Are you a beneficiary of a government phone program and wondering how to keep track of your remaining minutes? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Checking your remaining minutes is a crucial task to avoid running out of minutes when you need them the most. Fortunately, checking the remaining minutes on your government phone is a quick and easy process. In this article, we’ll guide you through the step-by-step process of checking your remaining minutes, so you never have to worry about losing connectivity again.
About Government Phone Benefits
Eligible low-income American households can apply for a government assistance program called Lifeline. This program is available for one applicant per household if the household’s annual income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines or if a household member participates in another qualifying government assistance program, such as Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, certain Tribal programs, etc. Lifeline subscribers can choose a wireless provider that offers government-funded Lifeline benefits and through the provider receive free or discounted monthly phone, wireless, or internet services, as well as a free or discounted government phone. Lifeline providers are available in all U.S. states and territories, as such, you can surely find a company that offers such generous benefits in your area. You can search for suitable companies at cnm.universalservice.org. Keep in mind that you can only receive benefits from one provider at a time, however, you can change your provider at any time.
Lifeline companies offer different benefits. For instance, while some companies don’t offer free phones at all, others offer entry-level to mid-range Android phones without revealing the model advance, and then there are some that offer mid-range Android smartphones and iPhones and enable customers to choose the device they wish to receive. In terms of monthly service plans, Lifeline companies tend to offer:
- A limited or unlimited amount of monthly data
- A limited or unlimited amount of monthly text messages
- A limited or unlimited amount of monthly talk minutes
Many Lifeline companies also participate in the new Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which offers additional discounts on internet services and connected devices. Companies that offer both benefits tend to be the most generous (simply because they receive both Lifeline and ACP funds from the government), especially if the customer qualifies for the Lifeline & ACP Combo plan, which tends to offer unlimited text messages and unlimited monthly data, as well as a high-quality phone.
Do I Need to Check Minutes on Government Phone
It depends on the provider, the state, and the plan you applied for. As mentioned before, not all Lifeline providers offer the same benefits. Moreover, some companies only offer Lifeline discounts, while others offer both Lifeline and ACP discounts, therefore they tend to be more generous. Additionally, the benefits also vary by state. Particularly, some states offer higher government assistance benefits than others. As such, each provider offers different monthly plans in different states. Finally, many providers also offer several plans in each state (Lifeline Only, ACP Only, or the most valuable Lifeline and ACP Combo Plan). All of these factors determine the list of benefits that you may receive.
For instance, a very generous Lifeline provider (such as AirTalk Wireless) in a very generous state (such as California) and through the most generous plan (Lifeline & ACP Combo) can receive a free smartphone (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S8, iPhone 7, iPhone 8), 15GB of monthly high-speed data and unlimited lower-speed data, unlimited text and picture messaging, and unlimited talk minutes.
If you are lucky enough that you can apply for a plan that offers unlimited monthly talk minutes, you won’t ever have to worry about checking your minutes on your government phone. Fortunately, with the introduction of the new ACP plan (which all Lifeline subscribers automatically qualify for), nowadays, most providers offer unlimited monthly minutes.
On the other hand, if you are less lucky, and your plan comes with limited monthly minutes, you should keep track of your minutes, otherwise, you may lose the privilege to make calls when you need it most.
How to Check Minutes on Government Phone
In this section, you will find out how to check minutes on government phones for the most dominating Lifeline companies in the country.
Access Wireless
This is a Lifeline and ACP provider that offers many plans with unlimited minutes. However, the lowest-level plan offers 1000 minutes of talk, unlimited text, and 4.5GB of monthly data.
To check your balance, visit accesswireless.com/Login and log into your account. There, you will be able to see your remaining minutes, data, and other account information. Moreover, you can add airtime here if needed.
AirTalk Wireless
AirTalk is a company that participates in both Lifeline and ACP. As such, most of its plans come with unlimited monthly minutes. Still, the most basic plan only comes with 1000 minutes and 4.5GB of data.
To check your usage, go to airtalkwireless.com/account and sign into your account. There, you will be able to see your balance and refill your account if necessary.
American Assistance
Through its Lifeline and ACP support, this provider offers numerous unlimited plans. However, the most basic plan comes with only 500 talk minutes and 4.5 to 6GB of monthly data.
