Last updated:
Quick answer
Tell the AI your monthly data use, speed needs, and budget, then paste in the plan details. It builds a true-cost table so you compare the full yearly cost, not just the promo price.
At a glance
All outcome figures are estimates from cited sources, not independent verification by us.
- What it is allowed to do
- Read-only
Only reads, researches, or summarizes. It never drafts outbound content or changes anything.
- Time saved (estimate)
- About 1 to 2 hours of spreadsheet work per comparison
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Tools needed
- ChatGPT
- Typical cost
- ChatGPT and Claude both have free tiers that handle this easily. No paid plan needed.
Reviewed Oct 19, 2026
Basis (estimate): Estimate only: building a true-cost table from 2 to 3 provider pages by hand takes most people an evening; no timed study found.
What does this setup do?
Build a side-by-side cost table from phone and internet plan details, including promo pricing, fees, equipment charges, and contract terms.
Who is it for?
Anyone paying for phone and internet who suspects the promo rate expired months ago and never checked.
How do you set it up?
Tools
- ChatGPT or Claude (free tier works)
- Your current bill or plan details
- Plan pages or quotes from 2 to 3 providers
Steps
- Pull your last bill. Note what you actually pay per month, your data use, and your internet speed.
- Pick 2 to 3 competing providers and copy their plan details from their sites, including the fine print.
- Paste everything into the prompt below and ask for a true-cost table over 12 and 24 months.
- Ask the AI to flag promo pricing that expires, equipment fees, and early termination fees separately.
- Check the two or three cheapest options against coverage maps for your address before you decide.
- Call your current provider with the comparison in hand and ask them to match it. Many will.
Example output
Illustrative. Your results will differ.
- 8 sources scanned, 3 worth your time
- Key points in 5 bullets, each linked to its source
- Check the links. Trust the sources, not the summary.
Where to paste this prompt
ChatGPT: ChatGPT → Project instructions, or ChatGPT Tasks for scheduled reminders (once a day on Free)
Copy-paste prompt
Adapt bracketed fields to your situation.
I want to compare phone and internet plans. Here is my situation:
- Current monthly bill: [AMOUNT]
- Phone data I actually use per month: [GB OR "not sure"]
- Internet speed I need: [e.g. streaming, gaming, work video calls]
- People/devices in my household: [NUMBER]
- Budget: [MAX PER MONTH]
Here are the plans I am considering:
[PASTE PLAN 1 DETAILS]
[PASTE PLAN 2 DETAILS]
[PASTE PLAN 3 DETAILS]
Build a table comparing total cost over 12 months and 24 months, including promo pricing, regular pricing after the promo ends, equipment fees, activation fees, and early termination fees. Flag anything in the fine print that changes the real price. Then tell me which plan is cheapest for my situation and why.Newsletter
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What usually goes wrong?
Where agents tend to stall on this job. More patterns in Where AI gets stuck.
- The AI can misread promo fine print from a pasted page. Verify the final numbers on the provider site before switching.
- Plan details change often. If your paste is old, the comparison is old.
- The AI may not know about local or regional providers. Add them yourself if they serve your area.
Which chat tools work with this prompt?
Paste the prompt into any of these assistants (free or paid tiers).
- ChatGPT
- Claude
Common questions
- Should I bundle phone and internet with one company?
- Sometimes it saves money, sometimes it does not. Have the AI price the bundle against the cheapest separate plans so you see the real difference.
- How do I know how much data or speed I actually need?
- Check your phone settings for monthly data use, and look at your current internet bill for your speed tier. If nothing ever buffers, you probably do not need more speed.
- Can the AI find plans for me?
- It can suggest well-known national providers, but it may miss regional ones and its pricing can be out of date. You bring the plan details; it does the math.
Where should you go next on this site?
What tips make it smoother?
- Always compare the 24-month cost, not the monthly promo price. That is where the real difference hides.
- Ask the AI to separate one-time fees from monthly fees so the table stays honest.
- Coverage matters more than price for phones. A cheap plan on a weak network is no bargain.
- Run this once a year. Providers count on you never looking again after you sign up.
Where do the claims come from?
Summaries use public sources linked below, not independent verification. How setups are picked.
- Read NerdWallet’s write-up (www.nerdwallet.com)
NerdWallet: How to pick a cell phone plan: coverage first, then price; MVNOs on the same networks cost less.
- Read NerdWallet’s write-up (www.nerdwallet.com)
NerdWallet: Ways to lower the internet bill, including negotiating and 5G home internet options.
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