Our promise. We provide a buying advantage with verified reviews and unbiased editorial research.
About PureTalk
PureTalk offers nationwide coverage with no contracts and no hidden fees. We make the process of switching as simple as it can get. No need to buy a new phone or get a new number; with PureTalk, you can keep both! Our customer service team is located in the US & is ready to help you at any time. Contact us today to learn more about plans available and how you can switch & start saving!
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Affordable plans
- No hidden fees
- Ideal for seniors
- Reliable coverage
Cons
- Service lags once data caps
- Does not operate its own network
Bottom Line
Pure Talk provides cellphone coverage at an affordable price and a variety of discounts. The company offers and services designed for older adults with no hidden fees.
Top PureTalk Reviews
I was tired of paying too much for cell service… I took the jump from a big carrier to Pure Talk and won’t be going back. The service is absolutely all I need, works as I expect, ...
Read full reviewMy family had Sprint for many years and we've always thought the price was not worth what we were getting… We made the switch to Pure Talk and we couldn't be happier! We are savin...
Read full reviewWhat is Pure Talk?
Pure Talk is a cellphone service that uses AT&T’s network (which covers 99% of America) but offers much cheaper coverage. It’s a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and has no contracts or hidden fees. While all Pure Talk coverage plans are unlimited, data speed slows notably once you’ve reached your monthly allowance. You can cancel at any time or talk to the company's customer service representatives if you have questions.
Pure Talk plans
Pure Talk plans are pretty economical; typical plans start at $10 monthly for unlimited talk and text with a high-speed data allowance of 2 GB, and prices peak at $22.50 for unlimited talk and text with 20 GB of high-speed data. It’s important to note that though there isn’t a data cap, service slows down once you surpass your cap for high-speed access.
Pure Talk is suitable for seniors because of its affordable plans and low data allowance. It offers a risk-free guarantee for the first month, so you can try it out and get a refund if you’re not satisfied.
Pure Talk costs
Pure Talk offers several monthly plans based on its 4G LTE data allowance, which is ideal for streaming video and audio. At the time of publishing, prices are:
- 2 GB: $10 a month
- 4 GB: $12.50 a month
- 6 GB: $15 a month
- 10 GB: $17.50 a month
- 20 GB: $22.50 a month
Pure Talk also provides family plans. One additional line garners 10% off the total bill; discounts for two extra lines run up to 20%. The company’s friend referral program offers existing customers $20 account credits for referring new customers.
Pure Talk FAQ
Is Pure Talk any good?
Pure Talk is a solid option if you don’t need a lot of data or if you’re looking for an economical family plan.
What cell towers does Pure Talk use?
Pure Talk is on the AT&T network, and its coverage is widely available.
Can you keep your number with Pure Talk?
Yes, you can use your existing number with Pure Talk. All you need is a PAC code from your previous provider.
How do I activate Pure Talk?
You can activate your Pure Talk account within minutes by selecting “Activate Service” on their site or bfollowing instructions included with your purchase.
Is Pure Talk legit?
Pure Talk is a legitimate cellphone service provider that offers no-contract phone service. If you’re looking for more affordable mobile coverage, Pure Talk could help you save on your bill. It’s probably most ideal for senior citizens and those who don’t require large data plans.
PureTalk Reviews
Any
- Any
![Rated with 5 stars]()
![Rated with 4 stars]()
![Rated with 3 stars]()
![Rated with 2 stars]()
![Rated with 1 star]()
A link has directed you to this review. Its location on this page may change next time you visit.
- 4,241,839 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.
- We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.
- We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
- Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.
Signal = as good as Verizon. Service = as good as Verizon. Price = Way better!... than Verizon. My only reservation was during the transition. I went to the PureTalk web site and entered my IMEI number of the flip phone I had. I received a confirmation that my old flip phone was compatible with the PureTalk network. After I got my PureTalk SIM card I put it in my Verizon Orbic Journey V. My flip phone informed me that I didn't have a Verizon SIM card installed. It attempted to connect it to the PureTalk network, and it couldn't.
