Mint Mobile mini-review and discount

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I'm always looking for ways to save on my cellular bill. Since I own my own unlocked phones, I moved from AT&T post-paid to AT&T Prepaid several years back, which cut my bill in half. Recently, I began looking at other options again, and decided to switch to Mint Mobile a few weeks ago. This again ended up being half the cost of my AT&T Prepaid plan ($20 per month vs. $40 per month for 8GB plans).

Mint uses T-Mobile's network, so I was initially a little concerned about the coverage, but it has generally been quite good for me here in northern NJ with only a few spotty areas around me, and I'm happy with the LTE speeds averaging around 25-35 Mbps. Their customer service has also been pretty decent (I actually got someone on the phone yesterday without holding) and porting my number went very smoothly and quickly using their app. Overall, I can't say I have any real complaints so far, especially considering how inexpensive the service is.

If anyone else has been thinking about trying Mint, I was given a "referral" link that provides $15 off any of their 3, 6, or 12-months plans. It's obviously Mint's attempt to help spread the word and increase their customer base, but it does work out to a pretty decent deal on the 3-month plans. With the $15 discount, the 3GB/month, 3-month plan ends up at $10 per month, which is better than anything comparable I've found so far.

Here is the link to use the referral discount: http://fbuy.me/mrmVJ

You need to follow the link to the Mint website and purchase your plan directly from them in order for the discount to apply. If anyone wants any real-world feedback on Mint or has any questions about it, just send me a note.

Also, I want to clarify that I don't work for Mint, sell Mint, market for them, or have any affiliation with them whatsoever. The only benefit I receive is a $15 savings on my plan renewal if anyone ends up saving $15 on theirs with the referral.
 
I am using Lyca "pay-as-you-go", but they are discontinuing "pay-as-you-go" next month and will only offer prepaid monthly plans starting at $20 which is too much for me. Hoping someone can suggest cheaper alternatives.
 
The way Mint works is that your call is not a priority if the primary network is busy. The network is usually T-Mobile, For example-if you go to a concert and the nearby cell tower is very busy-you will be throttled way back.
 
There's several good alternatives out there. I use RedPocket at $10 a month for 500m-500t- 500mb, upgradeable if I need more. Very reliable T-mobile service. They have smaller & larger pay as you go plans and you can choose different carriers also.
 
Originally Posted by pkunk
I use RedPocket at $10 a month for 500m-500t- 500mb, upgradeable if I need more. Very reliable T-mobile service. They have smaller & larger pay as you go plans and you can choose different carriers also.

I am glad it works for you. Red Pocket used to awesome when they used to offer only Verizon based service but now it is taken over by MVNO giant. Now there are many complaints about them. Just go to Howardforums, cellphone plan exclusive forum and read a few. Hence, I am hesitant to switch to RedPocket.
It is said that RedPocket calls are also not a priority on the network.

I use https://www.airvoicewireless.com/10-dollar-monthly Data not included. If you want, you can use the data but the amount gets deducted from your balance (7c/MB) and the equivalent number of minutes. I work from home so I use landline exclusively (google voice with OBi 200). My cellphone usage is not that often so works for me.
The only complaint I have about them is, there is no portal as such to modify your details like the card and stuff. You have to call them up, which is OK but I would prefer to do it online, if possible. Otherwise never had any issues with them.

Stay away from BlackWireless. They also offer cheaper plans on at&t but you get what you pay for.
 
Originally Posted by MoneyJohn
Originally Posted by pkunk
I use RedPocket at $10 a month for 500m-500t- 500mb, upgradeable if I need more. Very reliable T-mobile service. They have smaller & larger pay as you go plans and you can choose different carriers also.

I am glad it works for you. Red Pocket used to awesome when they used to offer only Verizon based service but now it is taken over by MVNO giant. Now there are many complaints about them. Just go to Howardforums, cellphone plan exclusive forum and read a few. Hence, I am hesitant to switch to RedPocket.
It is said that RedPocket calls are also not a priority on the network.

I use https://www.airvoicewireless.com/10-dollar-monthly Data not included. If you want, you can use the data but the amount gets deducted from your balance (7c/MB) and the equivalent number of minutes. I work from home so I use landline exclusively (google voice with OBi 200). My cellphone usage is not that often so works for me.
The only complaint I have about them is, there is no portal as such to modify your details like the card and stuff. You have to call them up, which is OK but I would prefer to do it online, if possible. Otherwise never had any issues with them.

Stay away from BlackWireless. They also offer cheaper plans on at&t but you get what you pay for.

