U.S. Cellular is raising the heat on rivals with new contract-free plans and an offer to pay off your break-up fees from other carriers.

Following the lead of big names like T-Mobile and Sprint, U.S. Cellular on Monday launched a new limited-time promotion offering up to $350 per line to cover the costs of switching carriers. The company also changed the name of its Shared Data plans to Shared Connect, and launched three new no-contract plans, dubbed Simple Connect, starting at $40 per month.

The $40 plan, which is geared towards those looking for a "basic phone," offers unlimited voice, messaging, and data, though the data is not high speed. For $50 per month, you'll get 500MB of high-speed data while the $60 plan offers 2GB before data is slowed.

Besides that, U.S. Cellular launched a so-called Retail Installment Contract option, letting those on Shared Connect or Simple Connect plans walk away with a new device for $0 down. With the new option, you'll just need to pay tax on the device upfront, then you can pay off the full balance of the handset over 24 months.

"These new offerings are designed to give customers freedom and flexibility to choose the right plan for their needs," Grant Leech, vice president of brand marketing for U.S. Cellular, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, U.S. Cellular did not specify when its contract buy-out promo would end. Those who are interested in porting their number to U.S. Cellular will have to submit their final bill from the old carrier before receiving a prepaid debit card covering the amount of any early termination fees, up to $350. The catch is that you have to sign on with U.S. Cellular's new Shared Connect plan and choose the Retail Installment Contract option to be eligible for the money.

The move comes after Sprint on Friday launched a similar promotion, while T-Mobile has been offering to buy customers out of their contracts since January.