In a world where staying connected is essential, it only makes sense that you get a mobile plan that’s both budget-friendly and efficient. Mint Mobile can help you do just that with their reliable and affordable mobile plans.
Mint Mobile undoubtedly has some of the cheapest mobile plans available in the market. Despite being cheaper than most mobile networks, you can trust that Mint Mobile has some of the best plans at the best prices possible.
In this article, we’ll be looking at Mint Mobile’s plans, how to get them, and where you can access the network among other things.
What Is Mint Mobile?
Mint Mobile is a wireless internet service provider that operates on the network of T-Mobile. Its main business model is to offer flexible plans that add value to the customers. Unlike the major network providers, it offers customers low-cost plans by allowing them to purchase months of service upfront in bulk.
The network is an online-only service, which means that you won’t have to travel to and from stores to get your plans. They are also contract-free and have no bill overages. The network also guarantees the best monthly wireless plans that you’ll ever see.
They are also very transparent about their services. While most networks will promote and coax you into purchasing unlimited data plans with freebies and upgrades, Mint Mobile would rather you choose the data plan that would best suit your needs instead of getting data that you might not even use.
The network promises a lot of things and has been lauded by many of its users for being available to deliver great services at very affordable prices.
Mint Mobile Plans: What Are Your Options?
Mint Mobile’s plans start at US$15/month. However, remember that for that price, you’re only getting the SIM Card Kit. If you’re looking to get a phone with the plan, prices may vary depending on the phone that you choose. You can also opt to bring your old device provided that it’s a network-unlocked phone.
All of Mint Mobile’s plans come with unlimited talk & text, high-speed data, free mobile hotspot, Wi-Fi calling & text, and even free calls to Mexico and Canada. You’ll also be able to seamlessly switch between 5G or 4G LTE data depending on the signal strength in your area.
If you’re ready to apply for your own Mint Mobile plan, here are your options.
A.) Three-Month Plan
Mint Mobile’s three-month plans are also their intro plans. These plans will typically let you try the network at very affordable prices. This is ideal if you just want to see if Mint Mobile’s plans are good for you and will suit your needs.
Plans can be renewed for as low as $25 when you avail of their 3-Month Plan before moving up to their long term ones.
B.) Six-Month Plan
Up next is their six-month plans. They typically have the same inclusions as the three-month plans, but you’ll get to enjoy Mint Mobile’s services longer. If you started with a three-month plan, you can renew to a six-month plan for as low as $25 depending on the amount of data that you choose.
C.) 12-Month Plan
Lastly, you have Mint Mobile’s 12-month plan. Get this plan if you’re sure that you want to use Mint Mobile for a period of time as you won’t be able to change your plan after you’ve activated it. If you’re renewing from a three-month plan, you can get this plan for as low as $15 depending on the amount of data that you need.
Mint Mobile Add-On Services
Aside from the benefits in the main mobile plans, Mint customers can extend its services by purchasing add-on plans.
A.) International Calling
As stated, the plans include free calls and texts to Canada and Mexico. If you’re looking to reach someone beyond those two countries, you will have to add credit to your Mint Mobile Wallet to be able to make overseas calls and texts.
You can easily to purchase credits using the following steps:
- Log into your Mint Mobile account on a PC.
- Select Load Wallet option on your account’s home page.
- Select the amount that you would like to add.
- Check out your purchase.
All transactions happen in real-time and the credits will be available for use after check-out. You can check the call rates for specific countries through Mint’s website.
B.) International Roaming
All Mint Mobile accounts are capable of international roaming. All you have to do is to add credits to your International Roaming balance with UpRoam.
With UpRoam, users can add credits in increments of $5, $10, $20 at a time to their International Roaming balance. It’s advised to check the per country rates before loading too much credit to UpRoam. You can check the rates per country on Mint’s International Roaming page.
To check the country rates, all you have to do is type the country and you’ll be shown the voice, SMS, and data rates.
If you end up adding more credit than what you need, don’t worry because it will never expire. Unused balances will be carried over from month to month and will be available for you whenever you need it.
To subscribe to UpRoam, you can either log into your account online or simply send a text from your phone.