I've had no problems with them for about a year. I suppose it depends where you're located as with any carrier. About the only time I need more data is when I travel in the RV and then I just purchase more in increments, Could do the same for min & texts also but I don't live on a phone like some people. I've never experienced being throttled back but then again, I don't stream or use large data .
 
I wanted Verizon cell towers... I went with Total Wireless.

Its $25 a month for unlimited Talk and Text.

I buy a $10 data card for 5GB of LTE data, and that last me about 3 months. The data cards roll over month to month until you use all the data. Your data doesn't just disappear after 30 days.

So my cost for 3 months runs about $85, or $28.33 a month.

Pricing seems ok to me, especially for the use of Verizon towers.

Prior to that I was on Boost mobile for many years. My grandfathered plan was $30/month, which included 6 GB of data every month. It was great service, but on Sprint towers, which had sporadic service in the middle of the country, but great service all over Florida where I live.
 
Thumbs up to REDPOCKET.

You can choose ATT, Verizon, Tmobile or Sprint network.

I am a big fan of ATT networks and that is what we are on with Redpocket. We own our own unlocked phones.

Unlimited talk, text and data of which the first 5 gigs of each line is high speed. OUR ACTUAL MONTHLY PAYMENT IS $70.40 for ALL THREE LINES on ATT network.

There is no contract, the service is ROCK SOLID, you have MANY options if you do not want unlimited everything, there is NO CONTRACT, you cant go wrong.

For people who are challenged with technology I think I might still suggest Cricket but Red Pocket is the clear winner as far as choice of service, performance, options and even what network that you want to be on.

Cricket set up is a bit more intuitive for the challanged, but you do pay for it, both in performance (most likely wouldnt notice) and cost (will notice) but still fantastic value compared to the stupid crazy monthly bills less informed people pay.
 
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Originally Posted by Padawan
I'm always looking for ways to save on my cellular bill. Since I own my own unlocked phones, I moved from AT&T post-paid to AT&T Prepaid several years back, which cut my bill in half. Recently, I began looking at other options again, and decided to switch to Mint Mobile a few weeks ago. This again ended up being half the cost of my AT&T Prepaid plan ($20 per month vs. $40 per month for 8GB plans).

Mint uses T-Mobile's network, so I was initially a little concerned about the coverage, but it has generally been quite good for me here in northern NJ with only a few spotty areas around me, and I'm happy with the LTE speeds averaging around 25-35 Mbps. Their customer service has also been pretty decent (I actually got someone on the phone yesterday without holding) and porting my number went very smoothly and quickly using their app. Overall, I can't say I have any real complaints so far, especially considering how inexpensive the service is.

If anyone else has been thinking about trying Mint, I was given a "referral" link that provides $15 off any of their 3, 6, or 12-months plans. It's obviously Mint's attempt to help spread the word and increase their customer base, but it does work out to a pretty decent deal on the 3-month plans. With the $15 discount, the 3GB/month, 3-month plan ends up at $10 per month, which is better than anything comparable I've found so far.

Here is the link to use the referral discount: http://fbuy.me/mrmVJ

You need to follow the link to the Mint website and purchase your plan directly from them in order for the discount to apply. If anyone wants any real-world feedback on Mint or has any questions about it, just send me a note.

Also, I want to clarify that I don't work for Mint, sell Mint, market for them, or have any affiliation with them whatsoever. The only benefit I receive is a $15 savings on my plan renewal if anyone ends up saving $15 on theirs with the referral.


So you pay $30 every three months? And how long is your referral good for? That is quite a good bargain.

I once had a promotion of one year of unlimited service for $1 when you purchased an iPhone however that is long gone. Anything under $30 a month will work for me. $10 a month obviously beats that.
 
Originally Posted by alarmguy
Thumbs up to REDPOCKET.

You can choose ATT, Verizon, Tmobile or Sprint network.

I am a big fan of ATT networks and that is what we are on with Redpocket. We own our own unlocked phones.

Unlimited talk, text and data of which the first 5 gigs of each line is high speed. OUR ACTUAL MONTHLY PAYMENT IS $70.40 for ALL THREE LINES on ATT network.

There is no contract, the service is ROCK SOLID, you have MANY options if you do not want unlimited everything, there is NO CONTRACT, you cant go wrong.

For people who are challenged with technology I think I might still suggest Cricket but Red Pocket is the clear winner as far as choice of service, performance, options and even what network that you want to be on.

Cricket set up is a bit more intuitive for the challanged, but you do pay for it, both in performance (most likely wouldnt notice) and cost (will notice) but still fantastic value compared to the stupid crazy monthly bills less informed people pay.



