quality video streaming, Mexico and Canada usage up to 50%, unlimited texts from the U.S. to 37 countries and more.
• Unlimited + 15 GB Mobile Hotspot: Cricket’s premium plan is ideal for users who want unlimited data and could benefit from a mobile hotspot. You’ll also gain an additional 150 GB of cloud storage. This payment plan costs $60 per month for a single line but drops to $32 per month, per line on a 5-line plan. 

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Step 3: Choose where you want to buy your Cricket.

Once you know the phone you want and the payment plan you’d opt for, it’s time to decide where you’ll purchase your phone. Cricket may or may not have your ideal phone available for sale directly through their site. You may instead decide to opt for a cheaper, refurbished model altogether.

In this case, make sure to head over to Decluttr. Decluttr is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell tech gadgets, laptops, phones and more. All the tech is certified refurbished and automatically comes with a free 12-month warranty. 

You can shop different phone models at a considerable discount. If you’re serious about saving, Decluttr is your best bet.

Step 4: Pay for your cricket phone.

You have a couple of options when it comes to paying for your Cricket phone. You can either pay the total cost upfront or work with a monthly payment plan. Decluttr and Cricket both partner with third-party buy-now, pay-later companies like Affirm, Klarna or Progressive Leasing. 

If you don’t want to drop a large sum of cash, a payment plan would be more manageable on your finances. 

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Pros and Cons of Cricket Phones

Cricket phones come with a fair share of benefits. They are a great low-cost option for people looking to save. Cricket plans offer flexibility, no-hidden fees, no contracts and you can have the freedom to choose a plan based on your budget. 

Cricket offers strong data and service coverage. Since it’s owned by AT&T, you can rest assured you’re not sacrificing quality for price. 

On the downside, some users have reported slow data speeds, especially on cheaper plans. Another issue with Cricket is that it’s unlimited plan is only guaranteed high-speed up to 8 GB. 

Once you go past 8 GB, you may notice your data speed has dropped. Cricket also reserves the right to temporarily slow data speeds if networks are busy. 

Cricket Network Coverage

Cricket is owned by AT&T and offers the same coverage as the leading cellular providers in the country. 

Cricket Customer Service

Cricket maintains a quick link section on its website with answers to many commonly asked questions. You can communicate with a team member via online chatbot or by calling the customer support line directly. 

Cricket customer service representatives are available on the chatbot from Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.  EST and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST. 

You can also reach a team member by calling 1-800-CRICKET (274-2538) or 611 from your Cricket phone. Representatives are monitoring phones on Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST. 

Switch to Cricket Wireless 

Switching over to Cricket can help you save money and provide you with more flexibility. Most cellular providers lock you into yearly contracts, but Cricket doesn’t have contracts. You’ll pay on a month-to-month basis and can cancel at any time. Take a look at what Cricket can offer you today.

Frequently Asked Questions