C.) Wi-Fi Calls & Texts
Mint makes calling and texting easier by allowing users to do them with a Wi-Fi network. If you’re stuck in an area with bad network coverage, simply connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot and you’ll be able to make calls or texts over WiFi. Once you’re subscribed to Mint Mobile, you should be able to access Wi-Fi calling and texting on your Android phones or iPhones.
However, this feature is only available to certain Mint Mobile phones. You can check out the list of compatible phones on Mint’s website.
What’s great with Mint Mobile is that you can purchase plans in bulk. You can purchase up to four plans at a time so you can share the network with your loved ones.
What Carrier Does Mint Mobile Use?
Mint Mobile is what is considered to be a mobile virtual network operator or MVNO. This means that its operations are based on that of another network.
Mint’s carrier is T-Mobile.
On its own, T-mobile prepaid plans are straightforward, which you can get in great prices. The carrier is enough to give you access to essential services without having to shell out too much money.
However, coverage can get a little limited with Mint and T-Mobile. While it’s widely available for most parts of the United States, there are areas — mostly rural — that won’t be able to access the network.
That said, if you still want to give Mint Mobile a try but aren’t sure if it will work in your area, you can always opt to purchase one of their starter kits to test out their services.
You can check out Mint Mobile’s Starter Kit on Amazon to get access to 100 text messages, 100 minutes of calls, and 100 MB of LTE data. This should help you test the waters and see if the network will work for you.
Network Type and Speed of Mint Mobile
As an MVNO, Mint Mobile leases wireless capacity from a mobile network operator (MNO). MNOs such as T-Mobile can sell to MVNOs because they have the extra capacity to do so. By selling to MVNOs, the MNOs can get a small profit from the extra wireless capacity that they sell.
The reason why MVNOs like Mint can offer their plans at a lower price is that they don’t have to maintain things such as radio frequency spectrum licenses and infrastructures.
You might be wondering just how fast Mint Mobile’s network can go. Because of Mint’s status as an MVNO, it technically shares the same network speed as T-Mobile. That said, Mint also uses a GSM network, the commonly used infrastructure to drive wireless connectivity.
However, since Mint is an MVNO, there are limits to its network coverage. If the network becomes too congested, you might not be able to access the network. This doesn’t last long though, you’ll be able to return to your regular services in a few minutes.
Mint Mobile Coverage Map
While most modern phones and unlocked phones will be compatible with Mint and T-Mobile’s network, some areas are not yet part of their coverage.
Since Mint is an MVNO of T-Mobile, its areas of coverage are similar to T-Mobile. To give you an idea of which areas are covered by Mint Mobile, you can check out their coverage map to make sure that you live in a compatible area.
Take note that network experience is going to be different for everyone — even if you have the same courier. It’s best to consult with the network itself or T-Mobile to see which options are available for you if Mint Mobile is not available in your area.
A helpful way of checking coverage is by downloading the Mint Mobile app to Android or iOS as it can automatically check the coverage for you.
Pros and Cons of Mint Mobile
While the network shows a lot of promise, like any other network it’s not perfect. It’s also not a network that will work with everyone.
Before you think about getting a plan from Mint, here are the bads and the goods that you should consider.
PROS
- Affordable
- Great plan inclusions
- Reliable speed at most times
- Compatible with most GSM phones
- Hotspot and tethering included
cons
- Speed and coverage occasionally fluctuating
- Expensive phone pay-out
- No family plans
- Network prone to congestion
Final Verdict
In all, you’ll find that Mint Mobile is a great network that offers affordable plans. As it’s affiliated with T-Mobile, the network is great for those looking for something that’s both fast and reliable. You also don’t have to worry about data overages or contracts because this network has none of that.
You can also bulk-buy plans that you can share with your family. It also readily includes a mobile hotspot whereas other networks will ask you to pay for a hotspot.
However, just like other networks, Mint Mobile is not perfect. That said, you might experience network problems from time to time if the network gets too congested.
If Mint Mobile is not for you, you can always check out its alternatives such as AT&T or Google Fi to find the right network and the right plans for you.
