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Tello Mobile is an MVNO that operates in the United States and provides flexible plans at tough-to-beat prices, with a side of incredible free bonuses and excellent, actual human customer service.
What is an MVNO?
Quick word for those unaware, an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) is an entity that enters business partnerships with existing operators and rents access to their infrastructure.
Tello Mobile, in particular, provides users with lines for GSM-compatible devices, with 4G / 5G connectivity over LTE bands 2, 4, and 12.
Quick rundown of Tello’s advantages
- Create your custom plan, save tons of money
- Control your account with an easy online interface
- Bring your own phone, keep your number
- Flexible family plans with no extra fees
- Use your data for mobile hotspot
- Use your free minutes for international calling (60+ countries)
- Change your plan parameters at any time
- Cancel at any time, no fee
- Excellent, human-operated customer service
- Referral program (read below)
Current promo: 25% off for your first 6 months on Tello!
Pick your Tello plan here
(PhoneArena readers get an extra 15% off for the first month of service)
Tello plans: mix and match data and talk minutes, get an unbelievable price
Tello’s plans are extremely flexible — you can either pick one of the ready-made plans if it suits your needs, or you can choose the ingredients for your perfect recipe yourself. Want 100 talk minutes but unlimited data? Done. Want 500 minutes and 4 GB of data? Also done.
Tello ready-made plans:
- Economy – 1 GB, unlimited talk and text, $7.5/mo promo ($10/mo after)
- Value – 2 GB, unlimited talk and text, $10.5/mo promo ($14/mo after)
- Smart – 4 GB, unlimited talk and text, $14.3/mo promo ($19/mo after)
- Data – Unlimited data, talk, text, $29.3/mo promo ($39/mo after)
Current promo: 25% off for your first 6 months on Tello!
Tello mix and match plans:
| No minutes | 100 min | 300 min | 500 min | Unlimited min | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No data | — | $3.8/mo promo ($5/mo regular) |
$4.5/mo promo ($6/mo regular) |
$5.3/mo promo ($7/mo regular) |
$6/mo promo ($8/mo regular) |
| 500 MB | $3.8/mo promo ($5/mo regular) |
$4.5/mo promo ($6/mo regular) |
$5.3/mo promo ($7/mo regular) |
$6/mo promo ($8/mo regular) |
$6.8/mo promo ($9/mo regular) |
| 1 GB | $4.5/mo promo ($6/mo regular) |
$5.3/mo promo ($7/mo regular) |
$6/mo promo ($8/mo regular) |
$6.8/mo promo ($9/mo regular) |
$7.5/mo promo ($10/mo regular) |
| 2 GB | $7.5/mo promo ($10/mo regular) |
$8.3/mo promo ($11/mo regular) |
$9/mo promo ($12/mo regular) |
$9.8/mo promo ($13/mo regular) |
$10.5/mo promo ($14/mo regular) |
| 4 GB | $11.3/mo promo ($15/mo regular) |
$12/mo promo ($16/mo regular) |
$12.8/mo promo ($17/mo regular) |
$13.5/mo promo ($18/mo regular) |
$14.3/mo promo ($19/mo regular) |
| 6 GB | $15/mo promo ($20/mo regular) |
$15.8/mo promo ($21/mo regular) |
$16.5/mo promo ($22/mo regular) |
$17.3/mo promo ($23/mo regular) |
$18/mo promo ($24/mo regular) |
| 8 GB | $18.8/mo promo ($25/mo regular) |
$19.5/mo promo ($26/mo regular) |
$20.3/mo promo ($27/mo regular) |
$21/mo promo ($28/mo regular) |
$21.8/mo promo ($29/mo regular) |
| Unlimited data | $29.3/mo promo ($39/mo regular) |
$29.3/mo promo ($39/mo regular) |
$29.3/mo promo ($39/mo regular) |
$29.3/mo promo ($39/mo regular) |
$29.3/mo promo ($39/mo regular) |
*Current promo: 25% off for your first 6 months on Tello!
There are no contracts or fees, and you can switch your plan’s parameters at any time — just open up your Tello dashboard to make the new settings. The change is instant — you don’t need to wait for the next billing cycle. Any remaining balance will roll over to the next month if you choose to renew your plan.
You can also cancel at any time with no extra fee.
Family plans
Tello’s family plans work much like the single plan outlined above. You can have up to 10 lines under one account with one email. Each line can be customized to tailor the specific user’s needs. Payment can be set up to either be made by the account holder, or each line can have its own payment method.
Click here to set up Tello family plan
(PhoneArena readers get an extra 15% off for the first month of service)
Extra benefits
There are no shenanigans with your Tello account. Your mobile hotspot feature on your phone is fully usable, no matter which plan you select.
Your free minutes can be used for calls to 60+ countries worldwide, no extra fees needed. These include, Mexico, Canada, Poland, Germany, Italy, China and many more. Click here to see which countries you can call for free.
What phones are compatible with Tello?
You need a smartphone that is
- Unlocked
- GSM-compatible
- Has LTE bands 2, 4, and 12
- Has VoLTE support
You can read more about phone compatibility and check your specific model here.
You can also browse Tello’s selection of phones here — you can even score a certified refurbished iPhone to use on your brand-new line!
Tello referral program (refer a friend)
If you like Tello’s services — tell a friend. Referrals will give both you and your friend $10 in Tello credit to use towards your next payment.
