Data makes the world go round. Our ability to communicate has become the heartbeat of our economy and way of life. That being said, life can get problematic when you lose that ability to communicate due to the increasing costs of plans from service providers. Believe it or not, the average American phone bill is actually between $100-$150 per month for a line!
When you start out budgeting, cutting down any recurring costs is one of the most effective ways to make room for setting money aside for emergencies or paying off any overwhelming debts. I know I don't have to do the math for you, but even if you save just $30-$40 per month, that still totals to having at least an extra $360 to put away every year. This can absolutely be done. Remember, most companies are actually willing to negotiate with you over losing a stream of income to a competitor. Many of these companies actually thrive off the fact that people aren't aware of their negotiability.
General Phone Bill Reduction Strategies
The first step to negotiating is knowing your own usage. You'll want to audit your data, talk and text usage to make sure you aren't already paying for more than what you need, because this will be the first tactic your provider will look for so that they can take less of a hit by offering you special terms. You need to be able to tell your provider “I NEED this level of service, and am willing to go to someone who will give it to me for less”.
Auditing your own usage of plans also helps keep yourself in check and provide an understanding of your own spending habits.
Many providers also offer promotional pricing and discounts for certain groups of people such as: new customers, families under a single plan, military, seniors, etc. It is also very common for providers to offer discounts for automating your payment because it nearly ensures that they will be getting a regular stream of revenue from you.
If you're already taking advantage of a few of these discounts and aren't getting anywhere trying to negotiate with your provider, it may be time to seek service from another provider on the market.
Tip: Companies value customer retention more than you may believe at times. Simply threatening to cancel your service may result in a lower priced offer from the same provider.
T-Mobile Savings Guide
Current T-Mobile plan overview and pricing structure
T-Mobiles current plans for standard customers start about as low as $50 per month per line, with discounts available for certain classes (military, first responder, students, etc) and additional lines.
T-Mobile-specific discounts
If you look deep enough you may even discover a little subdivision called “Connect by T Mobile” which offers unlimited talk and text plans on their network for as low as $15 per month. Consider this a lite version of T Mobile with offers lower data bundles and may put you through “deprioritization”: where providers route faster speeds and bandwidth to one set of customers in an area before they give it to another.
If you're already a subscriber of multiple streaming services, consider cancelling and letting T Mobile foot the bill. With qualifying plans such as the Go5G plan that they offer for $100 per month, you would have access to Apple TV, Netflix, and Hulu. That could amount to a saving of at least $40 if you were already paying $100 or more on your monthly phone bill.
While T-Mobile does not have a hardship program, if you fall behind on your bills you may be able to talk to customer service and negotiate a one-time extended payment term to allow you to catch up on your bill without interrupting your service.
Verizon Savings Guide
Verizon plan structure and identifying overpriced features
Verizon's 5G mobile plan start at about $65 per month for a single line, with discounts for adding additional lines to your client. they all boast of unlimited talk text and data, as well as unlimited use of both 5G and 4G LTE data. The upgraded plans will give you access to what they refer to as premium network access and 4K video streaming among other perks.
Verizon-specific discounts
Verizon does offer discounts for switching over from another provider. This is mainly focused on offering you discounts on a device as a new customer. the company also offers discounts to military, first responders, nurses, and teachers with mobile plans starting at about $25 per month. you will have to verify your status of employment for any of these programs, as well as your identity through the ID.me program.
If you already have a compatible device, Verizon does offer statement credits which can save you several hundreds of dollars throughout your time as a customer. If your device is not compatible you may also be able to trade it in for discount toward another phone offer by Verizon.
In some states, Verizon also offers a hardship program called Lifeline. if the lifeline national verifier decides that you qualify based on your income, you may be able to receive substantial discounts on your home Internet and wireless services from Verizon.
Leveraging bundles
If you're also shopping for another ISP, there may be an opportunity to save a few dollars by bundling both your mobile and home Internet services together with Verizon. Verizon currently offers about a $15 discount for bundling the two services together on one account. You're also eligible for a perk from the company for $10 per month which can help you save a few dollars if you're also in the market for unlimited cloud storage, or streaming services such as Netflix or Disney Plus.
Hidden fees to watch for and how to avoid them
Users state that Verizon does tack on a “hidden fee” which they refer to as the "Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge". This was recently increased at the end of 2024 and currently can add about $3.50 per voice line and $1.60 per data line to your total bill.
Xfinity Mobile Savings Guide
Xfinity Mobile's unique pricing model explained
Xfinity mobile is actually an exclusive mobile provider available only to Xfinity Internet customers. by adding a mobile line to your Xfinity plan you'll gain access to 30 gigabytes of premium data per month, unlimited hotspot data usage, unlimited talk and text, and unlimited calling to Mexico and Canada for just an additional $20.00 per month on top of what you're already paying for Internet. Xfinity also does have an upgraded plan for $30.00 per month call mom in which they upped the premium data allotment to 50 gigabytes per month, and give you access to 5G on your hotspot.