You can check your minutes and remaining data by contacting the company’s customer support service at 1.877.266.7212 or at the company’s official website at americanassistance.com.
Assist Wireless
This Lifeline and ACP company also mostly provides eligible customers with unlimited plans. Nevertheless, residents of Maryland who apply for the Lifeline Only plan will only receive 50 talk minutes, 50 texts, and 4.5GB of internet. As this is probably the most basic Lifeline plan in the country, we advise you to apply for the Lifeline & ACP plan instead. After all, if you qualify for Lifeline, you also automatically qualify for ACP.
To check your balance or buy additional minutes, you can log into your online account at assistwireless.com/refills or call 611 from your Lifeline phone.
Assurance Wireless
The majority of Assurance Wireless plans offer unlimited minutes. Nevertheless, the most basic plan still only offers 1000 minutes and 4.5GB of data.
In order to check your usage and add minutes log into your Assurance account myaccount.assurancewireless.com/my-account/login.
Cintex Wireless
Cintex is one of the most generous Lifeline and ACP companies in the country, as such it offers numerous unlimited plans. However, the most basic plan includes only 1000 minutes and 4.5GB of data.
To check your usage, go to cintexwireless.com/account and sign into your account. There, you will be able to see your balance and refill your account if necessary.
Easy Wireless
While most Easy plans offer great benefits, including unlimited minutes, some plans are still rather limited. For instance, the basic Lifeline plan in Arkansas and Missouri includes just 350 minutes and 4.5GB of data. Moreover, the basic plans in Kentucky and Oklahoma offer 1000 minutes and only 25MB of internet, which is ridiculously low.
To track your usage, you can contact the company’s customer support service at 1-877-476-3451.
enTouch Wireless
Many enTouch plans come with unlimited minutes, especially if you qualify for the Lifeline and ACP Combo plan. However, the most basic plan comes with 1000 monthly talk minutes, 500 texts, and 100MB of data.
To check your balance, dial 611 from your enTouch phone or call 1.866.488.8719 from another device.
Infiniti Mobile
If you are an Infiniti Mobile customer, you are likely satisfied with your unlimited plan. However, if you have a plan with only 1000 minutes and 4.5GB of data, you may wish to keep track of your balance.
To do so, visit portal.infinitimobile.com/Login.php and log in.
Life Wireless
Life Wireless also offers many unlimited plans. Still, some plans only give you 500 monthly minutes and 4.5GB of data.
Check your balance by logging into your account at lifewireless.com/cp, visiting your MyLifeWireless app on your phone and pressing ‘Check Balance’, or by calling the customer support service at 1-888-543-3620 611 from your Life Wireless phone.
NewPhone Wireless
NewPhone is Cintex and AirTalk’s affiliate company, as such it offers many amazing benefits. However, the most basic plan includes only 1000 minutes and 4.5GB of data.
To check your balance, go to newphone.com/account and sign into your account. There, you will be able to see your balance and refill your account if necessary.
Q Link Wireless
Most Q Link plans are relatively generous. However, the company’s most low-level plan only offers 1000 talk minutes and 4.5GB of internet.
To keep track of your limited benefits, send a text message to 7500, dial*611 from your Q Link phone, or call 1-855-754-6543. You can also do so and refill your account at qlinkwireless.com/members/Login.aspx.
SafeLink Wireless
SafeLink offers lots of eligible customers in many U.S. states unlimited plans with great perks. However, the company’s most basic plan only comes with 350 talk minutes and 4.5GB of data.
Check your current balance by texting the word BALANCE to 611611. If you have a smartphone, you can check your balance online at tracfone.com/direct/SafelinkCheckBalance?app=TRACFONE&lang=en.
StandUp Wireless
The majority of StandUp’s plans offer unlimited monthly services, especially if the customer applies for the Lifeline and ACP combo plan. Nevertheless, some customers decide to apply for a limited plan that comes with limited amounts of minutes and data.
If you need to check your balance and expiration date, simply dial 611 using your StandUp device or call 877-283-3888 from any other phone.
TruConnect
TruConnect is also considered one of the most generous Lifeline and ACP providers. Still, some plans have limited amounts of benefits.
You can check your balance by logging into your account at my.truconnect.com, visiting your MyTruConnect app on your phone, or contacting the company’s customer support service.
