Family plans offer a convenient and often more affordable way for households to stay connected with phone service, streaming subscriptions, and even financial services. But the real value frequently lies beyond just the basic plan. Understanding and leveraging the “extras” included in these plans can significantly enhance the overall benefit and tailor the service to your family’s specific needs. Let’s explore the world of family plan extras and how to make the most of them.
Data and Connectivity Extras
Data Sharing & Management
One of the primary advantages of family plans is shared data. However, managing this shared data effectively is crucial to avoid overage charges or slowdowns. Many providers offer tools to monitor and control data usage across all family members.
- Data Monitoring Apps: Use provider-specific apps (e.g., My Verizon, T-Mobile app) to track individual and group data consumption in real-time.
- Data Caps: Set individual or overall data caps to prevent excessive usage by any one family member. For example, you might limit a teenager’s data usage to 5GB per month.
- Data Alerts: Configure alerts to notify you when data usage reaches a certain threshold, allowing you to intervene before overage charges occur.
- Rollover Data: Some plans offer rollover data, allowing unused data from one month to be used in the following month. This can be a valuable buffer for months with lower usage.
Mobile Hotspot Access
Many family plans include a mobile hotspot feature, enabling you to share your phone’s internet connection with other devices, such as laptops or tablets.
- Road Trips & Travel: Hotspot access is incredibly useful during road trips or when traveling to locations with limited Wi-Fi. Kids can stream movies on their tablets, and adults can stay connected for work.
- Temporary Internet Access: In the event of a home internet outage, a mobile hotspot can provide temporary connectivity for essential tasks like email and video conferencing.
- Data Limits: Be mindful of the hotspot data limits associated with your plan. Exceeding these limits may result in throttled speeds or additional charges.
International Coverage
For families who travel internationally, having international coverage included in the family plan can save a significant amount of money.
- International Data Roaming: Check if your plan includes free or discounted international data roaming. This can eliminate the need to purchase separate travel SIM cards or pay exorbitant roaming charges. T-Mobile, for example, is known for its international roaming benefits.
- International Calling: Investigate international calling rates and options. Some plans include free international calls to specific countries or offer discounted calling packages.
- Travel Passes: Consider purchasing short-term travel passes for countries not covered by your plan’s international benefits. These passes typically offer a bundle of data, talk, and text for a fixed price.
Entertainment Perks
Streaming Service Bundles
Many family plans bundle popular streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, or Apple TV+, often at no additional cost.
- Evaluate Your Needs: Assess which streaming services your family already uses or is interested in. Choosing a plan that bundles these services can result in substantial savings.
- Account Management: Understand how bundled streaming service accounts are managed. Are they separate accounts, or are they linked to the primary account holder?
- Premium Add-ons: Some plans allow you to upgrade to premium versions of bundled streaming services for a small fee. For example, you might upgrade a basic Netflix plan to a premium plan with 4K streaming.
Music Streaming Services
Similar to video streaming, some family plans offer bundled music streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music.
- Family Plan Options: Ensure the bundled music streaming service includes a family plan option, allowing each family member to have their own individual account with personalized playlists and recommendations.
- Data Consumption: Be aware that music streaming can consume a significant amount of data. Consider downloading music for offline listening to conserve data, especially when using mobile data.
Gaming Benefits
Some providers partner with gaming services to offer benefits such as free in-game content, discounts on games, or access to cloud gaming platforms.
- Partner Programs: Check if your provider has partnerships with gaming companies like Xbox or PlayStation. These partnerships may offer exclusive deals or content.
- Cloud Gaming: If your family enjoys gaming, consider plans that include access to cloud gaming platforms like Xbox Cloud Gaming. Cloud gaming allows you to play games on various devices without needing a powerful gaming console.
Security and Safety Features
Parental Controls
Family plans often include parental control features that allow you to monitor and manage your children’s online activity.
- Content Filtering: Restrict access to inappropriate websites and apps based on age ratings or categories.
- Screen Time Limits: Set daily or weekly screen time limits for specific apps or for overall device usage.
- Location Tracking: Track your children’s location in real-time for safety and peace of mind. Some services also offer geofencing features, alerting you when your child enters or leaves a designated area.
Identity Theft Protection
With the increasing prevalence of identity theft, some family plans now include identity theft protection services.
- Credit Monitoring: Monitor credit reports for suspicious activity and receive alerts of any potential fraud.
- Identity Restoration: If your identity is compromised, these services typically provide assistance with restoring your identity and resolving any related issues.
- Data Breach Alerts: Receive alerts when your personal information is exposed in a data breach.
Device Security
Some plans offer device security features such as antivirus software, malware protection, and anti-theft tools.
- Antivirus Protection: Protect your devices from viruses, malware, and other online threats.
- Remote Wipe and Lock: In the event of a lost or stolen device, you can remotely wipe the data or lock the device to prevent unauthorized access.
- Find My Device: Use the “Find My Device” feature to locate a lost or stolen device on a map.
Financial and Loyalty Rewards
Discounts and Promotions
Family plans often come with discounts on other services or products offered by the provider or their partners.
- Bundled Services: Look for discounts on bundled services such as home internet, cable TV, or home security systems.
- Accessory Discounts: Take advantage of discounts on phone accessories, such as cases, chargers, and headphones.
- Upgrade Discounts: Check for discounts or promotions when upgrading to new devices or plan features.
Loyalty Programs
Many providers offer loyalty programs that reward long-term customers with exclusive benefits.
- Points and Rewards: Earn points for every dollar spent on your family plan and redeem them for discounts, free services, or merchandise.
- Priority Customer Service: Receive priority access to customer service representatives and shorter wait times.
- Early Access: Get early access to new products, features, and promotions.
Travel Rewards
Some family plans partner with travel companies to offer rewards such as airline miles, hotel discounts, or rental car upgrades.
- Airline Miles: Earn airline miles for every dollar spent on your family plan.
- Hotel Discounts: Receive discounted rates at participating hotels.
- Rental Car Upgrades: Get complimentary upgrades when renting cars from participating rental car companies.
Conclusion
Family plans offer a plethora of extras that can significantly enhance their value beyond basic connectivity. By carefully evaluating your family’s needs and exploring the available perks related to data management, entertainment, security, and financial rewards, you can tailor your plan to maximize its benefits and create a truly customized experience. Remember to regularly review your plan and its associated extras to ensure they continue to meet your family’s evolving needs. This will ultimately save you money and provide added convenience and peace of mind.
