The cheapest way to keep T-Mobile's network, at the price after the intro ends
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The cheapest plan on T-Mobile's network, once any intro price is over, is Tello Starter (2GB) at $11.80 a month with tax. 11 plans from 3 carriers run on it; all of them are below.
T-Mobile quotes its plans as three-line bundles: Experience More is $140 a month for three lines on sale, before tax and a connection charge of up to $35 a line. Three carriers on this site sell service on T-Mobile's network instead: Mint Mobile, which T-Mobile owns; Tello; and US Mobile on its Light Speed network. Details of the postpaid price are on the T-Mobile page.
Every plan on T-Mobile's network, cheapest first
intro priceafter the intro ends
| Plan | Regular | Intro | Data | 10 days abroad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tello Starter (2GB) before tax: $10See Tello plans | $11.80 | no intro price | 2 GB priority data: 2 GB; hotspot: included | no terms on file |
| US Mobile Unlimited Flex taxes includedSee US Mobile plans | $17.50 paid yearly: $210 upfront, annual only | no intro price | Unlimited, 10 GB high-speed priority data: not stated; hotspot: 5 GB | $15 |
| Mint Mobile 6GB before tax: $15See Mint Mobile plans | $17.70 prepaid 12 months: about $212.40 upfront with estimated tax | no intro price | 6 GB priority data: 6 GB; hotspot: from data | $20 |
| Tello Everyday (10GB) before tax: $15See Tello plans | $17.70 | no intro price | 10 GB priority data: 10 GB; hotspot: included | no terms on file |
| US Mobile Unlimited Starter taxes includedSee US Mobile plans | $22.50 paid yearly: $270 upfront; $25 monthly | $16.58 becomes $22.50, +$5.92/mo | Unlimited, 70 GB high-speed (on Warp and Light Speed; unlimited on Dark Star) priority data: 70 GB; hotspot: 20 GB on Dark Star, 10 GB others | included, 1 GB (thin) |
| Mint Mobile 17GB before tax: $20See Mint Mobile plans | $23.60 prepaid 12 months: about $283.20 upfront with estimated tax | $17.70 becomes $23.60, +$5.90/mo | 17 GB priority data: 17 GB; hotspot: from data | $20 |
| Tello 20GB before tax: $20See Tello plans | $23.60 | no intro price | 20 GB priority data: 20 GB; hotspot: included | no terms on file |
| Mint Mobile 23GB before tax: $25See Mint Mobile plans | $29.50 prepaid 12 months: about $354 upfront with estimated tax | $17.70 becomes $29.50, +$11.80/mo | 23 GB priority data: 23 GB; hotspot: from data | $20 |
| Tello Max (Unlimited) before tax: $25See Tello plans | $29.50 | no intro price | Unlimited, 50 GB high-speed priority data: not stated; hotspot: 10 GB | no terms on file |
| US Mobile Unlimited Premium taxes includedSee US Mobile plans | $32.50 paid yearly: $390 upfront; $44 monthly | $24.92 becomes $32.50, +$7.58/mo | Unlimited priority data: unlimited; hotspot: 50 GB (100 GB high-speed on Dark Star, then slowed) | included, 20 GB |
| Mint Mobile Unlimited before tax: $30See Mint Mobile plans | $35.40 prepaid 12 months: about $424.80 upfront with estimated tax | $17.70 becomes $35.40, +$17.70/mo | Unlimited priority data: 50 GB; hotspot: 20 GB | $20 |
Plans advertised before tax are grossed up by an estimated 18% so they can be compared with tax-inclusive ones. "Regular" is the lowest price on any billing term once an intro ends; where paying annually is cheaper, the monthly price is shown too. Roaming is costed from each carrier's published terms on the roaming comparison.
Do these plans get the same priority as T-Mobile customers?
Not necessarily, and it's the main thing the lower price buys you out of. When a tower is busy, the network decides whose data goes first, and each plan states its own terms: some give a fixed amount of priority (or "premium") data a month, some say it's unlimited, and some give none. On a quiet tower you won't notice. On a crowded one at 6pm you might.
Of the 11 plans above, 1 state unlimited priority data, 8 state a monthly amount of priority or full-speed data, 0 state none, and 2 don't give a figure on the plan page. Each row's Data cell says which. "Not stated" means the page didn't say, not that there's none.
What to know before you switch
- Mint's advertised $15 is a first-term price paid upfront in 3, 6 or 12-month blocks, and Unlimited renews at $30 on the 12-month term, $35 on 6 months and $40 on 3. Tello has no intro pricing at all.
- Taxes are extra on Mint and Tello and included on US Mobile, which the with-tax column accounts for.
- T-Mobile's own postpaid customers are generally served first on a busy tower; each of these plans states its own priority allotment.
To rank these against your own bill and data use, open the calculator with T-Mobile selected. To see how much each plan jumps when an intro ends, see the price cliff table; for unlimited plans on every network, the cheapest unlimited plan. Other networks: Verizon, AT&T.