Mint Mobile Review [2024]: How Much Can Ryan Reynolds Save You?

Cell phone plans are often expensive and reading through a contract’s fine print and list of fees can be overwhelming. Fortunately, a new group of cell phone providers is now offering inexpensive cell phone plans without any contracts or tricky terms.

In this Mint Mobile review, we’ll see how this service provider tackles an expensive industry with cheap, prepaid plans. We’ll also take a look at how its plans work, how to sign up, and how much you can actually save.

What is Mint Mobile?

Mint Mobile is a wireless company that offers deals on new cell phones and wireless phone plans. The company was founded in 2016 by David Glickman in Costa Mesa, California to disrupt the wireless industry and offer better service than what the major carriers were providing. Ryan Reynolds became the owner of Mint Mobile in 2019.

Similar to other prepaid carriers, Mint operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). This means it uses an existing wireless network rather than building its own infrastructure, in this case, the T-Mobile network.

How does Mint Mobile work?

Mint Mobile breaks away from service contracts traditionally offered by major wireless carriers. With Mint Mobile, you pay for how many months of service you need upfront, with plans for three months, six months, and 12 months. The more months you pay, the lower your monthly rate.

Once your cell phone plan ends, you have the option to renew your service with another Mint Mobile plan of your choosing. New customers typically get deals for plans with lower prices than the standard rates.

Part of choosing your plan includes customizing how much data you want. This includes 4GB, 10GB, 15GB, and unlimited plans. If you use all your data, you won’t be charged for any overages, though your data speeds will be reduced. Mint Mobile also allows you to upgrade your plan at any time and add data as needed.

This level of customization isn’t common with traditional mobile phone companies and could provide a level of flexibility if your wireless needs consistently change.

Mint Mobile plans and pricing

All Mint Mobile plans offer unlimited talking and texting and access to 4G LTE or 5G data depending on your location. You also get a free SIM card, free calls to Mexico and Canada, and mobile hotspots at no additional cost.

Here’s a breakdown of Mint Mobile’s wireless plans:

Plan	3 months	6 months	12 months
4GB	$25 per month ($75 total)	$20 per month ($120 total)	$15 per month ($180 total)
10GB	$35 per month ($105 total)	$25 per month ($150 total)	$20 per month ($240 total)
15GB	$45 per month ($135 total)	$35 per month ($210 total)	$25 per month ($300 total)
Unlimited	$40 per month ($120 total)	$35 per month ($210 total)	$30 per month ($360 total)

New customers have the option to secure a three-month plan at the 12-month pricing. This is a way for newcomers to try out Mint Mobile and see whether it’s a good fit. However, if you want to stay at the same rates after your three months are up, you’ll have to renew with a 12-month plan.

All Mint Mobile plans must be paid upfront and are not billed on a monthly basis, which is different from other service providers. For example, if you signed up for a 12-month plan with unlimited data, you would have to pay $360 upfront. That works out to $30 per month but paid at the beginning of your plan rather than in small amounts each month.

Applicable taxes and fees aren’t included in the monthly breakdown of the pricing on Mint Mobile’s website. This additional cost shouldn’t typically amount to a significant increase in your overall price and is often dependent on your location.

How much can you save with Mint Mobile?

Here’s a quick look at the costs for one line per month on unlimited plans from each of the three major carriers (NOTE: Sprint isn’t included because it’s owned by T-Mobile):

Verizon

Plan	Price	Data	Extras
5G Start	$70 per month	Unlimited	6 months of Disney+
5G Do More	$80 per month	Unlimited	6 months of Disney+ 1 TravelPass day per month 600GB of Verizon Cloud 25GB of hotspot data
5G Play More	$80 per month	Unlimited	Free Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ ($18.98 monthly value) Free Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass 25GB of hotspot data
5G Get More	$90 per month	Unlimited	Free Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ ($64.96 monthly value) Free Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass Free Apple Music 1 TravelPass day per month 600GB of Verizon Cloud 50GB of hotspot data

AT&T

Plan	Price	Data	Extras
Unlimited Starter	$65 per month	Unlimited	6 months of Stadia Pro 3GB of hotspot data
Unlimited Extra	$75 per month	Unlimited	6 months of Stadia Pro 15GB of hotspot data
Unlimited Elite	$85 per month	Unlimited	6 months of Stadia Pro 40GB of hotspot data Free HBO Max

T-Mobile

Plan	Price	Data	Extras
Essentials	$60 per month	Unlimited	Unlimited 3G hotspot data
Magenta	$70 per month	Unlimited	5GB of high-speed hotspot data
Magenta MAX	$85 per month	Unlimited	Free Netflix 40GB of high-speed hotspot data

Unlimited data plans by carrier

Overall, the unlimited data plans for Mint Mobile are typically much cheaper than what you might find from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. For example, you could get down to as low as $30 per month with Mint Mobile. Here’s a quick look at a side-by-side comparison of the lowest-priced unlimited plans from Mint Mobile and the three major carriers with one line attached:

Carrier	Plan	Price	Extras
Mint Mobile	12-month Unlimited	$30 per month	5GB of hotspot data
T-Mobile	Essentials	$60 per month	Unlimited 3G hotspot data
AT&T	Unlimited Starter	$65 per month	6 months of Stadia Pro 3GB of hotspot data
Verizon	5G Start	$70 per month	6 months of Disney+

Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily receive additional benefits with Mint Mobile, such as some of the free subscriptions to streaming services. Additionally, the above monthly costs only include one line per plan with the major carriers. You typically receive discounts when you add more lines, which could bring the cost per line closer to what you get with Mint Mobile.

