I did a lot of research because I wanted a low-cost solution for my smartphone with a service that has excellent coverage throughout the United States.
I'm saving money by using T-Mobile through the Mint Mobile service. Mint provides unlimited talk, text, and 5 GB of 4G/5G LTE data for only $15 per month when paid annually.
Mint resells T-Mobile's data and mobile service at that low fee by buying their unused data in bulk. Now T-Mobile announced an agreement to acquire Mint Mobile. In addition, they will continue offering the $15-a-month service under the Mint name.
They are a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that leases wireless telephone and data service from T-Mobile in bulk, so they get a better rate than individuals.
I compared Mint Mobile with other MVNOs such as Consumer Cellular, Ting, MetroPCS, NET10 Wireless, and others. None of them even came close in terms of pricing. See the comparison table below.
Mint honestly does give unlimited talk and text. However, the data is high-speed (4G LTE or 5G LTE) up to five gigabytes per month for that $15 price tag, and slows down to 128 kilobits per second if you go over five GB until the start of the next monthly cycle.
That means you don't lose service, and you don't get charged more either. It works fine for email, but if you watch many videos, you may need more than five gigabytes of 4G LTE per month for streaming. Talk and texting are always unlimited.
Mint has low-cost plans for higher usage too, as shown in the table below. The pricing is still extremely low if you prepay annually. By the way, if you have a 5G-enabled phone and you're in an area with 5G, Mint supports that at no additional cost.
Monthly Cost |
Paid Annually |
4G/5G LTE Data |
Talk and Text |
|---|---|---|---|
$15 |
$180 |
5 GB |
Unlimited |
$20 |
$240 |
15 GB |
Unlimited |
$25 |
$300 |
20 GB |
Unlimited |
$30 |
$360 |
40 GB |
Unlimited |
Price Data as of February 2026 |
|||
Mint also has shorter-period plans. They cost a little more. For example, their three-month plan with 5GB of data is $25 per month compared to $15 per month if you pay annually.
After testing for a week using their free trial (more on that later), I became comfortable enough to go for the entire year. What's nice about it is that there's no contract. You can cancel anytime by not renewing after the prepaid period.
I didn't want to lose my number if I ever forget to renew, so I specified auto-renewal on my credit card. But that's a decision you can make—or not. It's your choice.
Before I went for the full deal and ported my number, I decided to test the Mint service with my phone by taking advantage of their free trial. You can order it from Amazon and pay just $5 for shipping the starter kit.
It's best to start with Mint Mobile's 3-month plan for $45 (that's $15 per month). That's what I did when I started using it. The kit has a 3-in-1 SIM card with standard, micro, and nano sizes for any GSM phone. Mint also supports eSIM phones so it works with newer phones that no longer use a physical SIM card.
Shipping is free from Amazon, and it's fully refundable within seven days if you're not happy.
If you decide to keep the temp number when you activate your ongoing plan, you can do that. Or, if you want to port your existing phone number, you can do that too. That process went smoothly for me, and the porting took just two hours.
The starter kit is definitely the way to go because you have seven days to test everything to be sure the T-Mobile service coverage is good in your area. That made it easy for me to try Mint myself.
I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly they ported my number from my previous carrier. It took just two hours. Of course, your results may vary. I guess it all depends on your present carrier.
Some carriers take their time releasing numbers, but Mint is good at following up in real-time to get the job done. I know, because I called customer support to check on the progress as soon as I clicked the submit button to port my number.
Porting is easy. You can do it online via Mint's website or within their mobile app. You just need to enter your present carrier, account number, the phone number to be ported, and a pin that you get from your carrier to release the phone number.
If you need Wi-Fi while out somewhere for your laptop, you can tether to the Internet via your iPhone or Android smartphone. The only rule is that Mint will not allow you to use its service to provide Wi-Fi services to the public.
I use it for my iPad when I'm away from home. My iPad does not have cellular service. So I let it detect the Wi-Fi from my iPhone, and I can safely browse the Internet without the worries involved when using public Wi-Fi.
Does Mint support VoLTE?
You may have heard of VoIP, which is Voice over Internet. Well, VoLTE (Voice over LTE) uses similar technology to send voice calls over the high-speed LTE data network rather than the cellular network. It provides a better and clearer voice connection.
T-Mobile was the first to launch VoLTE in May 2014, and since Mint uses T-Mobile, you get the full advantage of VoLTE calls with iPhones newer than the 5S and the latest Android phones.
