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T-Mobile To Go Prepaid Cell Phone Review

Last updated: January 19, 2022 by the Prepaid Reviews Staff

Our Editorial Rating

Rated 4.0 out of 5

Overview

T-Mobile USA, a subsidiary of Deutsch Telekom, is the fourth-largest cellular provider in the US. Over the years they've continually added to their prepaid service, and currently add more prepaid customers than postpaid customers every quarter.

Pros: T-Mobile prepaid features a number of monthly prepaid plans and pay-as-you-go options. Its Gold Rewards program helps pay-as-you-go customer save money. It's Monthly 4G plans simulate postpaid contract plans.

Cons: Without Gold Rewards, pay-as-you-go rates are more expensive than industry norms. The phones for the Monthly 4G plans are either outdated or very expensive.

Detailed Provider Information

Plans: T-Mobile offers monthly, daily, and per-minute plans. The 70 dollar, 60 dollar, and 50 dollar plans all include unlimited talk, text, and web. The difference is that each plan has a different amount of 4G data. The 30 dollar plan includes 100 minutes plus unlimited text and web. There is another 30 dollar plan that includes either 1500 minutes or messages, plus 30MB of web. The 3 dollar and 2 dollar pay per day plans include unlimited talk, text, and web, but the 2 dollar plan includes only 2G speeds. The 1 dollar plan includes unlimited text messaging and minutes at 10 cents each. The pay per day plans remain the same as always: 100 dollars for 1000 minutes, 50 dollars for 400 minutes, 30 dollars for 160 minutes, and 10 dollars for 30 minutes. Customers who spend 100 dollars on cards also get 15 percent more minutes on future purchases.

Customer Service: Customer care is offered via a toll free number, email and retail locations nationwide.

Free Nights: Unlimited

Credit Check: None

Free Weekends: Unlimited

Contract: None

Daily Access Fee: No

Payment Options: T-Mobile's prepaid plans can be paid for with a debit or credit card, or by purchasing a refill card at retailers across the country.

Text and Picture Messaging: Text messaging is included with all monthly and daily plans. With the per-minute plans, text messages cost 10 cents to send and receive. Picture messages cost 25 cents each.

Data Plans: T-Mobile's monthly data plans come with unlimited data, but have different levels at 4G speeds. The 70 dollar and 30 dollar plans include 5GB at 4G speeds. The 60 dollar plan includes 2GB at 4G speeds, and the 50 dollar plan includes 100MB at 4G speeds. The 3 dollar pay per day plan has 200MB at 4G speeds. The per-minute plans do not have an option for data.

Downloads: Ringtones, games, wallpaper and applications are available and start at $1.49 each and up, with prices varying based on what you purchase and the phone you're using.

International Calling: T-Mobile offers unlimited talk to landlines in 50 countries, plus unlimited international texting to mobile phones in over 200 countries, for 10 dollars per month. This also includes unlimited texting and discount rates to numbers in 150 other countries.

Text Messaging Available: Yes

Roaming Charges: There are no roaming charges on the T-Mobile USA network.

Shop Phones and Plans: Shop for T-Mobile prepaid

Text Messaging Charge For Incoming: No

Calling Features: All phones feature call waiting, caller ID, voicemail and 3 way calling. Airtime rates apply.

Unlimited Text Messaging Plan Available: Yes

Activation Fee: None

Nationwide Long Distance: Long distance calls to all 50 United States made with T-Mobile are treated like regular calls with no additional long distance fees.

Unlimited Plan Available: Yes

411 Calls: Directory assistance is available for $1.99 per call, plus airtime.

Earliest Minute Expiration: All refill cards below 100 dollars expire in 90 days. The 100 dollar card expires in one year, and extends the expiration of future purchases to one year.

911 Calls: Yes.

Calling Features: Call waiting, caller ID, voicemail and 3 way calling are included with all plans. Airtime rates apply.

Coverage Map: T-Mobile Prepaid Coverage Map

Average Rating By Users

3.0
Rated 3.0 out of 5
3.0 out of 5 stars (based on 842 reviews)
5 star32%
4 star12%
3 star15%
2 star6%
1 star35%

Most Recent Reviews

Consumer Review

Rated 1.0 out of 5
September 10, 2013

Purchased a samsung cell phone ($60 with prepaid plan) with 1000 prepaid minutes ($100) after reading good web reviews about the T-Mobile prepaid plan. The gentleman at the T-mobil store in the local mall checked my home address on his coverage map and said that coverage near my home would be very strong (highest category – 5 bars). When I brought the phone home, I couldn’t get any coverage. But when I returned the phone to the store 2-days later, the store manager said he would only refund the $60 cost of the phone, but not the $100 I paid for the prepaid minutes (even though having prepaid minutes without a working phone is obviously useless). Called T-mobile customer service. The supervisor there politely said he understood my concern, but there was nothing to be done. Rather unhelpful.

J.C.

Consumer Review

Rated 1.0 out of 5
September 10, 2013

T-MOBILE IS NOT THAT BAD ITS BETTER THAN AT&T GO PHONE (PREPAID), AT&T GO PHONE CHARGES U FOR EVERY SINGLE THING U DO. WHEN I WAS SHOPPING 4 RINGTONES THEY CHARGED ME 4 USING THE INTERNET PLUS THE RINGTONES PRICE. AND ITS .25 A MINUTE!

alber

Consumer Review

Rated 4.0 out of 5
September 10, 2013

No complaints. Buy the $50 refill and it’s pretty cheap overall…lasts me about a month with moderate usage, which is way cheaper than my cingular contract plan was. It’s GSM, so you can use pretty much any unlocked phone you want. Plus, the CSRs are far nicer than the idiots at Cingular. So far I’m completely satisfied.

jakeoff

Consumer Review

Rated 4.0 out of 5
September 10, 2013

You can’t get the sim card by itself, as far as I know — but the cheapest phone that comes with the prepay plan is only $30 and includes $10 worth of minutes. Advice: Immediately buy a $100 card; that kicks you into gold status and cuts the rate to $0.10/minute, INCLUDING the minutes already on the phone — so your initial $10 gives you 100 minutes rather than 30.

Qat

Consumer Review

Rated 3.0 out of 5
September 10, 2013

How can you beat this deal. The phone cost $29 with free shipping with $10 included and a free $25 card included. That is almost free. I buy a $ 100 card for $88 at wall-mart and become a gold member with 1000 minutes that last a year. The network is as large as any others. I can put their sim in any unlocked phone if I dont like the one provided. My only problem now is what to do with all my Cingular accounts that still have minutes left on them. Notice how all the people who complain here cant give any good reasons. I am the cheapest person on earth and T-Moble is the cheapest and best plan!!!!!!!!!

Fred

Consumer Review

Rated 3.0 out of 5
September 10, 2013

Purchased a samsung cell phone ($60 with prepaid plan) with 1000 prepaid minutes ($100) after reading good web reviews about the T-Mobile prepaid plan. The gentleman at the T-mobil store in the local mall checked my home address on his coverage map and said that coverage near my home would be very strong (highest category – 5 bars). When I brought the phone home, I couldn’t get any coverage. But when I returned the phone to the store 2-days later, the store manager said he would only refund the $60 cost of the phone, but not the $100 I paid for the prepaid minutes (even though having prepaid minutes without a working phone is obviously useless). Called T-mobile customer service. The supervisor there politely said he understood my concern, but there was nothing to be done. Rather unhelpful.

j.c.

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