Requirements for eligibility (Xfinity Internet)
It makes sense Xfinity requires an Internet plan for their mobile voice service, as they run through a protocol referred to as VoIP. In this situation, rather than communicating with cell phone towers to run across cable lines, as traditional voice service is hosted, your calls are actually directly right through the Internet. This is in the same manner as if you were meant to make a call over Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, or similar services which rely on the Internet rather than signals supplied by traditional cable lines.
Be aware that if you start a mobile service with Xfinity, and end up cancelling your Internet, you may face additional fees and costs related to unbundling the services.
MVNO and Wholesale Wireless Providers
Explaining MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators)
Coverage considerations with wholesale providers
Mint Mobile
Mint mobile is one of the most notorious discount wireless retailers in the modern day. Similarly to other wholesale data resellers in the industry, mint is able to offer lower prices on plans by setting up longer commitments that are paid up front. The most common introductory offer you'll see for them is a three month plan for $45.00, according to about $15 per month. while this $15 per month plan is only available in the year package after the introductory offer, Mint still holds a place as one of the most economically competitive wireless providers in the nation at this moment.
Visible
Following a similar structure to mint mobile, Verizon Wireless has also adopted the bulk discount model with their own subdivision: visible. Though you still may experience the prioritization, visible gives you access to utilizing Verizon's 4G and 5G networks starting at the low cost of $25 per month. alongside that monthly plan, they also offer a one year prepaid plan starting at $275. Taking the year plan would equate to a savings of about $25, which covers a whole month which would have been otherwise paid for on the traditional monthly route.
If international calling is important for you, this is also included in both of visible’s available plans, as well as unlimited use of your mobile hotspot.
Google Fi
Another approach is taken by Google with their Google fi wireless plans. with Google Fi’s “Flexible” plan, which starts at $20.00 per month, you pay for the data that you use, each gigabyte will add about $10 to your bill, making it an efficient plan for the data savvy, and those who just utilized their home or work Wi-Fi the majority of the time. They also have unlimited data options, one of which also includes free access to YouTube premium for six months, as well as 100 gigabytes of storage for the Google One cloud platform.
The company does seem fairly confident in their wireless software, as they are willing to offer a 7 day free trial alongside your current provider via an eSim activation.
Metro by T-Mobile**: Prepaid benefits on T-Mobile network
One of the tried and true companies for mobile affordability, metro PCs lives on as metro by T-Mobile. With their lowest bring your own phone plan starting at $25 per month with auto pay, metro provides one of the most affordable options for access to unlimited 5G data and talk and text.
Keep in mind that if you need access to features such as a hotspot or international calling and texting, you would need to look at one of the “Metro Flex” plans starting at $50.00 per month.
Once you find the optimal deal that you are comfortable with, you need to be ready to switch providers. Sometimes it's a little more than making a call, getting a SIM card and popping into your phone. One of the first moves you should make is checking whether or not your phone is actually unlocked and able to be used with other providers. you may be able to figure this out by calling your current provider's customer service line, or checking your IMEI number on your own.
You should also have an understanding of the terms of your own service when deciding to leave your provider. Most times it is best to leave a contract at the end of it. Though, sometimes a deal can be so good that it could be worth early termination. Just be aware that most providers will have these that you must pay to get out of your contract. This can sometimes be a flat rate, or they may require you to pay three, 6, or more months in a lump sum. If your early termination fee intimidates you, you should inquire with providers that you're looking to switch to, to see if they would be willing to buy out your existing contract.
Know what you're paying for with your new provider. Like we mentioned before, you wanna be aware of all terms in the deal that you're signing up for. One of the more important ones for many, would be the ability to keep your old phone number. Be aware of any fees associated with this, and be on the lookout for other providers who would let you put your number over for free. You may not need to go with the other providers, but you can use this as a point of negotiation with the provider you were looking at to see if there’s any leeway with the costs of porting a phone number.
Understand that most providers have fees for late payments, finance equipment, or roaming and data overages. Most times, providers will need to charge a regulatory recovery fee, to cover costs associated with complying with government regulations. These fees usually are not advertising the price, and can add another few dollars onto your bill. Make sure to keep a close eye on your statement, and know what you’re paying for. It is good practice to counter fees by inquiring about different promotions carriers are offering for both new customers and long time subscribers. Oftentimes, a provider may even drop the fees or apply a substantial discount if they feel as though you may drop the service altogether.
In the end, the market for wireless providers still has some healthy competition in it. Especially with the growing trend of wholesale data resellers, like mint, there are still ways to find a stable low cost plan that is feasible for your everyday life.