Tello Referral Code 2023: Refer a Friend + 15% Coupon Code. I pay $11/month!

We may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post.

This past winter, Caleb and I found ourselves stricken with nausea, headache, and a general sense of uneasiness. We knew it was going around, but what can you do? You gotta live your life. While we tried to take precautions, we simply couldn’t avoid it. Symptoms also included endless fatigue, which was probably exacerbated by constant research via Google. We couldn’t help but wonder if it was that bad, and while some said it was no big deal, others assured us we had a rocky road ahead. That’s right folks, we officially bought our preteen a cell phone.

At least we have one source of comfort–we saved $10 (and continue to save via sharing our referral code) on his phone service with a Tello referral code and the cheapest MVNO phone service around.

When I signed on to become a parent twelve years ago, I knew this day would come. But man, did it come quickly. And while I initially swore that he wouldn’t get a phone until he was at least a teen–13ish sounded OK–it does offer a little peace of mind as he transitions to middle school and I transition back to work.

Alas, this is the world we live in. Like it or not, phones, the internet, and technology are a huge part of preteens’ lives. Okay, everyone’s lives. And even though I worry about the vast “information” and other garbage my kiddo could find, it’s nice to know there’s also technology for parents to utilize to help keep kids safe. I’m a fan of Qustodio. That’s another post for another day.

How to save with a Tello referral code 2023 (refer-a-friend) + 15% off coupon code

We found the cheapest phone service, and made it even cheaper with a $10 Tello referral code (and subsequent referral credits) and 15% off that first bill!

Go ahead and try the slider customizer below on their website. Let’s face it, it’s just plain fun.

1. Tello referral code 2023: P3GKBF8N gets $10 off (sometimes $20!) + a 15% off coupon code = CHEAPEST phone service

How to get your referral credit:

You can currently save 15% off your bill, plus get a $10 Tello credit on your second bill. After choosing a plan, enter your info on the page that looks like this pic below, and don’t forget the Tello referral code at the bottom: P3GKBF8N. It will likely be input automatically as seen below. Then use code 15offof at checkout for 15% off your initial purchase if it doesn’t automatically show a 15% discount.

Important: Check your coverage and your EIN to see if Tello could work for you. They work with Sprint phones and most GSM unlocked phones. Not all work though, including my husband’s unlocked Galaxy S7. Any unlocked phone that’s not ancient like ours should work, and old iPhones don’t seem to be as picky as old Galaxies, as seen by my son’s iPhone 6 working great with Tello. You can check your coverage here:

A Tello referral code will get you $10 in Tello credit, but remember, this credit won’t be visible when you’re checking out. You’ll see it in your order confirmation email and can apply it to your second bill through the payment link on the Tello dashboard. I earn $10 in credit for each person who uses it, and you get $10 credit on your next bill. So, thank you!

Here’s what the $10 credit looks like at the bottom of your order confirmation email:

2. Share your Tello refer-a-friend link with others

After you become a customer, feel free to put your referral code in the comments below this post. You’ll get $10 for each customer you bring, and you can use these credits to pay your monthly bill or buy a new phone (once you earn enough credits to cover the amount). Phones often go on sale for up to 50% off.

Other places I’ve seen referral codes shared? Reddit, ebay, and Pinterest!

While Tello’s referral system is a great incentive to shout them out to friends and family, you have to manually apply the credits to use them toward a bill. When you’re logged in at your dashboard, go halfway down to the blue button, “Renew now” the night before your bill is due. Then it will allow you to apply your credits. Otherwise, it continues to bill your credit card even if you have Tello dollars available. This information was given to me straight from customer service. Hopefully, they’ll be able to simplify and automate this process soon.

The plus side to manually renewing is that any minutes you have will roll over to the next 30 days. When you get auto-billed as opposed to manually renewing, you start each cycle anew and lose any unused minutes.

Also, as an FYI, if you go over your data, they’ll just slow your teen’s data way down to 2G. Is that a big deal?

If you do care about data slowing down, then go with a bigger data amount or you can renew your plan early as needed. Don’t forget to renew it manually anyway if you have referral credit to use, as this is the only way to use said referral credit. My preteen uses wifi as much as possible and gets by fine with 2 GB, for reference.

Tello referral code or not, is Telly a good phone service?

So far, we’re loving the ultra-cheap plan we chose for our kiddo. It’s great how Tello offers an a-la-carte option for phone service because some people just don’t need the minutes. Others may not need the data, especially a preteen who mostly uses wifi. Again, if you run out of data, it just gets throttled from 5G to 2G.

Our preteen gets 2GB of data, unlimited texting, and has 100 minutes available if needed–all for $11 a month. And if you can remember to renew manually (at least a day before your bill is due if you use automatic payment) your unused minutes and data get added to the next month. 2GB isn’t a lot of data but works for him because he only uses it at the bus stop or on longer car rides. Your mileage may vary, especially if you have a teen who is always on the go.

Coverage-wise, Tello has worked great in our Boise area. We haven’t experienced a dropped call, and the Tello service seems to be comparable to our Cricket service, which has always worked fabulously.

How can they afford to operate with such cheap prices? Four letters: M, V, N, O. A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which it provides services to its customers. An MVNO enters into a business agreement with a mobile network operator to obtain bulk access to network services at wholesale rates and then sets retail prices independently. Source: Yozzo.com. So, they lease towers from T-Mobile.

Can I bring my phone to Tello?

Tello just switched their network in mid-January 2021 to a GSM network. Now they accept any GSM device that’s free of contract and is VoLTE compatible. This includes (but is not limited to) unlocked iPhones from 5S and up, many (but not all) Samsung Galaxies, and Nexus 5 to 6P. Check for Tello coverage in the menu at the top of the site before you sign up. All phones for sale on their site are unlocked and compatible.

Caleb and I still use Cricket wireless service because we have the maxed-out five-person family plan with extended family. When you factor in the referral discounts and their unlimited everything, Cricket’s plan still works best for Caleb and me. Update: We’re currently considering switching to Tello’s ultra-cheap service anyway, but we’ll both have to buy new phones…before our Samsung 7sturnsn to dust...unheard of! So needless to say, we’re dragging our feet.

Update: We have officially upgraded our phones to Samsung 10s thanks to huge cracks in our S 7s. Yes, we are always a few years behind the crowd. My new-to-me phone now works with Tello, and I am now a happy Telloian…Telloist…Tellolite? With an $11/month phone plan to boot! $11/month = 100 minutes, unlimited texts, and 2 GB of data. I roll my minutes and data over each month to boost that number. This makes up for months with more minute use around the holidays.

Other Tello features I haven’t mentioned:

• Free mobile hotspot Wi-Fi Calling.
• Free international calls/texts to 60+ countries.
• Bring your own device & keep your number options.
• The customer support team is available 24/7 via chat or phone. Tello is online only and does not have brick/mortar stores.
• Rated as ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot, 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The not-so-great:

Tello bills each line individually, so it’s not very convenient if you have a family of five and want to pay one bill each month. All lines can be on the same account, but each month you will go into your dashboard and pay each line’s cost individually. So that could get tedious for some. I currently do it for three lines, my son’s, my grandpa’s, and myself. No biggie for me; it’s worth the significant savings.

Tello’s a highly affordable phone service for pre-teens, seniors, and apparently, moms like “this gal.” The customization you can do for a dirt-cheap plan makes them irresistible for a cheapskate like me and makes buying a phone for my kiddo a little less painful.

I swear though, my child is not driving until 18 30.