I called PureTalk with my dad's phone. I was told that my phone wasn't compatible. I told the representative that the PureTalk website said it was. He tried to connect me to tech support. While on hold I chose to hang up and do additional online research. My choice. I was informed that the 3G network was being phased out at the end of 2022 and that my phone was on that list. According to Verizon, my flip phone is a 4G phone. No matter what I did, my Verizon flip phone wouldn't connect to the PureTalk's network. I gave up on it, and got a SMART phone through PureTalk, and am very happy with it. So... 'If I'm happy with it, why the complaint?' Because I was told that my flip phone, again 4G, would work. Then it didn't. I was without a phone for a week.
On top of that: Verizon tried to get me to come back to them by offering me a deal on the exact same model of flip phone that I already had... Which is still compatible with the Verizon network. I strongly believe that my Verizon flip phone has software installed in it that will only allow it to work on the Verizon network. Can I prove it? No. In summary: I had a Verizon Orbic Journey V through Verizon. The IEMI number was considered good via the PureTalk website, and it will NOT accept the PureTalk SIM card. Overall, am I happy with my PureTalk service, and the price point? Absolutely. The forced up-grade was a blessing in disguise.
Hello, Bryce! We're delighted you're enjoying your PureTalk service and saving money each month since making the switch. Regarding the IMEI checker on our website, we sincerely apologize that your Verizon device was marked as compatible and for the inconvenience you've been caused. Your feedback has been shared with our leadership team to investigate the IMEI checker further. Be sure to let your friends and family know about the great value and service we provide, as we offer a referral credit that benefits both parties on your monthly service bill. Please visit https://www.puretalkusa.com/customer-referral-program to learn more about our referral program. Thank you for your feedback and for being a valued PureTalk customer! We truly appreciate your business!
Thank you, you have successfully subscribed to our newsletter! Enjoy reading our tips and recommendations.
The phone service has been excellent and the price is certainly right. For my single line I am saving over $100/mo. The transition from Verizon had some frustrating bumps and bruises however. I was told my iPhone 11 Pro was suitable for an E Sim but after spending over an hour on the phone with your technical service dept it was determined that it was not true so they had to FedEx me a SIM card which they did promptly but I still did not have a working phone for three days. Once installed the tech group was able to get me online. However, along the way there were multiple attempts at the E Sim and despite erasing all the data and starting over I still have a PERMANENT notification in settings that tells me to click on it to complete my installation which it wrong and very irritating. If I accidentally click on it down the road my system will crash. The tech dept says there is nothing they my can do about it.
Furthermore, my contacts did not reload properly with only about a third showing up after the transition and once again the tech group said there was nothing target could do about it. With perhaps millions of subscribers I can’t believe I am the first one to encounter this side effect. I finally solicited help from a different company who took a quick look and immediately determined the problem to be that that system had only transferred those contacts recorded from my Gmail account but not from the cloud. A few keystrokes later I was back in business. How can Pure Talk’s technical folks not know that?? Overall, I am recommending PureTalk to anyone I talk to but some more informed technical support would be very much appreciated. I’d feel terrible if a friend took my advice to switch and then ran into these issues. By the way, what can you do to get rid of this stupid notification that is on my settings tab?? Thank you.
Hello, Robert! While we are so glad to hear that you are enjoying your PureTalk service and saving money each month, we apologize for the poor Technical Support experience you have had. Regarding the eSIM message you are receiving, please go to Settings > Cellular to ensure your phone number is properly attached to the physical SIM card that is inserted into your device.
Be sure to let your friends and family know about the great value and service we provide, as we offer a referral credit that benefits both parties on your monthly service bill. Please visit https://www.puretalkusa.com/customer-referral-program to learn more about our referral program. Thank you for your feedback, and for being a valued PureTalk customer! We truly appreciate your business!
