T-Mobile Prepaid FAQs: 7 Things to Know Before You Sign Up

T-Mobile has been a part of the mobile game since 1999 and since then they have become one of the country’s biggest cell carriers with millions of customers signed up to their network. They have both postpaid and prepaid phone plan options and today we’re highlighting their prepaid options. Their prepaid plans may not be as “flashy” or big as their postpaid plans but they are definitely worth the look. 

Prepaid cell phone plans normally come with no contract and you pay for your service in advance before actually using it. Prepaid’s nickname is “pay as you go” which means that you pay for what you need and not anything more. That means if you are someone that knows their monthly usage then and aren’t interested in being beholden to a contract then you’ll love a prepaid plan. We wanted to take a look at T-Mobile Prepaid today to help you decide whether or not this carrier is right for you, so let’s get started.

In this article, we plan to discuss the ins and outs of T-Mobile Prepaid and what they offer. Here’s what to expect:

• A quick summary of T-Mobile Prepaid
• T-Mobile Prepaid’s coverage
• Their plans and prices
• Services and features provided
• T-Mobile Prepaid versus competition
• How you can get in contact with their customer service
• Review summary

1. T-Mobile Prepaid FAQs: A Quick Summary

T-Mobile Prepaid plans are an extension of T-Mobile itself which means you can expect the same level of coverage that someone with a T-Mobile postpaid plan has because you’re on the same network. And with a T-Mobile Prepaid plan you’ll get access to their “T-Mobile Tuesdays” program which is an incentive for customers to get free stuff, great deals, potential savings, and exclusive offers every Tuesday. 

T-Mobile Prepaid is not a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), it is directly a part of T-Mobile itself which means you won’t have the typical ups and downs when it comes to being a part of a MVNO.

2. T-Mobile Prepaid’s Coverage

Coverage is in the top three most important aspects for any wireless carrier. If you don’t have the coverage you need in your area then paying for their service every month is not worth it. It’s super important to look at a carrier’s coverage before you sign up for any phone plan so you know you’re getting the most bang for your buck. 

T-Mobile’s Prepaid plans use the same coverage as their postpaid plans so you don’t need to worry about paying more to get the same level of coverage as postpaid customers.

T-Mobile is the leader in 5G coverage which is a huge feat considering more and more people are upgrading to 5G capable phones, and 5G is our current best system for wireless communication. T-Mobile offers consistent speeds and widespread coverage which is nice to see as we look into further 5G technologies like  5G+, 5G Advanced, Ultra Wide-Band, and more.

Their 4G LTE isn’t as widespread as their two major competitors, Verizon and AT&T, but it’s by no means a dealbreaker. (Always check with the website and coverage map to see what the network looks like in your area so you can see if you are also in for that lovely 5G).

And speaking of coverage maps:

With T-Mobile’s coverage map(s) the more you zoom in the more you can see what kind of service is available in your area, here’s a close look at New York, Pennsylvania, and the Northeastern United States:

T-Mobile offers 5G Ultra Capacity, 5G Extended Range, 4G LTE, 3G/2G, Partner, and “Canada and Mexico” coverage throughout the country. You can go directly to the source and see what the T-Mobile coverage map looks like from the website themselves here.

And if you need any more data Ookla’s coverage map allows you to see where cellular towers are located and which company owns them. This coverage map provides information about coverage from 2G to 5G for several providers.

3. T-Mobile’s Postpaid Plans and Prices

Like most plans you’ll see on the market, T-Mobile’s Prepaid plans offer unlimited talk and texting options no matter the plan you choose. T-Mobile Prepaid offers premium data, which is data that doesn’t slow down due to network traffic congestion. However they do deprioritize data, which means you’ll have slower connection speeds in high traffic areas.

A REALLY Tip: What is data deprioritization?

• Data deprioritization is “the temporary slowing of data speeds for certain customers in order to give priority to other customers.” Which means that those who are direct customers of the “parent” company will get network priority when you’re in those high traffic areas like a concert hall or sports stadium, or when there’s network congestion.

