What each US carrier really charges, and where to go instead

Every carrier's headline price describes a particular customer: four lines on AT&T, three on T-Mobile, a new arrival on Verizon, a home internet subscriber on Xfinity and Spectrum. These pages read each carrier's own plan page, work out what one ordinary line actually costs, and list the cheaper carriers that run on the same network. None of them is written from a year on that carrier; each says so at the top.

• AT&T's advertised price is a four-line price with two discounts built inAT&T. AT&T's $30 is a four-line price with AutoPay from a bank account or Citi card and a 36-month bill credit. One line of Value 2.0 is $50 before tax.
• Cricket's monthly plans cost $5 more in month one; paying for a year upfront costs $25 a monthCricket Wireless. Cricket's monthly plans are $30 to $55 with Auto Pay, taxes included, $5 more in month one. 12 months upfront is $300. What each plan leaves out.
• Mint's renewal doubles the price, and that's the business modelMint Mobile. Mint sells every plan at $15 a month for the first term. On 12 months, Unlimited then renews at $30: $180 the first year, $360 the next. On 3 months, $40.
• Spectrum Mobile's first line is free or discounted for a year, then $30 more, and only while you keep the internetSpectrum Mobile. Spectrum Mobile requires Spectrum Internet and AutoPay. First lines start at $0, $10 or $20 for a year, then $30, $40 or $50: every tier jumps $30.
• T-Mobile quotes three lines at once, and adds $35 per line at the doorT-Mobile. One T-Mobile line is $65 on Essentials 2.0, $90 on Experience More and $105 on Beyond, before AutoPay, tax and a $4.49 fee. The $140 on the card is three lines.
• T-Mobile's 5-Year Price Guarantee covers the plan price, not the $4.49 feeT-Mobile. T-Mobile guarantees the price of talk, text and 5G data for five years on Experience 2.0. Taxes, fees, add-ons and its $4.49 per-line fee aren't covered.
• Total Wireless: $20 a month for new customers, $25 on the grid, and a second line that costs more than the firstTotal Wireless. Total's BYO plan is $25 with Auto Pay, taxes included, or $20 for new customers after a $30 first month. On the BYO plan, extra lines don't get cheaper.
• Verizon's $30 plan costs $30 only if you're leaving someone elseVerizon. Verizon's $30 plan needs AutoPay and a $15 switch discount for new customers, before tax. Without the discount it's $45. How to keep the network for less.
• Visible after the first year: $19 becomes $25, and Visible+ Pro's annual deal doublesVisible. Visible's monthly plans are $6 off for a year, so $19 becomes $25. Visible+ Pro annual is half price for a year, then $450. The $25 plan has no priority data.
• Xfinity Mobile after the free year: $0 becomes $30 a line, plus taxXfinity Mobile. Xfinity Mobile Select is free for a year, then $30 a month plus tax; Plus goes from $15 to $45. Who qualifies, two-year cost, and cheaper Verizon options.

Prices on these pages come from the same table as the price cliff ranking and the calculator. How this site checks them.