So far, we are satisfied with Pure Talk. We are saving about 50% from our old cell carriers, which is great! We also love that the company shares our values. We miss out on a couple benefits from our old service, such as a carrier app, and visual voicemail. The cell and data service seems to be about on par with our previous service, but sometimes seems a bit slower. For example, a text might take a few extra seconds to send when not on wifi, and sometimes it seems to take email messages much longer to arrive and notify us.
Our biggest disappointment was the activation process. We used the esim, which seemed very convenient, but was painful to initiate. Both of our phones took over a day (while having zero service because our previous service had already been dropped), and required several phone calls to customer support. One of our phones took even an extra couple days, and much more time spent on the phone with customer support. And, when this phone finally got connected and set up, all the data for that line for the entire month disappeared within the first few minutes, and we know this wasn't caused by us. Unfortunately, Pure Talk wouldn't reset this data for the month, offer any sort of refund or anything, and actually blamed us for wasting all the data. That has been our biggest complaint so far.
Hello, Jonathan! We are delighted to hear that you are enjoying your PureTalk service and that you are saving money on your monthly service bill by making the switch. At this time, we do not offer an app, however, customers may manage their accounts online at www.puretalkusa.com/account/login. Regarding your voicemail, our Technical Support department has added the visual voicemail feature to your device so that you may now view your voice messages. Please restart your device and this feature should be available to you. We do regret to hear that you experienced issues while activating your eSIM. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this has caused you. Regarding your data, to help reduce data usage, we recommend restricting background app usage, closing any unused apps, utilizing Wi-Fi when available, and disabling the Wi-Fi assist feature. Thank you for your feedback, as it always helps us improve the PureTalk experience.
Originally, I wanted a new phone with unlimited data and a good amount of hotspot data. Soon, I heard about this service from the Ben Shapiro Show. Yes, I did get my 1st month half-off and a significant discount on my phone as well; as long I have the service for a good amount of time to pay off the phone. I didn't mind knowing that my time with phones last almost three years.
The service itself is quite good when away from large crowds; not a problem for me either since I'm at home a lot of the time. Plus, the PureTalk service has a large service area that rides on the AT&T network. Also, the phone I purchased is the nicest phone I've ever owned and works very well. Still, I am figuring out the full capabilities of this device; I am pleasantly pleased.
This is service offers a great deal to enjoy, but it does takes some searching out to figure out. Again, I was wanting something simple with many benefits. This service offers something good for everyone; I found something good for my lifestyle. This is my honest review. I like this service and its products.
Hello, Adrian! We are excited to hear that you are enjoying your PureTalk service! Be sure to let your friends and family know about the great prices we provide, as we offer a referral program that benefits both parties on your monthly service bill. Thank you for your feedback, as it always helps us improve the PureTalk experience.
Please visit https://www.puretalkusa.com/customer-referral-program to learn more about our referral program. Thank you for choosing PureTalk!
We love Puretalk as a service and really appreciated that we could purchase older (refurbished?) phone models at a discount rather than be forced to pay $1000 for the latest and greatest. We got the phone model we really wanted and ended up paying slightly less than our old provider for a tremendous amount more service/data. We shared 5 GB with our old provider and we now pay about a total of $25 less per month for 60 GB/Unlimited. I really feel kind of dumb for sticking with our old provider for so long. We appreciate the values your company holds and which we share.
The only issue is that up at the family property on a lake in far northern Minnesota, we only have one, sometimes two, bars of signal. Phone calling and data access are a little intermittent, but for the most part that one bar of signal is enough to get a call through if we need it. If we need to access data, it comes and goes, but we don’t need to use much data when we are up there. It seems to be more of an issue with my Wife’s phone, even though we have the same model. We are mainly focusing on being outside in the woods and on the water. So that isn’t really a serious problem, but it is the only limitation with our service. Regardless, we are glad to be with Puretalk.
