Customers Will Receive Alert as They Approach Monthly Minute and Text Message Limits

CHICAGO, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- There's a week left in the month. Quick: how many minutes are left on your cellular phone plan or have you already gone over? U.S. Cellular's new Overage Protection will make sure there is no need to panic by sending you a free text message when you've used 75 percent of your minutes or text messages, and another when you reach 100 percent.

"Overage Protection is the latest example of how we strive to have our customers' backs," said Alan D. Ferber, vice president and chief marketing officer for U.S. Cellular. "It's a free, simple and efficient way to help our customers manage their cell phone use and stay within their budgets. They can feel safe knowing they won't be surprised when their bill arrives."

Ferber also noted that wireless plans structured for multiple users, like families, can make it difficult to track usage. "According to Jupiter Research, 74 percent of teens are on a family wireless plan. With the growing use of texting, families can quickly approach the limits of their monthly plans. Overage Protection helps to ensure that doesn't happen and gives our customers the opportunity to call and change their plans which they can do at any time without signing a new contract."

U.S. Cellular customers already receive free incoming calls, texts and picture messages, so customers can talk more before reaching the milestones that Overage Protection tracks.

Here's how U.S. Cellular's Overage Protection works:

Existing and new post-pay customers can sign up by visiting a retail store, contacting customer service or accessing their account at uscellular.com. New customers who activate service on uscellular.com can also request that Overage Protection be added on to their account.

The customer decides who will receive the alerts. Once set-up is complete, the service runs nightly, calculating their usage. If a predefined threshold is reached, a text alert will be sent the next day during normal business hours.

Customers who sign up will receive two types of free alerts, which they can use to keep track of voice minutes and text messages.

• Preventative Alerts: A preventative alert is sent to customers who reach 75 percent of their total anytime minutes and/or available text messages in a given billing cycle. The message indicates that 75 percent of allowed minutes/messages has been reached and the date when their billing cycle ends.
• Overage Alerts: An overage alert is sent to customers who reach 100 percent of their total anytime minutes and/or available text messages in a given billing cycle. The message indicates that 100 percent of the minutes/messages has been reached and the date their billing cycle ends.
  

About U.S. Cellular

The 9,000 associates of U.S. Cellular believe a wireless phone enhances people's lives and a wireless company should be in the business of bringing people together. U.S. Cellular has a wide range of monthly plans, including those with unlimited nationwide calling, unlimited free incoming calls and options to prepay. The company has a growing catalog of phones like the BlackBerry® Tour and Pearl Flip, and the touch-screen LG Tritan, which offer e-mail and Web access. Those features are delivered 10 times faster over U.S. Cellular's new 3G Mobile Broadband network. Based in Chicago, U.S. Cellular is the nation's fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier, serving 6.2 million customers across the country. To learn more about the company visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com.

SOURCE U.S. Cellular

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