On June 29, 2026, we got a message from our wireless provider, T-Mobile, that they were retiring our wireless plan and transitioning us to a “modern plan with enhanced features” which also would result in our bill going up $6 per month per line. That would put our monthly bill at $136, or $68 per line.

After already incurring an increase in 2024, this was the last straw. We loved our T-Mobile service, especially the free 5 GB of international data per month given our international travels and the free Netflix subscription, but there had to be a better option.

We’d heard a lot about discount providers but always assumed the wireless service wouldn’t be good. Therefore, I never took the time to look into any of them. After some research, it turns out all of them lease network space from the major carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon) and therefore operate on those networks. The three main discount providers are Visible (Verizon), Mint Mobile (T-Mobile), and US Mobile (can operate on all three networks).

So why were we paying $68 a month per line for T-Mobile’s network when we could pay significantly less for one of these discount providers to operate on the same network?

Mint-Mobile

Photo Credit: Mint Mobile

While I looked at all three providers, I quickly zeroed in on Mint Mobile given it operates on the T-Mobile network — and, as of May 2024, is owned by T-Mobile itself. What made Mint Mobile even more appealing was the incredible promotion they were offering.

We got brand new Samsung Galaxy S26 phones for free (after trading in our S24s) with the purchase of a 12-month unlimited data plan. On top of that, Mint Mobile was offering 12-month unlimited data plans at a 50% discount of $15 per line per month (the standard price of its cheapest plan, 6 GB of data per month).

Before (T-Mobile): $136/mo. for 2 lines ($1,632/yr)
After (Mint, Year 1): $30/mo. for 2 lines ($360/yr) + 2 free Galaxy S26 phones
After (Mint, Year 2+): $60/mo. for 2 lines ($720/yr)

Year 1 savings: $1,272
Ongoing annual savings: $912

There are also options to downgrade to 17 GB per line for $20/line ($1,152 in ongoing savings) or 23 GB/line for $25/line ($1,032 in ongoing savings), which could save even more. This would help offset the roughly $10/month we’ll now spend on Netflix, previously included in our T-Mobile plan, along with the eSIM purchases we’ll need for international trips going forward.

Some other benefits of Mint Mobile include:

  • Unlimited calling and texting
  • 3 GB of data per month while in Canada
  • Unlimited calling to Canada, Mexico, and the UK from the USA.

A few things worth knowing before you switch:

  • Data prioritization: like most discount providers, Mint traffic can get de-prioritized behind T-Mobile’s own customers during network congestion, which is something to keep in mind in crowded areas or at big events.
  • The free-phone promo won’t always be available. We received $500 off instantly and up to $400 trade-in on our old phones. This was enough for our S26s to be completely free up front instead of receiving monthly credits like the major providers. The new phones are also only locked for 60 days.
  • Promo pricing changes: The Unlimited data promo for $15 per line per month offer is current as of August 2026 — check Mint’s site for what’s live when you’re reading this, since carrier promos change frequently.
  • Customer service: based on my research, I have seen reports that customer service is not great. We haven’t had personal experience with this yet but will update this post if that changes in the future.

Even if you don’t get a promotion and pay the full $30 per month per line for unlimited data on T-Mobile’s network, you save $912 per year.

P.S. If you do decide to stop spending so much on your wireless plan and make the switch to Mint Mobile, use this referral link to get a $15 in renewal credit when your initial plan ends. Full disclosure: we also get a credit when you sign up through our link.