Greetings, Gene! We are pleased to hear that you are enjoying your PureTalk service and that you have saved money by making the switch! Coverage may be affected by terrain or local structures. Please go to Settings > General > Software Update to ensure your iPhone is on the latest iOS. Next, reset the network settings by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset, and tap Reset Network Settings. For your convenience, these steps are also listed on our website, https://www.puretalkusa.com/data. Thank you for your feedback, as it always helps us improve the PureTalk experience.
I am not happy with your international call options. In addition, when I exceeded my 4 gig data limit this month, it seemed to affect my call reliability, with dropped calls and notably weaker reception than my Verizon Business phone. Lastly, I am absolutely inundated with spam calls. I signed up for the National Do Not Call Registry but it did little to help. I would you suggest you develop a junk call app like the major carriers have.
Oh no, Peter! We're sorry to hear about your experience with PureTalk thus far. Please accept our apologies for the issues with your call quality and the unwanted spam calls, as we know these can be bothersome. Once you reach your allotted high-speed data, the speed throttles to 256 kbps. However, your call quality should remain the same. Please be sure you are using the latest software update by going to Settings > General > Software update. The network settings on your device may also need to be reset. For instructions, you may visit our website at www.puretalk.com/data. Currently, we do not offer a call-blocking app. We recommend blocking any unwanted callers contacting you by going to your Phone app > Recents > select the spam caller > Block. Thank you for your feedback, as it always helps us improve the PureTalk experience.
I've been a Puretalk customer for a few months and so far it's been a very pleasant experience. Affordable, I don't feel I'm being overcharged, transition was quick and easy and customer service was mostly helpful. I would definitely recommend it.
Thank you for making the switch to PureTalk, Susan! It’s fantastic to hear you are enjoying your PureTalk service and taking advantage of our affordable plans. Did you know you could earn a $20 credit for referring family and friends? You may visit https://www.puretalk.com/customer-referral-program to learn more about our referral program. Thank you for your feedback and for being a valued PureTalk customer! We truly appreciate your business!
I left Verizon because their prices are ridiculous. Puretalk boasts about using all towers for betting reception. I will live with it because of the price but signals are worse and in some places much worse. Switching over was handled very smoothly hence the reason for the 3 stars rating.
Hello, Jeff! Although we’re happy to hear you had a seamless transition when switching services, we’re sorry you are experiencing coverage issues. Outdoor coverage may vary from indoor coverage and may be impacted by local terrain and structures. Please accept our apologies for this inconvenience. For optimal service, please ensure your devices are using the latest software updates by going to Settings > General > Software update. The network settings may also need to be reset. For instructions, visit our website at www.puretalk.com/data. Thank you for your feedback, as it always helps us improve the PureTalk experience.
Signal strength is variable and often weak even within the small confines of my home. I have had calls drop while moving from one room to another or even by simply moving the phone from one hand to the other. This low signal strength has negatively impacted my battery life. I've also had occasional SMS failures, usually when including photos. Don't know if this is a bandwidth priority problem or what?
Hi there, Randall! Please accept our apologies that you are experiencing issues with service within your home. Outdoor coverage may vary from indoor coverage and may be impacted by local terrain and structures. Please be sure your devices are using the latest software updates by going to Settings > Software update. The network settings may also need to be reset. For instructions, visit our website at www.puretalk.com/data. Thank you for your feedback, as it always helps us improve the PureTalk experience.
I have experienced many dropped calls lately. Oftentimes, our phones will not ring when people try calling us. Under my old service, I had a good signal inside my office at work, but with Pure Talk, the signal is weak at best.
Hello, Shannon! We’re sorry to hear you’re experiencing dropped calls and issues with coverage. Outdoor coverage may vary from indoor coverage and may be impacted by local terrain and structures. Please accept our apologies for this inconvenience. For optimal service, please ensure your devices are using the latest software updates by going to Settings > Software update. The network settings may also need to be reset. For instructions, visit our website at www.puretalk.com/data. Thank you for your feedback, as it always helps us improve the PureTalk experience.
PureTalk Company Information
- Company Name:
- PureTalk
- Website:
- www.puretalkusa.com