I agree on thumbs up for Red Pocket. They've worked out deals to resell all of the big four's services at about half the "retail" price, so you can pick the one that you're probably already using and that works for you (AT&T, Verizon, TMobile, or Sprint) and you'll save money. I'm sure some people have had issues with Red Pocket (and Mint too I'm sure), but I had issues when I had regular TMobile and regular AT&T (not cheap!) and in both cases they couldn't fix my problems (poor or not reception when the map said I should have full bars). So paying "full retail" doesn't mean you'll get better service. I'd suggest at least trying Red Pocket, and if it works and you switch, you'll cut your bill at least in half.
 
Correct, doesnt matter what cell phone company you have, there will always be someone who has issues.

I just got emailed my monthly bill, figured I would past it here, from Redpocket, remember no contract, billed monthly to your credit card, cancel anytime, I mean, how much less thought does it take? (same goes for mint or any other non contract) Where you see the dotted line is where the phone numbers would be for the three phones, which I removed *L*

Item Price
----------------- - 30 Day-Multi-Line- Unlimited Everything 5GB@4G LTE $30.00
----------------- - 30 Day-Multi-Line- Unlimited Everything 5GB@4G LTE $20.00
----------------- - 30 Day-Multi-Line- Unlimited Everything 5GB@4G LTE $20.00
$70.00
Taxable amount:$70.00
Total tax: $0.40
Federal universal service fund: $0.35
Federal cost recovery charge: $0.05
$0.40
Total: $70.40
 
I have two phones on Red Pocket (AT&T network). $10 plan for mine, $15 plan for the wife. Zero difference in service compared to when we had the same phones on AT&T. Can't comment on using a smartphone on it.

jeff
 
Originally Posted by talest
So you pay $30 every three months? And how long is your referral good for? That is quite a good bargain.

I once had a promotion of one year of unlimited service for $1 when you purchased an iPhone however that is long gone. Anything under $30 a month will work for me. $10 a month obviously beats that.


New customers get an "introductory" 3-month plan for the same per-month cost as the 12-month plan, which is $15 per month for the 3 GB tier. I also forgot to mention in my original post that they offer a 7-day money back guarantee if it turns out you're not happy with the service.

So the best deal using the referral would be the 3-month plan, which would give you 3 GB per month for a total of $30 for the entire period. It's definitely the least expensive service I've found on a per-month basis, as long as you're willing to pay for multiple months up front.

After the 3 months are up, if you wanted to continue with Mint, they offer 3, 6, and 12-month plans, with the 12-month being the least expensive (the same $15 per month as the introductory pricing). I'll be doing the 12 month plan, which will only cost me $180 for the entire year of service.

From what I've read on their website, the referral does not expire.
 
I checked out Mints website, great deal for sure.
I do think most people would be good with it, IF you are ok with 3 GB of data a month and on Tmobiles service.

Red Pocket is priced about the same taking into account 5 gigs of LTE high speed data and unlimited slower speed data after the 5 Gigs per line per month and you can choose to be on ATT.
You can also pay by the year on Red Pocket, they have an ebay store $240 per year for the above or 30 first line and 20 per line after that, month to month.

For sure, both great deals and Mint is a killer deal if your good with Tmobile and 3gigs of data after that its shut off till the next month.
 
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Originally Posted by alarmguy
I checked out Mints website, great deal for sure.
I do think most people would be good with it, IF you are ok with 3 GB of data a month and on Tmobiles service.

Red Pocket is priced about the same taking into account 5 gigs of LTE high speed data and unlimited slower speed data after the 5 Gigs per line per month and you can choose to be on ATT.
You can also pay by the year on Red Pocket, they have an ebay store $240 per year for the above or 30 first line and 20 per line after that, month to month.

For sure, both great deals and Mint is a killer deal if your good with Tmobile and 3gigs of data after that its shut off till the next month.


Just to be clear, Mint offers several data tiers, not just the 3 GB plan (which is their lowest tier). You can opt for an 8 GB per month plan for $20/month, or a 12 GB per month plan for $25/month if you want more data.

Also, if you happen to use up all of your data for a particular month, you can purchase additional 4G data for that cycle via the app. If you don't want to purchase more, your data isn't shut off, it's just reduced-speed unlimited data until the next month begins.
 
Just discussing here, hope to help others looking into alternative ways of having cell service.

