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I have used Mint Mobile for a while. Perhaps you are considering Mint Mobile Service or have set up questions. Hope the lessons learned and candid tips I shared here will help answer some if not all of your questions.
First of all, does Mint Mobile worth it?
Oh Yeah, absolutely. I switched to Mint Mobile a while back when AT&T started to charge an unlimited data plan for over sixty dollars a month plus fees and taxes. I am so happy I did. Mint Mobile uses the T-Mobile network, so the service is as good as T-Mobile, which is reliable. However, the price is so much more affordable. Mint Mobile still adopts a tiered usage-based pricing model. For instance, for 5 GB data usage a month, you pay as little as $15. For 15 GB of data usage a month, you pay as little as $20 a month when paying annually.
Nevertheless, coverage is a different question. T-Mobile network appears to have some coverage gaps here and there, check out the coverage map to make sure your area is covered.
What also makes the pricing competitive is the fees and tax component. Because Mint Mobile is an online-only service, their fees and taxes are significantly cheaper compared to traditional mobile service providers. For instance, traditional mobile service providers like AT&T may charge over $10 a month just for fees and taxes. The list of fees and taxes seems to be endless including administrative fees, State telecom relay service charges and telecommunications taxes, regulatory recovery charges, 911 surcharges, and other government fees and taxes, etc.
Last but not least Mint Mobile data plan allows users to provide hotspots. When AT&T forced customers to pay for an expensive unlimited data plan, they actually also take away the hotspot capabilities. Hotspot for me is very important, as I do the majority of my work through the laptop. When the WIFI is none or sporadic, I tend to use my cell phone’s hotspot to connect to my laptop.
How to Select a Preferred Mint Mobile Phone Number?
The Mint Mobile setup process is generally straightforward, they really make it easy to bring your own number from another provider. Also, eSIM is a game-changer. You can activate an eSIM as long as your phone supports it.
The real challenge I encountered is setting up a new phone number for my younger son. I was wondering – can I preview a list of phone numbers available for me to pick & choose? Well, the answer is No. Mint Mobile uses system-generated random phone numbers which you can’t preview beforehand.
However, I found out you CAN indeed choose a specific area code if you prefer. Mint Mobile will ask you during the setup process about the zip code. Be very mindful and do your research beforehand.
Take my example, I’d like to pick a Chicago number with a 312 area code. When I search zip codes with 312 area codes, many zip codes popped up. Naturally, I picked the zipcode that was on top of the search result, which turned out to be a mistake. When the phone number generated by the Mint Mobile system turned out to have a different area code, I was puzzled initially.
After a little bit of research, I discovered the zip code I provided actually includes three area codes, 312 is just one of the three. If I have the specific 312 area code, I’d better provide a zipcode that only includes this specific area code.
In conclusion, I am pleased with Mint Mobile’s service and wish I could have switched earlier. If you decide to switch too, consider using my Mint Mobile Referral Link. If you have specific questions about Mint Mobile, feel free to ask your questions below in the comment box, I promise I will share with you my honest opinions.