For example, if you have five lines on the AT&T; Unlimited Starter plan, you’d be paying $30 per month per line. The cost would be similar as you add lines to T-Mobile and Verizon’s cheaper unlimited plans.

Who is Mint Mobile best for?

Mint Mobile could work for wireless customers who want to avoid lengthy contracts and save money on their cell phone bills. The company uses the T-Mobile network to offer wireless service, so customers who live in areas with good T-Mobile coverage could benefit the most.

Mint Mobile might also make sense if you want flexibility with your data plans because you can upgrade your plan and add data at any time. However, the low cost of Mint Mobile is probably its biggest benefit.

Using Mint Mobile might not make sense if you’re able to get the same or better rates from another company. The major wireless carriers typically provide additional benefits, but you’ll need to add a lot of lines to your plan to match Mint Mobile’s prices.

Mint Mobile customers could also suffer from deprioritization or having their data speeds slowed during periods of heavy data usage and congestion. Some plans with major carriers offer nearly guaranteed access to high-speed data which means you rarely have to worry about slow speeds.

If you’re worried about your monthly expenses, learning how to prioritize your bills can also help you choose the right mobile phone service.

FAQs about Mint Mobile

What phones can you use with Mint Mobile?

A variety of new and existing phones and devices can be used with Mint Mobile, including Android and iOS devices. Popular models include the Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, and Apple iPhone.

If you want to bring your own phone to use on a Mint Mobile plan, it needs to be unlocked and compatible. Unlocked phones are typically devices that aren’t tied to a specific phone network and have been paid off. You can check your phone’s compatibility on the Mint Mobile website.

What network does Mint Mobile use?

Mint Mobile uses the T-Mobile network to offer wireless service to its customers. The T-Mobile 5G network is the largest in the U.S., providing coverage in more locations than the other major carriers. It’s also considered to offer faster 5G speeds compared with Verizon and AT&T.;

How to get started with Mint Mobile

Follow these steps to find and activate a Mint Mobile plan:

1. Head to the Mint Mobile website and select “Shop Plans”

2. Choose between three-month, six-month, and 12-month plans

3. Select a plan and then click on “Buy Now” to go through the checkout process

4. Activate your service with the provided ACT code on the back of a shipped SIM card or in your email if your phone has an eSIM

If you’re bringing your own phone to Mint Mobile, you should first check to see whether it’s compatible using the Mint Mobile compatibility tool.

Carriers similar to Mint Mobile

Consumer Cellular

Consumer Cellular partners with T-Mobile and AT&T; to offer prepaid plans to its customers. All standard plans include unlimited talk and text messaging and AARP members receive a 5% discount. Here’s the breakdown of monthly prepaid plans for one line:

Plan	Price	Data
1GB	$20 per month	1GB
3GB	$25 per month	3GB
7GB	$35 per month	7GB
10GB	$40 per month	10GB
15GB	$45 per month	15GB
Unlimited	$55 per month	Unlimited

Google Fi

Google Fi uses the T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular networks to provide cell phone service to its customers. All plans have unlimited calls and texts. Here are three monthly plans to choose from, with prices reflecting one line per plan:

Plan	Price	Data	Extras
Flexible	$20 per month	$10/GB	Built-in VPN
Simply Unlimited	$50 per month	Unlimited	Built-in VPN
Unlimited Plus	$65 per month	Unlimited (including over 200 international destinations)	Built-in VPN 100GB Google One membership

Metro by T-Mobile

Metro runs on T-Mobile, offering access to America’s largest 5G network and widespread cell coverage. All plans include unlimited talk and text messaging. Here’s the breakdown of monthly Metro prepaid plans for one line:

Plan	Price	Data	Extras
5GB	$30 per month	5GB	N/A
10GB	$40 per month	10GB	N/A
Unlimited	$50 per month	Unlimited	100GB Google One membership
Unlimited	$60 per month	Unlimited	100GB Google One membership Amazon Prime membership

Visible

Visible runs on Verizon’s network, including its 5G network. Verizon is estimated to cover 99% of the U.S. population with its cell coverage.

Visible only offers one prepaid plan, which starts at $40 per month for one line and includes unlimited data, calling, and texting. As a bonus, you also get a mobile hotspot with unlimited data at speeds of up to 5Mbps.

Bottom line

Choosing a prepaid or non-contract service over plans from major cell phone carriers could be the way to go if you want to save money, not get locked into a contract, and continue to have reliable cell service.

When learning how to save money, consider other ways you can cut expenses in your everyday life. This could include listing your monthly costs and tracking your spending to see whether any changes could be made. To learn more, check out our budgeting guide.

All rates and fees are accurate as of May 4, 2022.