Consumer Cellular

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American postpaid mobile virtual network operator

title: "Consumer Cellular" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1995-establishments-in-oregon", "american-companies-established-in-1995", "mobile-virtual-network-operators", "telecommunications-companies-established-in-1995", "mobile-phone-companies-of-the-united-states", "privately-held-companies-based-in-arizona"] description: "American postpaid mobile virtual network operator" topic_path: "engineering" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Cellular" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American postpaid mobile virtual network operator ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

FieldValue
nameConsumer Cellular, Inc.
logoConsumer Cellular logo.svg
typePrivate
foundation
founderJohn Marick and Greg Pryor
locationScottsdale, Arizona, US

| | area_served | United States | | industry | Telecommunications | | owner | GTCR | | num_employees | 3,100 | | homepage | | ::

| name = Consumer Cellular, Inc. | logo = Consumer Cellular logo.svg | type = Private | parent = | foundation = | founder = John Marick and Greg Pryor | location = Scottsdale, Arizona, US

| area_served = United States | industry = Telecommunications | owner = GTCR | num_employees = 3,100 | homepage =

Consumer Cellular, Inc. is an American postpaid mobile virtual network operator founded by John Marick and Greg Pryor in Portland, Oregon, in October 1995. The company offers cellphones, no-contract cellphone plans, and accessories with a focus on users over age 50. Including its corporate headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, Consumer Cellular is completely U.S. based, employing more than 3,100 people in Arizona, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Texas.

Consumer Cellular provides wireless service using network capacity from AT&T and T-Mobile, with only AT&T being used for new activations as of 2024, and also resells AT&T wholesale wireless services to other virtual operators. The company was included on the Inc 5000 list as one of America's fastest growing companies every year between 2009 and 2020. , when it put itself up for sale, the company had close to 4 million subscribers. In October 2020, Chicago private equity company GTCR purchased Consumer Cellular for about $2.3 billion.

History

John Marick and Greg Pryor founded Consumer Cellular in 1995 with a goal of providing low-cost service to casual mobile users of all ages. In 2008, Consumer Cellular became a preferred provider for AARP members, becoming the first cellphone company to market extensively to the over-50 demographic.

The company's first retail presence was established in 2011 with a partnership with Sears stores. In 2014, Consumer Cellular was introduced in Target stores, and in 2018 became available at select U.S. Best Buy stores. In 2013, the company introduced a smartphone financing program called EasyPay that is available to consumers purchasing smartphones that cost $200 and up. That same year, the company partnered with SquareTrade to begin providing cellphone protection plans. In May 2018, Consumer Cellular announced an investment in GrandPad and also became a distributor of the GrandPad tablet in the United States.

In February 2013, in celebration of its one millionth customer, Consumer Cellular donated $100,000 to each of five non-profit partners, and $500,000 to its employees, for a total of $1 million. To celebrate its 20th anniversary and its milestone of 2 million customers, it donated $2 million to the Knight Cancer Challenge on behalf of their customers in 2015. After reaching 2.5 million customers in the summer of 2017, it donated 2.5 million meals via Feeding America, and to mark the addition of its 3 millionth customer in October 2018, the company donated $500,000 to each of three charities selected by its employees.

In August 2019, the company celebrated its 3.5 millionth customer by donating $350,000 to the American Red Cross through the Disaster Responder Program. In the fall of 2020, to honor its 25th anniversary, Consumer Cellular donated $2.5 million to Toys for Tots. In October 2020, upon the decision of Marick and Pryor to retire, Ed Evans was installed as CEO, replacing Marick.

Products

Consumer Cellular offers low-cost, no-contract monthly cellphone plans with simple cutoff points to offer flexibility. Its cellphone selections include basic flip phones from Doro (of which the provider is the exclusive U.S. carrier), aimed toward seniors, as well as budget and premium Android smartphones from Motorola and Samsung. In 2015, Consumer Cellular also began supporting the iPhone. The company expanded beyond cellphones in 2018 with the introduction of GrandPad, a simplified tablet designed for older users.

Marketing and awards

Consumer Reports subscribers have rated Consumer Cellular highest in the magazine's annual review of cellphone service providers seven times. The magazine’s rankings are compiled from a survey of subscribers who grade carriers in eight different categories including value, voice and text quality, and customer support.

Consumer Cellular has been ranked by J.D. Power as "#1 in Customer Service among Non-Contract Value Wireless Providers, 10 Times in a Row". The awards are based on the results of the J.D. Power 2016 V2 - 2020 V2 U.S. Wireless Non-Contract Customer Care Performance Studies and 2021 (V1) Wireless Customer Care Mobile Virtual Network Operator Performance Study, which focus on the experiences of wireless service customers who made a sales transaction with their current carrier.

In June 2017, a consumer survey conducted by the customer experience firm Market Force Information named Consumer Cellular the favorite wireless cellphone carrier among non-contract providers for the second year in a row. Consumer Cellular came out on top for best value, best coverage, fewest dropped calls, easiest to change plan, and best flexibility, among others.