T-Mobile Prepaid Plans

T-Mobile Prepaid plans offer premium data. 

T-Mobile Prepaid offers four  different plans, one being limited data and the other three unlimited. You can have up to four lines on these plans. The QCI value of these plans is 6, which is the highest tier.

If you purchase your phone from T-Mobile Prepaid, your device will be locked for 12 months after activation. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. We’ve taken a look at T-Mobile Prepaid with an in-depth review which you can read here: T-Mobile Prepaid: Which plan is the best one for you?

Prepaid 10GB Plan

This plan gives you 10GB of high-speed data.

T-Mobile Prepaid’s only limited plan has 10GB of high-speed data. Data speeds slow to 2G speeds once you’ve used your 10GB of data. The plan also includes mobile hotspot access that uses your 10GB and stops once you use this amount. 

The plan costs $40 per month. At this rate, you get 10GB at $4 per GB. 

Prepaid Unlimited Promo Plan

This plan gives you domestic unlimited mobile hotspot data, but at slower speeds after 3GB. 

This plan gives you access to 50GB of high-speed data, which then becomes unlimited but deprioritized. You also get up to 3GB of domestic high-speed mobile hotspot data, and then is throttled to 3G speeds after that. 3G speeds allow you to scroll social media and send texts or emails, but streaming video or playing games will be slower. 

The plan costs $55 per month. At this rate, you get 50GB at $1.10 per GB. 

Prepaid Unlimited Plan

This plan gives you unlimited mobile hotspot data, but at slower speeds after 3GB. 

This plan, like their other unlimited prepaid plan, gives you 50GB of premium data. Data becomes deprioritized after the 50GB. You also get up to 3GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data, and then is throttled to 3G speeds after that. After you use the 3GB, data slows to 3G speeds. 

The plan costs $50 per month. At this rate, you get 50GB at $1 per GB. 

Prepaid Unlimited Plus Plan

This plan gives you 10GB high-speed mobile hotspot data included. 

This plan, like their other unlimited prepaid plan, gives you 50GB of premium data. Data becomes deprioritized after the 50GB. You also get up to 10GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data, and then is throttled to 3G speeds after that. After you use the 10GB, data slows to 3G speeds. 

The plan costs $60 per month. At this rate, you get 50GB at $1.20 per GB.

4. T-Mobile Prepaid Features

While this carrier offers pretty good deals for their customers, there are some differences in the features and benefits that may entice you to pick this one over another. If you’re a frequent traveler, talk to your international friends and family a lot, or are looking for a bit more “perk” with your plan then this section will break down all of that juicy info so you can know what you’re potentially gonna get: 

• Domestic Roaming Data

• All T-Mobile Prepaid plans offer domestic roaming capabilities.

• Mexico & Canada Connection

• T-Mobile offers talk and text to Mexico & Canada while in the U.S. on their Unlimited Promo plan, but not for their other plans. They offer an add-on for access at an additional $5 per month.

• International Connection

• T-Mobile Prepaid does not offer international text and data, but an add-on is available for international talk (when you’re in the United States) for $15 per month.

• Video Streaming Quality

• All of T-Mobile Prepaid’s unlimited plans stream at 720p High Definition.

• Streaming Services and Cloud Storage

• T-Mobile Prepaid does not offer these features.

• Device Financing

• If you buy a phone from T-Mobile, they allow you to pay for your device in installments over time. 

• WiFi Calling

• T-Mobile Prepaid offers WiFi calling, which allows you to send and receive phone calls over a WiFi connection rather than cellular reception.

• Spam Protection and Free Trial

• T-Mobile Prepaid offers scam protection on all three of their plans, which filters calls and blocks spam callers. They do not offer a free trial.

