DISH Network for Seniors Review

DISH Network Pros and Cons

DISH Network Plans and Pricing

DISH currently offers four different plans, ranging from $86.99 to $116.99 per month. As with most television providers, subscribers can add premium channels for additional monthly fees.

DISH Network Senior Discount

The DISH senior discount is available for customers 55 and up and lets senior customers take advantage of several monthly services. These include a free rental movie each month, free in-person technical assistance, and equipment replacement at your home, which normally cost $95 per visit.

The senior package also includes six months of DISH Protect Plus with account identity protection. For an extra $10 monthly, active duty military and veterans can get the Stars & Stripes bundle, which features premium channels like the Smithsonian channel, STARZ Encore Westerns, Destination America, and Great American Family.

Considering that most cable providers don’t offer discounts for older adults, we appreciate this special deal.

How to Purchase DISH

DISH has brick-and-mortar retail stores, but the easiest way to purchase DISH is to visit their website. Each plan is positioned clearly on their home page. After selecting one, you will be taken to an order summary page. From here, you can select a Hopper Duo DVR upgrade, select an installation date, and use your special offer. This is important if you want to get your 55-plus exclusive deal.

Click on the plus sign next to “special offers” to view the three DISH offers. In addition to the 55-plus offer, they also have an offer for active duty and veteran military personnel as well as an offer for health-care workers. Below that, you can input a promo code if you have one.

Finally, click “continue to account information” to create or log into your DISH account. You will need to create an account to activate your DISH service.

DISH Network Pricing

DISH Network services are billed monthly, and fees range from $84.99 to $116.99 per month. You can select discounts at checkout, which can lower your rates. You can also select add-ons, such as the Stars & Stripes package, which will cost you extra fees every month.

The service offers a two-year contract that locks you into the network but gives you a lower price per month. This contract is not required, however, so customers have the option to sign up for longer or keep their pay-by-month plan. Note that, as with many networks, the price per month will increase after two years of service.

DISH Network does charge some extra fees, but they’re up-front about them. They are all listed on a page on my.dish.com labeled “Fees” and include the significant service charges. Receiver installation has a unique fee depending on the receiver model, ranging from $7 to $17. Program changes, such as removing DISH Protect or removing adult programming, also come with a fee of $20 to $40. Late payments incur a standard $10 charge.

The largest fee is the account cancellation fee, which can be $480 for new customers, plus any unreturned equipment. To avoid these fees, be sure to review DISH Network’s service offerings before committing to their network.

DISH Network vs. DIRECTV

DIRECTV is likely DISH network’s biggest competitor, offering similar channel packages that include an essentials package, sports package, and family package. DIRECTV base prices for their plans are a little cheaper and often go on sale. At the time of this writing, their essential plan, for example, is $64.99 a month for the first year.

Like DISH, DIRECTV sometimes increases their prices. And subscribers are locked into a two-year contract, which includes a price increase in the second year. One major difference is that DIRECTV includes NFL Sunday Ticket by default, while DISH does not. This could be a deal-breaker for some.