National vs. regional calling plan – Which is best?

Both regional calling plans and national calling plans can save you money depending on your communications patterns.

Regional calling plans have no extra charges for all calls within the region defined by your wireless carrier. Calls made to phone numbers outside the regional calling area are subject to standard long distance charges.

National calling plans expand the included “no charge” area to the entire U.S. Some “national” calling plans may exclude Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and/or Alaska, restricting charge free calls to the “continental” U.S. Check your cell phone carrier for their definitions of “region” and “national” to know what areas you’re considering for each of these plans.

The best plan for you depends on the typical destinations of your calls. For example, if you live in New England and most of your friends and family also reside in the six-state region, you will save money if you select a regional calling plan.

Paying the higher monthly charge for a national calling plan may cost you more than just paying long distance fees for the few coast-to-coast calls you make during a typical year.

Conversely, if you live in Chicago, your parents live in Florida, you have a sister in Boston, and a brother in Los Angeles, you might save money by choosing a national calling plan (assuming you talk to them regularly). Whether you make fast calls or spend hours on your cell phone, you should not incur an extra charge with a national plan.

Either wireless plan could work for you, depending on your calling patterns. In vast majority of cases, choosing a national calling plan makes the most financial sense. But there are some cases when choosing a regional plan can end up saving you money.

Don’t simply opt for a national calling plan if you won’t ever be making calls out of state. Instead, opting for a regional plan in this scenario can potentially add up to big savings. If you need evidence of the potential savings, compare calling plans with the same number of minutes but with local and national reach.