Update: I just extended my Mint contract for another year for $15 per month! It’s ridiculous how cheap it is, especially compared to what I used to pay. All in, I pay $180 per year for my phone service while most people pay that in just a few months…
Today I’m sharing my Mint Mobile Review with you to explain why I decided to switch to Mint from Cricket Wireless. Mint Mobile is a low-cost carrier, which is helping Americans save money with less expensive mobile phone plans.
Mint Mobile At A Glance
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| Plan Cost | Plans start as low as low as $25/month |
| Plan Types | Prepaid Carrier |
| Features | |
| Requirements | |
| Sign Up Now | |
You might remember that we wrote an article last year about how we had saved thousands of dollars over the years by switching to Cricket Wireless from the main cell phone companies like AT&T, Verizon, & T-Mobile.
We loved Cricket, but when we started to hear murmurs about an even better (aka less expensive) option, we knew we had to look into it.
To test it out, one of us recently made the switch to Mint Mobile from Cricket Wireless, and we found an even better way to save money on our phone bill!
While Cricket has helped us save thousands of dollars over the past few years, and we are very thankful for that, we are always looking for better deals for you guys (and ourselves).
What Is Mint Mobile?
Mint Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses T-Mobile towers. MVNO is a fancy term for a mobile phone network that doesn’t own the actual cell phone towers themselves and essentially rents the bandwidth.
Because Mint Mobile doesn’t own or build the cell phone towers themselves, they can operate at a much lower cost than the major cell phone networks. They pass these savings to customers like you and me via more fair prices.
Just like the way Cricket Wireless uses AT&T towers and bandwidth, Mint Mobile uses T-Mobile towers. This means that as long as you’re in an area with reliable T-Mobile service, you should get dependable Mint Mobile service.
How Does Mint Mobile Offer Cheaper Prices?
Unlike Cricket Wireless (and most other cell phone companies) who charge you a monthly price as you go, Mint Mobile plans are prepaid every 3, 6, or 12 months.
This pricing model allows Mint Mobile to offer super competitive rates since they know precisely how much bandwidth to purchase from T-Mobile. They pass these savings onto customers by rewarding customers who agree to longer contracts.
As you’ll see in the pricing table below, the real savings happen when you purchase a more extended plan.
What Are The Different Mint Mobile Pricing Plans?
You can see the plans HERE.
Their introductory 3-month pricing levels are the same as their 12-month plans. In essence, they are hoping you’ll love the service and price so much that you’ll opt for the 12-month plan… which is exactly what I did!
Which Phones Can Be Used On The Mint Mobile Network?
Any unlocked GSM phone should work on the Mint Mobile network. You can bring your own phone unlocked phone. Just switch out the SIM card and boom!
It’s important to note that you can still keep your existing phone number when you switch to Mint. Moving your phone number (porting) to the new network is simple.
This means you’ll save a bunch of time and hassle not needing to notify everyone you know that you got a new phone number or worry about missing calls and messages.
If you want a completely new number and start clean, that’s no problem at all.
Why Switch To Mint If You Are Happy with Cricket?
Look, we had zero problems with Cricket’s service. We loved it and have recommended it to anyone who asked us about it.
But ultimately, when you are trying to pay off over $200,000 in student loans, it all came down to the money saved. If you’ve seen our posts on financial freedom or budgeting, you’ll know how vital living within our means is.
Remember, the lower your expenses are each month, the more aggressive you can invest and save.
I want to be able to retire earlier than when we turn 65 years old, so I am hyper-focused on saving as much as possible and earning as much as possible.
Does this mean I will stop working when I am 50? Probably not, but it will mean I will be able to if that’s what I want to do.
So let’s take a look at how Mint compares to Cricket so you can see whether the savings made sense.
If you are on a major carrier, you’re likely paying much more than either Cricket or Mint Mobile!