5. T-Mobile Prepaid Versus Competition

It seems like everywhere you turn you run into a new cell phone provider wanting you amongst their customers. So it’s safe to say that like many others, T-Mobile Prepaid has some competition from other providers and MVNOs. Here are a few of their match-ups:

T-Mobile Prepaid vs. T-Mobile Postpaid

Prepaid vs. Postpaid is an age-old match-up and there are pros and cons to both! If you’re a fan of all the bells and whistles of a cell phone plan including but not limited to: 

Higher data speeds and premium data, subscription service deals, cloud storage, international and hotspot benefits then postpaid might be your guy. With a postpaid plan every month you will pay a monthly bill and if you have an “unlimited” phone plan- which most phone plans seem to be as of recent, then you’ll end up paying the same flat rate each month. 

We’ve talked about how a prepaid plan normally comes with zero contracts. In fact, instead of paying for your service on the same date every month, you will pay for your service in advance before use, i.e. the  “pay as you go” saying – you pay for what you need and not a penny more. Though you won’t get the many fancy benefits you’d get with a postpaid plan. 

T-Mobile’s most expensive postpaid plan is $100 a month and you get access to upgrades every year, Hulu with ads, Apple TV+, Netflix Standard with ads, 50GB mobile hotspot, and more, which isn’t worth it to those who don’t need any of that extra stuff as it’s expensive. 

Their least expensive plan however is $50 a month with no annual contract required and 50GB of premium data which we think is definitely worth the switch from prepaid to postpaid. So we think this matchup can flip sides depending on the plan.

T-Mobile Prepaid vs. Boost Mobile

Boost Mobile uses T-Mobile’s network to provide connection to its users, so the service itself is the same. Boost deprioritizes data on all of their plans and their data cap changes, for their least expensive plan at $25/month you get 30GB of premium data, then at $50/month you get 40GB of premium data, and their Unlimited Premium for $60/month gets you 50GB of premium data which is what all of T-Mobile’s Prepaid unlimited plans give. 

So far the price per gigabyte is comparable but what iPhone and Galaxy fans should note with Boost is their Infinite Access for iPhone and Infinite Access for Galaxy plans which gets you the latest iPhone and Galaxy phones each year for $60/month. These Boost plans definitely beat T-Mobile’s Prepaid plans.

T-Mobile Prepaid vs. Mint Mobile

Mint Mobile is a MVNO of T-Mobile so the coverage is the same, but Mint Mobile deprioritizes data from the get. With T-Mobile’s Prepaid Unlimited and Unlimited Plus plans you get 50GB of premium data which we know doesn’t slow down until used. What users can note though is Mint Mobile’s $30 Unlimited plan is big for money savers if you don’t mind a 12 month contract as you get 40GB of high-speed data. We’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.

6. T-Mobile’s Customer Service

T-Mobile offers several stores across the country, and users can find the closest one with their store locator. They also offer customer support online with their website live chat, their support website for common questions, and over the phone at 1-800-937-8997.

7. T-Mobile Prepaid: Review Summary

T-Mobile’s Prepaid plan’s prices tend to trend higher than other prepaid carriers which may not be worth the benefits given for the plans for some. The cheapest unlimited prepaid plan is $55 a month and with T-Mobile’s Essentials Savers postpaid plan you can get access to some of their postpaid benefits for only $50 a month. We think honestly checking your data usage and deciding whether or not a contract is a dealbreaker for you is necessary before signing up for a T-Mobile Prepaid plan.

The Good:

• Their Unlimited and Unlimited Plus Prepaid plans get you 50GB of premium data which is a really big benefit for a prepaid service.
• You get access to their T-Mobile Tuesdays program which can lead to further rewards.
• T-Mobile has a big phone selection that is compatible with their service.
• There’s no contract with their prepaid plans.

The Bad:

• You will be subject to data deprioritization which means your data speeds could be inconsistent when you’re out in public not on wifi.
• These plans are a bit pricey.

Want to compare other carriers?

Really.com helps users compare between features, coverage, price, reviews, and more!

We’ve taken a look and looked at T-Mobile Prepaid Reviews before and covered even more about them through here on our REALLY T-Mobile Prepaid section.

And if you want to compare and contrast T-Mobile Prepaid to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.