1. The prices you are quoting Mint Mobile such as $20 a month for 8 gigs of LTE speeds are for those who pay for a non refundable 12 months in advance.
This goes for all of their plans, so in essence you are committing to that amount of time in this case 12 months, much like a contract phone, there is no way out, much like a contract phone. You can not even change the type of service with Mint until those 12 months are used up.
2. Mint uses Tmobile towers/service and typically are little less expensive then Verizon and ATT.
Also keep in mind and this is a BIG one for mint mobile, you WILL be charged for roaming so if you forget to turn off roaming on your phone things can add up fast for some people.
3. I would be curious as to what the actual payment comes out to, as they have additional fees and taxes.

Ok, here is why I went with Red Pocket.
1. Im on ATT service which I much prefer, even over verizon.
2. Monthly billing cycle so I can cancel any time I want and not be held to losing up to a years worth of monthly payments. This is my main reason to not have a contract phone to begin with and why I did not bother to even take Red Pockets year plan in which I would only save $10 a month.
Its simply month to month charged to my cc card, cancel anytime, no loss.

3. No add on charges such as roaming (that I experienced anyway)

4. For me, 3 gigs of lte service is too little and 8 gigs too much. But one very well may be able to mange with 3.

5. Bottom line as I pointed out, Red Pocket, ATT service, month to month, cancel anytime without losing money. unlimited everything, 5gigs high speed LTE per line,
we have 3 lines total and our actual total monthly payment is $70.40 a month.

6. Only negative I can think of with Redpocket is for the less tech savy, you may have to jump through a few hoops if you have trouble porting your phone. I cant speak for Mint.

7. I previously came from Cricket, for the less tech savy, hand holding might be better, though the data isnt as fast (most likely wont notice)

Its important for anyone choosing service to read the terms and conditions (fees) before committing to more then a month at a time, since my plan is month to month, no big deal, nothing to lose but if you grab one of these 3,6 or 12 month plans and find out your going to be charged for roaming and you live in an area where you need it, which is possible with Tmobile or any carrier, you will not get a refund for everything you paid in advance.

With monthly plan, no loss, you can cancel anytime if any unpleasant surprises, for me with mint or any provider I would not chance paying in advance until you confirmed that you are paying for the service that you think you are, give it a good 6 months if you plan on prepaying long into the future, at $70 I feel I have a great value in the month to month with Redpocket and have never had an extra change added to my bill in the over one year that I have used them.

Ps, no I dodnt work for Red Pocket :eek:)
 
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Originally Posted by alarmguy
Just discussing here, hope to help others looking into alternative ways of having cell service.

1. The prices you are quoting Mint Mobile such as $20 a month for 8 gigs of LTE speeds are for those who pay for a non refundable 12 months in advance.
This goes for all of their plans, so in essence you are committing to that amount of time in this case 12 months, much like a contract phone, there is no way out, much like a contract phone. You can not even change the type of service with Mint until those 12 months are used up.
2. Mint uses Tmobile towers/service and typically are little less expensive then Verizon and ATT.
Also keep in mind and this is a BIG one for mint mobile, you WILL be charged for roaming so if you forget to turn off roaming on your phone things can add up fast for some people.
3. I would be curious as to what the actual payment comes out to, as they have additional fees and taxes.

Ok, here is why I went with Red Pocket.
1. Im on ATT service which I much prefer, even over verizon.
2. Monthly billing cycle so I can cancel any time I want and not be held to losing up to a years worth of monthly payments. This is my main reason to not have a contract phone to begin with and why I did not bother to even take Red Pockets year plan in which I would only save $10 a month.
Its simply month to month charged to my cc card, cancel anytime, no loss.

3. No add on charges such as roaming (that I experienced anyway)

4. For me, 3 gigs of lte service is too little and 8 gigs too much. But one very well may be able to mange with 3.

5. Bottom line as I pointed out, Red Pocket, ATT service, month to month, cancel anytime without losing money. unlimited everything, 5gigs high speed LTE per line,
we have 3 lines total and our actual total monthly payment is $70.40 a month.

6. Only negative I can think of with Redpocket is for the less tech savy, you may have to jump through a few hoops if you have trouble porting your phone. I cant speak for Mint.

7. I previously came from Cricket, for the less tech savy, hand holding might be better, though the data isnt as fast (most likely wont notice)

Its important for anyone choosing service to read the terms and conditions (fees) before committing to more then a month at a time, since my plan is month to month, no big deal, nothing to lose but if you grab one of these 3,6 or 12 month plans and find out your going to be charged for roaming and you live in an area where you need it, which is possible with Tmobile or any carrier, you will not get a refund for everything you paid in advance.