Comparison: Cricket Wireless vs Mint Mobile Plan Prices
| Cricket Wireless ($/month) | Cricket Wireless w/ Auto Pay Credit ($/month) | Mint Mobile – 3 Month ($/month) | Mint Mobile – 6 Month ($/month) | Mint Mobile – 12 Month ($/month) |
| 2GB – $30 | 2GB – $30** | 3GB – $25 | 3GB – $20 | 3GB – $15 |
| 5GB – $40 | 5GB – $35 | 8GB – $35 | 8GB – $25 | 8GB – $20 |
| Unlimited – $55 | Unlimited – $50 | 12GB – $45 | 12GB – $35 | 12GB – $25 |
*Prices accurate as of 12/5/2019
**2GB plan not eligible for Auto Pay Credit
Are the savings worth the hassle?
In short, YES!
This question comes down to two factors. The savings and the hassle involved.
Let’s address the hassle of switching before we break down the numbers.
The switch was quite simple, and there was a minimal hassle.
The process of switching took me 15 minutes plus the wait for the sim card to arrive since I already had an unlocked phone (I used the same phone I was using on Cricket Wireless).
Now let’s break down my savings!
Let’s compare the 5GB/month Cricket Wireless plan with the 8GB/month Mint Mobile plans since that was the same change that I made initially.
How Does Cricket Wireless Pricing Compare To Mint Mobile?
When it comes to finding a budget phone plan, these are the two clear leaders in the game. One company uses AT&T towers while the other uses T-Mobile towers. Also, Mint offers prepaid plans to offer additional savings, while Cricket offers the traditional monthly cell phone plans.
Let’s take a look to see how the costs between the two platforms compare.
Cricket 5GB vs. 3 Month 8GB Mint Plan
| Cricket 5GB | Mint 8GB | Savings (month) | Savings (year) | |
| Monthly Cost | $35 | $35 | $0 | $0 |
At this level, there is no money saved, but you get an extra 3GB of data, which we think is a no-brainer.
Pay the same price, but get more in return. And not only more, but 60% more.
Cricket 5GB vs. 6 Month 8GB Mint Plan
| Cricket 5GB | Mint 8GB | Savings (month) | Savings (year) | |
| Monthly Cost | $35 | $25 | $10 | $120 |
Starting to save some money with the 6-month plan. Again, a modest $10 savings each month, but still get 60% more data. Over the full year, you are looking at $120 in savings. Over five years, you are talking $600.
If you have a few phones in your family, the savings can become staggering.
Cricket 5GB vs. 12 Month 8GB Mint Plan
| Cricket 5GB | Mint 8GB | Savings (month) | Savings (year) | |
| Monthly Cost | $35 | $20 | $15 | $180 |
At this level, the savings over a full year are HUGE!! If you have multiple phones in your family, then the savings can make a massive difference.
Nearly $200 in yearly savings for 60% more data. Another no-brainer!
Again, this assumes you get the AutoPay Credit with Cricket. If not, the savings you would get by switching would be even more significant!
The Downsides To Mint Mobile
If you live paycheck to paycheck and struggle with paying all of your bills on time, then having to come up with the extra cash upfront will be a challenge.
For example, with Cricket, you pay your $35 every month (if you have AutoPay set up), but with Mint’s 3-month pricing, you would pay $105 upfront for three months. On the flip side, the other two months you wouldn’t have to pay anything.
If you decide to maximize your savings and go with the 12-month plan, you would pay $240 once and then not have a payment due the other 11 months.
So over the full year, you would pay a lot less. This translates into more money in your high interest savings account or Roth IRA.
What About The Time Value Of Money?
First, it’s fantastic that you think about the time value or opportunity cost of your money.
Second, it’s a great question. After all, isn’t there a chance that you’d be better off keeping Cricket so that your money isn’t locked up for 3, 6, or 12 months! That’s money that you could be investing!
Let’s take a look and see.
For example, let’s assume you opt for the annual plan since that is the plan that would require the most amount of money to be paid upfront. Let’s focus on the 8GB plan that we chose.
This plan is $20 per month and is prepaid. With Cricket, you’d be paying roughly $35 for a similar plan every month. That means that during the first month, you’d have $205 extra dollars to invest. Assuming you make 6% per year on your investments, that’s 0.5% per month or $1.03 in gains.
Let’s stop right there. We already saw that over the year, we would save $180, so clearly, this more than makes up for the opportunity cost of paying upfront.
Coverage Issues?