I even confirmed with Mint that it does not count toward the data usage.
What Is Wi-Fi Calling?
The idea of Wi-Fi Calling existed ever since 2007. The latest iOS and Android smartphones have it built in. You just need to enable it in your phone's settings so Mint can use it.
The advantage is that if there is a weak cellular signal or none, and if you happen to be in a Wi-Fi hotspot, then Mint Mobile will seamlessly hand off the call to the Wi-Fi network.
There is another advantage of Wi-Fi Calling. If you are traveling in a foreign country and your hotel provides Wi-Fi, you can call the U.S. and receive calls from the U.S. at no cost. Your local phone number works as if you were back home. Texting also works over Wi-Fi when this feature is enabled.
Does Mint support international calling?
I use my mobile phone with Mint to call friends in Europe. The cost is as low as 1¢ per minute to call most foreign countries over the cellular network, although some are higher. You can find the price for any country on Mint's website.
When you call internationally using Wi-Fi Calling, there is no charge. The log of the calls, showing how long you spoke, still shows up in your calling log, but the cost is zero. I confirmed that with a Mint support rep to be sure it wasn't a mistake.
So if you have Wi-Fi in your home (most people do these days), then make your international calls while at home for free. Using the cellular network, Mint still has the best international rates I found.
Does Mint keep up with new Apple features?
Mint always supports the newest cell phone features that are available. For example, Mint started supporting the new features built into iOS 12 as soon as Apple released it. The latest iOS versions require an iPhone 5s, SE, or newer, and this is what Mint can do with it:
Are Android phones supported same as iPhones
Mint Mobile works great with Android phones too. I use an iPhone, but a friend of mine started using Mint with his Samsung phone when he saw how happy I was with the service. He told me he had to update the Network Connections menu section manually on his Android phone. Mint does that automatically with an iPhone.
When you get your starter kit, Mint includes easy-to-follow instructions. But rest assured that the same features are available on an Android, such as Visual Voicemail. Wi-Fi Calling, and Hotspot Tethering.
Are Voicemail and Caller-ID included?
All plans include voicemail and Caller-ID. On incoming calls, the name will only be shown if matched with an entry in your contacts list.
How can I tell if my phone will work?
Install the free Mint Mobile app from the App Store for iPhones or Google Play for Android. It will tell you if your phone is compatible. You can also use this app later to check your data usage or to change and renew your plan.
Do I lose my number if I don’t renew on time?
Your account will be suspended but your number will be saved for 60 days. After that, your phone number goes into an available pool. As long as you renew within that 60-day period, your number will be reactivated.
Can I change plans if I need more data?
Mint will prorate your fee if you need to change to a higher data plan midterm. So there is no harm at starting with the lowest data plan you think you'll need.
Also, keep in mind that Mint does not cut you off if you use up your monthly data allowance. You will simply drop from high-speed 4G LTE down to a 2G speed, which is 128 kilobits per second. That's good for email and text, but HD video streaming will suffer until the start of your next month's cycle.
Can I use a local SIM when I travel abroad?
The purpose of a local SIM card in another country is to give you local coverage for talk and texting.
When you remove your Mint SIM card to use your phone with another SIM, the phone number associated with that other SIM will be the mobile number for talk and text. You will only be able to use your Mint number when you put Mint's SIM back into your phone.
Keep in mind that you might also have to make adjustments to other settings when changing SIMs. Mint makes that automatic with most phones when you put their SIM back in.
What has been your experience with Mint's customer service?
I experienced communicating with Mint customer support when I had some questions. They answered me thoroughly and clearly without waiting. They proved to me that they focus on customer satisfaction.
Overall, I can't be more pleased with the service and support. Some people say that T-mobile has some dead spots, but I found that to be the case with AT&T and Verizon too. None of the major carriers cover the entire United States without gaps here and there.
It's all a matter of where you live and work. That's why I like the fact that Mint provides the seven-day trial with the starter kit so you can find out for yourself how well it works for you. If you'd rather stay with your present carrier, just swap its SIM card back into your phone and you're back with your old carrier.
Remember to try Mint Mobile's 3-month trial plan for $45 (that's $15 per month). The kit contains a 3-in-1 SIM card with standard, micro, and nano sizes for any GSM phone. The kit also supports eSIM phones.
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