Cricket Wireless - ACP Plans

Operating in all states except for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, Cricket Wireless offers broadband discounts to eligible low-income households. They can offer discounts because they participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The Affordable Connectivity Program has replaced the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. In looking through the Cricket Wireless site, it appears that they do not offer free government tablets. They offer monthly discounts only.

With the Affordable Connectivity Program, qualified households can lower wireless costs by up to $30 a month. Or, for households living on eligible Tribal lands, the benefit provides discounts up to $75 per month. The beauty is you can apply the discount to any of the Cricket Wireless Plans.

Qualifying for the Cricket Wireless Discount

To take advantage of the discount, you must be enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. The first step to enrolling in the ACP is to visit the National Verifier website and submit a Lifeline application. After you are approved for Lifeline, you will receive an application ID. Once you have the application ID, you can then go to Cricket, select a plan, and request the ACP benefits. However, before going to the National Verifier website, please make sure you meet the eligibility criteria. To be approved for Lifeline and ACP, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

You are someone in your household who receives benefits from one of the following federal assistance programs:

Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
Medicaid
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

If living on Tribal lands and participate in the following:

Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
Tribal Head Start
Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

You have a household income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guideline to receive Lifeline benefits, or at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guideline to qualify for ACP.

Gather the Proper Documentation

Although you may meet the eligibility criteria to enroll in Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity Programs, the government won’t just take your word for it. You must provide proof of your eligibility in the form of either a copy of the Approval or Benefits Letter from the qualifying program. The letter must be for the current term. Expired documents will not be accepted.

Additionally, you must provide proof of identity. Acceptable forms of ID are government-issued IDs such as a driver’s license, Birth Certificate, Permanent Resident Card, or Green Card. Visit the USAC website for all acceptable forms of ID.

Choose one of Cricket Wireless Plans

There’s a wide assortment of Cricket Wireless plans to choose from. Depending on your wireless needs, there’s a chance your monthly bill may be as low as $0. For example, if your data needs are low, and you select the 5G data plan with unlimited talk and text, the net monthly result is $0 since the 5G plan costs $30 per month for one line.

Currently (2022), Cricket’s single-line plans range in price from $30 a month to $60 a month. There are varying features and varying data limits so make sure to choose the plan that best fits your needs. If you find the plan is either too much or doesn’t have enough data, you can always change plans.

If you have any questions regarding Cricket Wireless and how they handle ACP plans, you can always contact them via their website or visit a local store.

Things You Should Know:

Once accepted into the Lifeline and ACP programs, you must re-certify annually to prove eligibility.

If you are an emancipated minor, you must provide a certificate or court document stating so.

Only one ACP benefit per household.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: This site was created to help people find information about free government phones. The ower of this site does not mail, activate or repair free government phones nor provide phone service. If you have questions about phone service it is suggested that you contact the phone service provider directly.

Last Modified: 3 March 2023