During the past year on Mint Mobile’s network, I have had absolutely no coverage issue. Over the past year, I went from living in a small rural city to a larger metropolitan area. Both had great service!
But there’s no doubt that Mint has less coverage than some of the large mega-networks based on the coverage maps.
Just like any other phone company, you must check the wireless coverage in your area. For the vast majority of folks that live within a couple of hours of a large metropolitan area, this shouldn’t be a problem at all.
Nevertheless, it’s always best to check before you take the plunge.
If you live in an area that’s borderline with regards to coverage, Mint Mobile offers a 7-day money-back guarantee, which is pretty sweet.
No Phone Upgrades
Mint Mobile will sell you a new phone at retail prices, so there are no savings if you are looking to trade in your phone or upgrade.
If you want to use the money saved on the plan to get a new phone, you’re better off thinking twice about it.
“I am going to save money by switching to Mint Mobile, so that means I can upgrade my phone, right?”
WRONG.
Apple and Samsung have some of the best marketing teams in the world. We get it. Every time we see one of their commercials, our brains also start to rationalize why we need the latest Apple or Samsung phone.
But that’s the thing: We don’t NEED a new phone.
One of us had the same phone for nearly five years. Was it annoying to type in the passcode each time when our friends could unlock their phones with their fingerprints? Definitely. Did we survive? No doubt.
Based on our personal savings rate, I’d say we did a lot more than merely survive!
So next time you feel like upgrading something that works perfectly fine, remember one thing: you can’t miss what you’ve never had.
If you really can’t make it more than a year or two with the same phone at least do the two following things:
- Sell your phone (or give it away to someone in need)
- Put the money you are saving on your cell phone plan into an account each month specifically for your phone (this is called a sinking fund)
By doing those two things, you will never go deeper into debt and can pay cash.
If you can’t pay with cash, then you can’t afford it (this doesn’t apply to large purchases such as a mortgage).
This doesn’t mean actually paying with cash. I use credit cards to get points/cash back but pay them off in full right away. I do this to avoid ever having to pay interest charges on my credit card.
You Should Know That There’s No Unlimited Data Plans!
You’ll also notice that Mint doesn’t offer unlimited data plans. For most people, it doesn’t matter since you probably have access to WiFi at home, work, or school.
But if you are the person who has no access to WiFi and uses insane amounts of data monthly, then Mint Mobile is NOT for you.
For everyone else, it’s the real deal.
Switching To Mint Mobile – Our Overall Review
When it comes to our phones and plans, three things are most important to us.
Call & FaceTime quality, data speeds and price.
Over the past year, there has been absolutely no difference in call or FaceTime quality. I haven’t noticed dropped calls, audio problems, or any loss in data download speeds. Texts and emails have always been coming through on time and rapidly.
However, there has been one BIG change we’ve seen: more money in the bank from saving on my phone bill.
As mentioned earlier, switching was super simple. I kept the same phone number and the same phone (protip: only upgrade your phone once your current phone dies AKA every 3-5 years to maximize savings).
I haven’t noticed any difference in quality from Cricket (which wasn’t any different from AT&T before that).
Initially, I was on the 8GB plan for six months, but I am now on a 12-month 3GB plan. I went from paying $150 for six months to $180 for the full year! Before making the switch to a plan with less data, I checked my account to make sure I didn’t need more than that. I couldn’t be happier.
Well, what are you waiting for? Sign up now!
Mint Mobile Review Score
Summary
I use Mint Mobile because of the low prices and good network coverage in my area. If you are hoping to lower your phone, Mint Mobile is a solid option as long as you get good reception in your area.
Overall
- Pricing
- Network Coverage
- Customer Service
- Ease of Setup
Pros
- Low-Cost Plans
- Easy Set-up
- Can Use Existing Phone
- Can Keep Existing Number
Cons
- All Plans Are Pre-Paid
- No Unlimited Data Plans
- Need Unlocked Phone
Francisco Maldonado, MD is a personal finance expert who was raised in poverty by a single mother and had to learn everything about personal finance on his own. In addition to running his personal finance site, The Finance Twins, with his twin brother, his site has been featured on Forbes, Business Insider, CNBC, US News, The Simple Dollar, and other top publications. Francisco is a physician who borrowed over $200,000 to pay for his medical training and understands debt payoff strategies and frugal living. He received his M.D. from the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, the most selective medical school in the country, and a Bachelor’s degree in physiology from the University of Minnesota. He is currently a radiology resident at Northwestern University.
