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FAN Discount vs. Family Plan

T

troutbum

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 25, 2008
6
0
I'm planning to migrate my family of 4 to iPhones as soon as my T-Mobile contract expires at the end of October. I've discovered (thanks to this forum) that my wife is eligible for a FAN discount through her work, so have been comparing some numbers.

It appears based on ATT's Premier site that to purchase the phones via the FAN discount, that we would have to go under a business plan vs. just going to the ATT store and doing a regular consumer "family plan". With the discount on a business plan, it only comes out to about a $20 savings per month, and the business plan appears much more complicated in terns of having to buy individual data plans for each phone etc.

Am I missing something or is there a way to buy a standard consumer family talk/iPhone data plan and get the FAN discount applied to that?
 
I have a family plan with my iPhone as the primary. I was able to add the FAN discount to my phone after the account was established. I didn't get a discount on the iPhone beyond the subsidized cost, but I get a break on the monthly cost of the primary phone.
 
.....

You can use your FAN account without having a business plan. It sounds like you are trying to get a discount on the actual hardware using your wife business. I do not think there are any breaks on the hardware at all. I have a FAN account on a family plan, and we have the regular data plans. Each phone have to have its own data plan. Plus I believe the data plans for businesses are five dollars more than for regular data plans. :apple:
 
I was under the impression that with AT&T you had to get the iPhone plan with an iPhone and there were no other options such as "business plan" or whatever. Is that incorrect?
 
All you need to do is go to an AT&T store and sign up for a regular family plan. Then go home and have your wife enroll in the FAN discount program. You can get to that from the main page of the premier site.
 
I was not assuming that I'd get a discount on the hardware, but did not know if I could get the regular iPhone consumer family plan (which includes data) or if I had to go with a "business" plan (voice and data separate)...

Sound like the thing to do is go in and buy the phones/family plan at regular retail price, then have the FAN discount applied later?

Thanks for all the input.
 
Rob,

What's your Family Plan for $40? The cheapest family plan I see at the ATT site is $129.99!
 
troutbum said:
Rob,

What's your Family Plan for $40? The cheapest family plan I see at the ATT site is $129.99!
Click to expand...

aniphoneplantd0.jpg


My bad pics a little big.


But i pay 30 dollars for my line, and then 30 dollars for the family plan!
 
I'm planning to buy my phones through the Apple Store (likely will use the new online purchase and setup, then pick up the phones in store).

Here's my question: since our FAN discount is through my wife's employer, should I put the account in her name? I assume this will make it smoother when I call ATT to apply the FAN discount?
 
troutbum said:
I'm planning to buy my phones through the Apple Store (likely will use the new online purchase and setup, then pick up the phones in store).

Here's my question: since our FAN discount is through my wife's employer, should I put the account in her name? I assume this will make it smoother when I call ATT to apply the FAN discount?
Click to expand...

That's probably the most hassle free route.
 
Don't mean to thread jack, but I'm a bit confused. My Sprint contract ran out today. (Finally). And I plan on picking up an iPhone, and a Treo Centro for my wife tomorrow or Friday.

I get a fan discount from work. I stopped by my local ATT store the other day, mentioned who I work for, and the woman I spoke with said when I am ready to go, simply stop in with my fan number, and they will set me up. I'm a little confused as a few posts on here have now said to sign up for a family plan, and then apply the fan discount from home off the web site? Not quite getting why, when I can simply do it up front. Is there something I am missing here?

When I spoke to the woman at the store, I was talking the 1300 minute family plan, data for the iPhone only, and unlimited text. What is the difference whether they apply the fan discount right away at the store, when I make the purchases, or after the fact?

Again, just confused by some of the posts. Thanks
 
troutbum said:
I'm planning to buy my phones through the Apple Store (likely will use the new online purchase and setup, then pick up the phones in store).

Here's my question: since our FAN discount is through my wife's employer, should I put the account in her name? I assume this will make it smoother when I call ATT to apply the FAN discount?
Click to expand...

yes it will have to be under her name. As for the plan, all you need to do is pick any family talk plan then add $30 for the main line's data and $40 for each additional iPhone.

