I've been using Mint Mobile for over three years now… It’s hard to believe that’s true, to be honest. It feels like just yesterday I was paying T-Mobile literally double for the same experience. Oops, did I just give away the article?

What is Mint Mobile?

For anyone that still doesn’t know, Mint Mobile is that cell provider that has Ryan Reynolds in the commercials. In fact, he was a partial owner until March 2023 when Mint was bought out by T-Mobile - the carrier whose towers they use. That last bit is sort of the crux of what Mint Mobile is; an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), which means it doesn't own its own cell towers. Instead, it leases network access from one of the major carriers – in Mint Mobile's case, that's T-Mobile.  

How much does Mint Mobile cost?

This is the thing that really sets Mint apart for me and what drew me towards them, other than the adorable Fox they use as their mascot.

When you sign up for Mint you’re going to get their lowest rate for your first three months.. $15/ month for 5GB, 15GB, 20GB or Unlimited. After that, you’ll be looking at their normal rates, which change based on how long you prepay for.

• Unlimited Data for 1 Year: $360

• Unlimited Data for 6 Months: $210

• Unlimited Data for 3 Months: $120

As you can see, the longer you prepay, the better the deal ends up being. When I was with T-Mobile, I paid a little over $60/ month for my line. Now that I’m paying Mint yearly, I’m paying quite literally half that. What’s more, once my prepay is up if I wanted to leave Mint.. I can. There are no contracts.

What's the catch?

The closest thing to a catch is that since Mint is a MNVO, your data could be deprioritized. What’s that mean? Imagine you’re in a busy part of town where lots of T-Mobile users are out and about and they’re all using their phones. In times of congestion like that, your data might be a bit slower, which means that YouTube video you’re trying to watch could buffer. I can’t say this has happened to me more than a handful of times in the years I’ve been with Mint, but your mileage may vary.

What's my experience been like?

I've been very happy with Mint Mobile. The coverage is great, the service is reliable, and I haven't noticed any real difference in performance compared to when I was using T-Mobile. The few times I’ve needed to use their customer service, even that was quite solid. One really great thing about Mint is that they have a solid referral system. If you refer a friend, you'll get a credit of $45 on your account. Spread that link around enough and you might even get your service for free..

I also appreciate the fact that I can link my wife’s plan to my account as well, allowing me to manage both of our lines from my one account. They don’t really seem to do a family discount, but they do at least allow that.

How do I switch to Mint Mobile?

Switching to Mint Mobile is easy. You can buy a SIM card at Target or online. Once you have your SIM card, you can download the Mint Mobile app and follow the instructions to activate your service.

Want to try Mint Mobile?

You can check out Mint and support the channel by using my very own Referral Link!