Unfortunately when you’re six month plan is over, you are NOT able to go for another six months within the same plan. You must either go with the far more expensive monthly plan or go with the twelve month plan.
@Francisco: Just a heads up, you’re overlooking Red Pocket Mobile. They have a wide selection of plans, and they sell service on all 4 networks; T-Mobile, Sprint (however long they may be around), AT&T, and Verizon. I know when I was testing them back in 2015, the data speeds did kind of suck on the Verizon side, but I can’t remember if my (now dead) Galaxy S5 was or wasn’t able to use the WiFi calling. Anyhow, might want to mention RPM next, as some of their plans compete with Mint.
Thanks, when I looked into them they were similarly priced to Mint so I figured it was easier to work directly with the provider. Sounds like you’ve had success with them though!
Do Mint Mobile plans allow international calls and texting?
Calls to Mexico and Canada are free on Mint Mobile. As far as texting, you should use Whatsapp, Google Talk or iMessage to get free messaging to anyone globally. You can learn more about Mint’s international call rates here: https://mint-mobile.pxf.io/Lye2o
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Mint mobile sucks ass! I was charged for a phone I returned immediately after receiving. I was charged a return fee and a “stocking fee” of $150. Went through affirm and they only gave them a partial credit leaving me to pay the rest. Affirm ended up reporting on my credit for this fee that I reached out to mint mobile about and never received a response back. I completely wasted my time and money thinking about even going with this company. Ended up costing me more than it is worth!
That is outrageous. The lesson to learn is buy your own phone directly from Apple or Android phone sellers. I think MintMobile should clearly explain their return and refund policies so that no customer will experience what you described.
If you paid with a credit card, I would call your credit card company and fight the charges. Seems unreasonable to charge $150 for a new phone that was just bought. We’ve heard of others who have been able to return phones no problem, so def worth looking into this more.
I never even heard of Mint Mobile until I read your blog. Unfortunately, I need a phone that will get service in the back nine so not an option for me. But nice to see there are options.
Make sure you check out the coverage map to see if your location has service. You might be pleasantly surprised.
I just wanted to say THANK YOU! I have been on Verizon for a few years and was sick of overpaying! I switched to Mint Mobile two weeks ago after reading this page and couldn’t be more happy! Thank you, thank you!!
You’re welcome, Paula! Glad things are working out well for you :). I’ll be coming up on a year with Mint Mobile and have been thinking about writing an updated review!
I’ve just recently hit my 1 yr anniversary with Mint Mobile. It works for me. And by ‘me’, . I mean a single middle aged professional who is in the middle of a job search and career change with plans on entering a graduate program in the next year. My decision to change fields and pursue an advanced degree has financial implications….hard ones. When you are constantly at risk of not being able to pay something, a pre pay plan is what you do. After the 3 month introductory plan, I actually bit the bullet and did a 6 mo plan. Super cheap but for me it meant I went without somewhere else. It’s worth doing not just because it’s cheaper…. Because if you are job hunting, working and volunteering part time and lack a trust fund, emergency fund or any fund, not having to worry about paying for your phone every month can have a hugely positive impact on your mood. If you’re barely making rent and trying to find a job, you go without heat, electricity. You can’t go without a phone. Not just for mom but for call backs, telephone or even video interviews. Mint has been a godsend. As for phones, i need a smart phone that could land on the moon while at the same time let me log into my bank account and mychart personal health record. So I need Ideally 64gb and an almost laptop like processor. But I can’t afford anything over 200. So I buy used, refurbished but sometimes even new. Often online from Amazon or via an app like offer up… Craigslist too although not so much anymore. and I do my research. The options you have with just 100-185 are great… Not the I phone 10 or any phones that have just been released.
They are nice.. But I can land on the moon with less. And warranties and damage insurance through plans… Have never worked for me.