Readers polled by PC Magazine ranked Consumer Cellular as top mobile carrier in its annual "Consumer Recommended" list for 2018. The rankings were based on a company’s net promoter score, with Consumer Cellular’s score of 87 out of 100. Consumer Cellular has also been selected as "Favorite Wireless Carrier" by PC Magazine readers six years in a row in its "Reader’s Choice" survey.

In 2024, Consumer Cellular entered a sponsorship deal with NASCAR Cup Series team RFK Racing to sponsor Brad Keselowski in multiple races during the 2024 season. During the 2025 season, they will continue to sponsor Keselowski and Ryan Preece.

References

References

  1. "Coverage Map {{!}} Consumer Cellular".
  2. "Cellphone plans for seniors offer more service, lighter data".
  3. [https://www.consumercellular.com/content/dam/consumercellularincprogram/web/pages/press/PR%20Fact%20Sheet%202024.pdf Consumer Cellular Fact Sheet], www.consumercellular.com
  4. ConsumerCellularInc. (14 July 2024). "Determining which provider". Reddit.
  5. "Consumer Cellular is on the Private Titans".
  6. Dano, Mike. (August 11, 2020). "Consumer Cellular fielding interest from buyers - sources". [[Light Reading]].
  7. Dano, Mike. (October 27, 2020). "Consumer Cellular sold to private equity firm for around $2.3B". [[Light Reading]].
  8. Max, Sarah. (30 July 2013). "Catering to Boomers, a Cell Phone Company Takes Off".
  9. Springer, Pete. "Small Portland Cellular Provider Teams Up With AARP".
  10. Jones, William. "Efficient Communication Solutions for Seniors: Consumer Cellular in Focus".
  11. Rogoway, Mike. (30 March 2014). "Consumer Cellular, approaching a half-billion dollars in annual sales, gets tryout with Target".
  12. (10 August 2018). "Consumer Cellular Now Available At Best Buy, On Track For 3 Million Subscribers".
  13. "Consumer Cellular Intros EasyPay Financing Program".
  14. "Consumer Cellular adds SquareTrade protection plans".
  15. Spencer, Malia. (May 21, 2018). "Consumer Cellular invests in senior-aimed tablet startup". Portland Business Journal.
  16. Kharif, Olga. (May 13, 2018). "An iPad for 80-year-olds: Senior-citizen carrier Consumer Cellular bets on tablets". The Seattle Times.
  17. "Portland company gives $2M to Knight Cancer Challenge".
  18. (24 May 2017). "Consumer Cellular Gives Back to Fight Hunger".
  19. (2018-10-09). "Consumer Cellular Commemorates Three Millionth Customer by Gifting Three Million Dollars". EIN News.
  20. [https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/press-release/2019/consumer-cellular-celebrates-3-5-millionth-customer-by-gifting-350000-to-the-american-red-cross.html Consumer Cellular Celebrates 3.5 Millionth Customer by Gifting $350,000 to the American Red Cross]
  21. (2020-10-15). "Consumer Cellular gives $2.5M to Toys for Tots".
  22. (28 October 2020). "Consumer Cellular sells in deal pegged at $2.3B".
  23. Fowler, Bree. (19 February 2022). "How to Save Money With a Cheap Cell-Phone Service".
  24. Douglas, Nick. (13 March 2018). "Why I Love This Mobile Carrier for Old People [Updated]".
  25. Taub, Eric A.. (3 November 2009). "More Tech for Older People".
  26. (19 October 2017). "Go All Day and More with the Motorola Moto E4 Plus".
  27. (10 September 2018). "Experience Innovation with the Samsung Galaxy Note9 Smartphone".
  28. (30 March 2016). "Our best deal ever on your next iPhone.".
  29. (2018-05-07). "An iPad for 80-Year-Olds: Senior-Citizen Carrier Bets on Tablets". Bloomberg.com.
  30. (2025-09-01). "Best and Worst Phone Plan Providers".
  31. "2021 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Studies - Volume 1".
  32. "New Market Force Study Finds T-Mobile and Consumer Cellular Are America's Favorite Wireless Carriers - Market Force Information, Inc.".
  33. Griffith, Eric. (December 12, 2018). "Consumer Recommended 2018: The Tech Brands You Love Most".
  34. [https://www.pcmag.com/news/367381/buying-a-new-phone-these-are-the-brands-carriers-and-oses Buying a New Phone? These Are the Brands, Carriers, and OSes to Pick]
  35. (January 24, 2024). "Consumer Cellular joins RFK Racing, will sponsor Brad Keselowski in multiple races".

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1995-establishments-in-oregonamerican-companies-established-in-1995mobile-virtual-network-operatorstelecommunications-companies-established-in-1995mobile-phone-companies-of-the-united-statesprivately-held-companies-based-in-arizona