We pay 180/month for 2 iphone 3gs and 1 original iphone
 
Rotlex,

here's the reason I started this thread: My wife qualifies for a FAN discount at her work. When I go to the ATT Premier website associated with her employer, the only iPhone plans that are offered were business plans. While they have similar minutes, etc to the "consumer" family plans, I calculated that they would be more expensive for the same mix of phones/minutes/data than a comparable "consumer" plan. Thus, folks here had advised to just buy the phone through the normal channels, then have the FAN discount applied after activation.

I have NOT gone to an ATT store (as you did) to see if I could sign up directly for a regular consumer family plan given the FAN discount. I'll likely go ahead and do that just to compare. I had planned, however, to go through the Apple web site purchase and pick up the phones at the Apple Store.

hope that clarifies.
 
troutbum said:
Rotlex,

here's the reason I started this thread: My wife qualifies for a FAN discount at her work. When I go to the ATT Premier website associated with her employer, the only iPhone plans that are offered were business plans. While they have similar minutes, etc to the "consumer" family plans, I calculated that they would be more expensive for the same mix of phones/minutes/data than a comparable "consumer" plan. Thus, folks here had advised to just buy the phone through the normal channels, then have the FAN discount applied after activation.

I have NOT gone to an ATT store (as you did) to see if I could sign up directly for a regular consumer family plan given the FAN discount. I'll likely go ahead and do that just to compare. I had planned, however, to go through the Apple web site purchase and pick up the phones at the Apple Store.

hope that clarifies.
Click to expand...

Yep, and thanks! :)
 
I went by an ATT store today and acted dumb (one of the things I'm best at!). Told the rep I was looking at pricing for 4 iPhones on a family plan. He gave me all the same information I already had about plans, BUT, when I mentioned the FAN discount, he said that the 15% service discount (based on our FAN #) only applied to voice costs, not to data or text messaging.

Is that everyone else's understanding? I thought it applied to all the services?
 
troutbum said:
I went by an ATT store today and acted dumb (one of the things I'm best at!). Told the rep I was looking at pricing for 4 iPhones on a family plan. He gave me all the same information I already had about plans, BUT, when I mentioned the FAN discount, he said that the 15% service discount (based on our FAN #) only applied to voice costs, not to data or text messaging.

Is that everyone else's understanding? I thought it applied to all the services?
Click to expand...

it does not apply to data. I'm not sure about the text. FAN discounts will not apply to even a voice plan on the original iPhone.
 
troutbum said:
I went by an ATT store today and acted dumb (one of the things I'm best at!). Told the rep I was looking at pricing for 4 iPhones on a family plan. He gave me all the same information I already had about plans, BUT, when I mentioned the FAN discount, he said that the 15% service discount (based on our FAN #) only applied to voice costs, not to data or text messaging.

Is that everyone else's understanding? I thought it applied to all the services?
Click to expand...

Wow, that would really stink. Mmm, need to find out about this. Anyone have any input, or know for sure? I never even thought to ask this when I was at the store the other night.

Problem is, it's starting to get more and more expensive, even with FAN, to "switch" to ATT for me. I want an iPhone badly, but am really getting concerned of ATT's service cost. Currently, I am with Sprint. Two Treo's, 1500 minutes, full data\EVDO, unlimited text, etc. etc. for $129 BEFORE a 15% discount from them through my employer. ATT is like $180 or so for two iPhones, or $150 for an iPhone, and a basic phone with NO data on 2nd phone. Jeez, if they don't include the FAN discount on data and text, it's even worse!

I really hate this\need to think about this. The phone seems great, but I'm really starting to question the service cost here. :(
 
troutbum said:
Here's my question: since our FAN discount is through my wife's employer, should I put the account in her name? I assume this will make it smoother when I call ATT to apply the FAN discount?
Click to expand...

Our plan is under my name but it is my wife's phone and set up with the FAN discount through her employer. It wasn't a problem at all, the only thing is that the emails regarding the account go to her employee email address.
 
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