With monthly plan, no loss, you can cancel anytime if any unpleasant surprises, for me with mint or any provider I would not chance paying in advance until you confirmed that you are paying for the service that you think you are, give it a good 6 months if you plan on prepaying long into the future, at $70 I feel I have a great value in the month to month with Redpocket and have never had an extra change added to my bill in the over one year that I have used them.

Ps, no I dodnt work for Red Pocket :eek:)


They're definitely two good, low-cost solutions, and most folks could save a bunch of money with either provider. I was actually considering trying Red Pocket's AT&T plan as well since I came from AT&T Prepaid, but for now I'm happy with Mint, and it's still less expensive for me overall (which was my primary goal).

Just one correction:

"Also keep in mind and this is a BIG one for mint mobile, you WILL be charged for roaming so if you forget to turn off roaming on your phone things can add up fast for some people."

This isn't actually correct. Mint, like Red Pocket, does not offer any domestic roaming. If you're outside the coverage area, you won't have any service with either provider, but you won't get billed any roaming charges. You may be referring to international roaming, which Red Pocket doesn't currently offer, but is optional for added cost with Mint if you really need it.
 
Originally Posted by Padawan
alarmguy said:
Just one correction:

"Also keep in mind and this is a BIG one for mint mobile, you WILL be charged for roaming so if you forget to turn off roaming on your phone things can add up fast for some people."

This isn't actually correct. Mint, like Red Pocket, does not offer any domestic roaming. If you're outside the coverage area, you won't have any service with either provider, but you won't get billed any roaming charges. You may be referring to international roaming, which Red Pocket doesn't currently offer, but is optional for added cost with Mint if you really need it.



Yes it is correct.
Hey, dont want to seem like I am discounting Mint in anyway. I just read the Terms and Conditions of phone plans :eek:) and its possible Red Pocket and everyone else has situations in the terms and conditions that may or may not happen.
We all choose what works for us and I love saving money for the same exact service I used to pay $100 MORE a month for, heck some people pay $70 a month for one line, I pay actual payment $70.40 for THREE lines and your pricing is much the same.

Ok, anyway, my previous post where you said it wasnt correct, here it is directly from Mint Mobiles website, no big deal, heck, I dont remember Rd Pockets terms (or anyone elses for more then a few days, I just pick what works for me :eek:)

"8.11 Roaming. Your Device may connect to another provider's network ("Roaming") even when you are within the Mint Mobile coverage area. Check your Device to determine if you are Roaming. There may be extra charges (including long distance, tolls, data usage) and higher rates for Roaming usage, and your quality and availability of service may vary significantly. Our Roaming charges and rates are subject to change at any time and any such changes are effective forty-five (45) days after the posting of same to the Mint Mobile website. Please check our website frequently so that you are aware of our Roaming charges and rates and any changes thereto."

Source click here
 
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Do the MVO providers like red... and mint warn you when you are about to get charged outside plan via text?

Verizon does and I find it extremely useful. I always am interested in cheaper options. I have three phones on Verizon sharing 12GB costing $40/phone. The coverage is incredible however if we trave(off wifi at work/home)l we seem to eat up the 12GB and throttled down to .6MBPS for "free". Always open for options.
 
Originally Posted by alarmguy
Yes it is correct.
Hey, dont want to seem like I am discounting Mint in anyway. I just read the Terms and Conditions of phone plans :eek:) and its possible Red Pocket and everyone else has situations in the terms and conditions that may or may not happen.


I suspect the language you're quoting in the Mint Terms and Conditions was put there by a legal team in an attempt to cover any foreseeable scenario. References to roaming also appear in Red Pocket's Terms and Conditions, and as you know, Red Pocket does not charge for, nor does it even offer, domestic roaming. Someone reading Red Pocket's Terms would likely think they would be charged extra for everything from checking a voicemail to sending a text message.

A. Generally. You are responsible for paying all charges, including but not limited to: airtime, access, features, voice mail access, voice mail delivery, data usage, text messages, downloadable content, alerts, roaming, long distance, directory and operator assistance charges, the price of Devices and accessories, charges for other goods and services and shipping/handling fees. You will be billed at domestic airtime or roaming rates (please refer to rate card) for 800, 866, 877, 888, and other "toll free" calls. Applicable international charges will always be billed for direct dial calls placed from your Device.

When I indicated that the statement about roaming was incorrect, I was speaking from a real-world standpoint, where neither Mint nor Red Pocket currently offers or bills for domestic roaming.

I hope it doesn't seem as though I'm being argumentative, I just want to ensure that folks have access to accurate info. At the end of the day, they're both great services with pros and cons for each, and either of them is a great alternative to expensive post-paid plans from the big carriers.
 
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