Hey John,
It sounds like you have really thought things through with regards to your career change and going back to school. I agree with you 100% and I do the same thing (pay 6 months at a time). I’m currently a medical resident with a baby at home and there are MANY things that are higher on the priority list than the phone bill, but I need reliable coverage at a low price. In the past 8-10 years I’ve paid full price for a cell phone once. I also keep each phone for 3-4 years. I also have coverage for my phone (and other personal possessions) through my renters insurance, which could be worth looking into depending on your housing situation. Many apartments require it for their tenants too.
If you want cheap phone service by paying by the year, this is the service for you BUT beware;
you CAN NOT get domestic roaming but you CAN get international calling if you load up your account before
you go overseas. BUT….. like me, once you cancel service (I needed domestic roaming for Wisconsin that they couldn’t provide after loading $40 in my account) you have to contact them within 7 days to get your money back.
I just spent 15 minutes on the phone with costumer service just for them to tell me that I was screwed because it was after the 7 day limit. My response was that I shouldn’t have to call to get back money that wasn’t theirs to keep and thanks for being a people company.
Beware what you sign up for and do your homework, find out first if the service is where you need it to be.
Agree 100%! Must do the leg work and make sure your area(s) are covered. I never had any issues when I lived in La Crosse, but admittedly, I didn’t travel much within the rest of the state and never needed roaming. Do any of the cheaper carriers offer domestic roaming? You’re the first person to bring that up to my attention.
If you do a review on Hello mobile it’ll be awesome!
It looks pretty cheap!
I’m confused about one thing.
If I go out of my state or city, does it mean I won’t have coverage with mint?
I’m on Metro pcs now but I get the coverage everywhere I go out of city or state.
Hey Amir, Mint Mobile operates just like AT&T or Verizon. As long as you are in a zone with reception within the U.S. your plan will work. I live in Chicago but was just in D.C. for a conference and it worked like a charm!
Mr. Miller switched to Mint back in April and as you’ve said, there has been no difference in quality. One thing I wanted to mention is that you can make calls via wi-fi. So if you are overseas you can make and receive calls and texts over wifi. No charge. No app or iPhone needed.
That’s a great point! I haven’t been overseas in the past year since switching to Mint Mobile, so I haven’t had a chance to test out the WIFI calling feature!
I tried Mint Mobile and I regret that I signed up. Very poor service cannot use. Text took three hour to receive. Data very slow unusable. Cannot login to see billing. Lost my $60 for nothing. Now I have to contact them to ask them to cancel the service and remove my credit card as they tried to lock my credit card in to auto billing.
Danny, do you live within their coverage area? I always encourage everyone to check the coverage maps prior to purchasing. If you do, that’s so strange. I’ve always had fast 4G LTE speeds, even while traveling. Also try restarting your phone if you haven’t already. Would definitely give them a call as you should definitely be able to log into your account regardless of your coverage using with WIFI.
Hi. Amir here again.
I switched to Mint a few days ago. It seems good although at some point the internet speed is really low. I experienced the smae thing with Metro pcs although less.
Just a weird thing I found out and haven’t been able to solve is that I don’t have a show delivery option in my sms and mms settings!
I know I had it on metro and I know where to find this setting but on Mint it’s just not there!
It’s kinda nerve wracking to not know if the other person has received your text every time you text someone.
Contacted Mint but no good solution. They referred me to APN settings page which I had done already! Rechecked, all fine.
This is wierd isn’t it?
Amir,
What phone do you have as I use to mess with apn settings on my galaxy s7. But my google pixel 3a found all the settings for me once I plugged in my sim.
Josh
That does seem weird. I have an iPhone 7 that’s over 2 years old and I can see when iMessages are delivered (to others using an apple device). I’ve never had to mess around with APN settings before so unfortunately, can’t provide much help in that regard beyond what a google search would yield.
Hello, I have been on mint for 2 years now in dallas, tx and really enjoy it. I have had no issues. I just purchased the google pixel 3a and now my phone connects to t mobile instead of mint under sim status. I am not saying mint mobile is perfect but $300 a year for 12 gigs is very cheap.
That’s awesome, Josh! And agreed. Nothing is perfect, but when something is good enough to get the job done while saving you up to thousands of dollars, it just can’t be beat!