Target looks to offer low-cost phones and plans through partnership with FreedomPop

With over 15 percent of wireless sales going through Walmart, it’s understandable that retail competitor Target might want in on that action, boss. That is why the red-dotted retailer announced a partnership with mobile prepaid carrier FreedomPop that will see the latter’s phones and services available through over 1,100 Target stores.

Starting today, you can head to a Target location and buy a $5 FreedomPop SIM card or Android smartphones as low as $59. Either method you decide to roll with gets you access to FreedomPop’s network, with plans starting at $13 a month for unlimited talk, unlimited text, and 1 GB of LTE data.

We have a feeling that a good number of folks might stick to the MVNO’s free wireless service, which is what FreedomPop is known for. So long as you’re okay with 500 MB of data, 200 voice minutes, and 500 text messages each month, you do not pay a dime for FreedomPop’s base service.

That allure of free wireless service is what convinced FreedomPop founder Stephen Stokols and half of the company’s two million customers to stick with the free wireless service. FreedomPop has yet to hit profitability, though, and between the upcoming holiday rush and desire to have 100 million users by 2020, this could be why it struck a partnership with Target.

Don’t think that Target might not benefit from this partnership, however. Not only would the retailer prefer to keep pace with the likes of Walmart and Best Buy, but given its up and down finances in recent years, Target also looks to have as many revenue streams as possible.

As previously mentioned, you can pick up FreedomPop SIM cards for your own phone or pick up an Android smartphone starting today.