We ported over to Mint in October 2017. I signed up for the introductory plan, which is a ?bulk? purchase of three months at once, at $15 per month, for a total of $45 for each line. This gets you 3 GB of high-speed data with unlimited talk and text.
Introductory plan: $15/mo x 3 mo. = $45
If $15/month sounds good to you, please click the link to get started (I?ll earn a small commission from your purchase). Here?s the link:
$15/Month Mint Mobile Wireless Plan | 4GB of 5G * 4G LTE Data + Unlimited Talk & Text for 3 Months?
Amazon.com: $15/Month Mint Mobile Wireless Plan | 4GB of 5G * 4G LTE Data + Unlimited Talk & Text for 3 Months (3-in-1?
www.amazon.com
Porting our phone numbers
The only issue I encountered is that I was unable to port my number from StraightTalk and I had to get a new one. Customer service, while very friendly (via chat), was unable to help. I was okay with this, though, because I?d been living in Arizona for two years with my old West Virginia area code (reppin? the 304). My wife?s T-Mobile number ported without issue.
Network and service quality
Other than the issue with porting one of the numbers, everything was great. The service with Mint, which uses the T-Mobile network, was in my estimation the same or a little better than the average pre-paid carrier (I?ve used StraightTalk and Virgin) in terms of speed and reliability.
If you?ve never used a prepaid carrier, I?d describe it as driving a Chevy to work instead of a Lexus. They both do the job ? one?s just ?nicer.? Prepaid carriers are never the fastest and don?t always have coverage in more rural areas ? but for me, the service is good enough in the Phoenix metro that I can use it during the day for traffic and occasional Instagram use and music streaming.
I expect my phone to work when I need it, and I?m forgiving if it?s slow on occasion or if there?s no service in some remote part of the country I happen to temporarily be in. Especially when I remember I?m only paying $15/month.
Data limits
If you?ve never gone without unlimited data, it?s not as bad as you think. Having limited data helps me to be more conscious of my smartphone use ? I am more present around family and coworkers instead of having my face in my phone all the time. And when I do use my phone a lot ? such as to download a podcast, or stream video or music ? I do that on wifi at home or work. This way, all my data is saved for traffic monitoring or the occasional song stream or Instagram time.
If 3 GB/ month (the $15 option) sounds like too drastic a cut for you, Mint also has an 8 GB option at $20, and a 12 GB option at $25 ? all still a great deal.
Renewal time
After my first 3 months, I was ready to renew. I?d had no problems to speak of with the network or service. But I was still afraid to commit to buying a whole year of wireless service at once (that?s how you get the $15/month price after the introductory offer).
What if they slow down my speeds after a month or two? What if they disappear from the face of the earth after they get this money from me? These are the questions I had at renewal time. I couldn?t quite pull the trigger.
So instead of renewing with the 1-year plan, I renewed at the 6-month plan. They?re a little higher ? the 3GB plan comes out to $20/month instead of $15. I figured it would be worth it in case something went wrong.
But it didn?t.
Mint Mobile?s service and network continued to be great all the way through my 6-month renewal.
Taking the plunge: Paying for a year of wireless service at once
After the 6 months was up (I?d been with Mint for a total of 9 months now), I realized everything was still great. So I took the plunge and renewed both of our 3GB plans for a year, giving us back the $15/month price.
In July 2018, we spent $360 for 2 lines of service. For a whole year.
And we didn?t look back. Mint didn?t randomly disappear, they didn?t start throttling my data for no reason (only if I went over my 3GB), they didn?t slow the network down for no reason. It was fine. It worked just like it was supposed to. And it was so nice to not have a wireless bill to worry about for a whole year.
In fact, it went so well that the next July (2019), we renewed again. And in two months, we?ll renew again.
The best part (besides the price)
Aside from the rock-bottom price of $15 per month for wireless service with Mint Mobile, the best thing about Mint is their sweet referral program.
Mint Mobile?s new referral program lets you get a FREE YEAR OF WIRELESS SERVICE when you refer five friends. And it?s not a shady ?refer five friends, free year, but refer four friends, nothing? program. You get $25 for the first referral, $30 for the second, $35 for the third, and $40 for the fourth. Then $110 for the fifth- so all those referrals together equal a year of the 8GB plan, or a significant discount to the unlimited plan!
Easily attainable, right?
Summary / TL;DR
Mint Mobile has rock-bottom pricing at $15/month for a 3GB plan, if you pay for a full year at once (but they give you that price for three months, too, in case you are nervous to fork over a year of cash up front).
It?s a prepaid carrier, so it?s not the fastest and it doesn?t have coverage in the most places (it runs on T-Mobile?s network), but it?s a decently solid performer, especially among other prepaid carriers.
I experienced zero issues in my entire 2.5-year stay with Mint, including two separate one-year renewals, and I intend to renew for another year in July.
Mint has a sweet referral program where you get a free year of the 8GB plan if you refer five friends.
5/5 definitely recommend.
Get started with Mint Mobile
If you?re ready to try Mint Mobile, click the link below to get started. To be fully transparent, this is an affiliate link that will help me earn a small commission from your purchase, and I?d appreciate you using it and helping me in exchange for me sharing my Mint Mobile experience with you. Here?s the link:
$15/Month Mint Mobile Wireless Plan | 4GB of 5G * 4G LTE Data + Unlimited Talk & Text for 3 Months?
Amazon.com: $15/Month Mint Mobile Wireless Plan | 4GB of 5G * 4G LTE Data + Unlimited Talk & Text for 3 Months (3-in-1?
www.amazon.com
Questions?
If you have any questions about Mint Mobile, I?ll do my best to answer them ? ask away in the responses!
UPDATE: Unlimited data for $30/Month
2021 Update: I?m still trucking with the 4GB/month plan (referred to as the 3GB plan throughout this article because Mint bumped it up at no charge, and did the same with the 8GB plan, bumping it to 10). But if that?s not enough for you, Mint offers Unlimited LTE for $30/month by way of a 3-month plan for $89. Buy now from Amazon (I?ll earn a small commission if you click and purchase through the link below):
$30/Month Mint Mobile Wireless Plan | Unlimited Talk, Text & Data for 3-Months (3-in-1 GSM SIM Card)
Amazon.com: $30/Month Mint Mobile Wireless Plan | Unlimited Talk, Text & Data for 3-Months (3-in-1 GSM SIM Card)
www.amazon.com