How to Save Money on AT&T Wireless
No one likes to pay extra, and everyone wants to save money, especially on cell phone service costs, which always seem like they charge too much.
Wireless service providers like AT&T are one of the more premium options available in the market. There are many large competitors, like T-Mobile and Sprint. However, none have the same level of great service and quality that AT&T provides to its customers.
However, they charge a premium for their quality services. If you are their customer, you may have often wondered how to save money on AT&T wireless.
Fortunately, we have the answers.
Here are just a few things that will help you get the most out of your premium cell phone service provider- AT&T.
Find the right plan
When it comes to saving money on your cell phone bills, the AT&T plan you choose matters, making a big difference in your yearly spending. You may still be using the same old plan you signed up for ages ago, and you will have to do some research to find out whether a new plan will cost you less.
Often, users pay hundreds of dollars every year on services they do not even use because they have an old plan with monthly fixed costs.
AT&T currently offers the following types of plans.
Wireless unlimited plans
In an unlimited plan (postpaid wireless plan), you get great family plans, and while you may pay more with these plans, you pay less per person. If you have four members in your family, you get a lot more for a lot less money. The lowest pricing starts at 35 dollars per month for four lines, which means you pay 140 dollars per month.
If you are single, you may want to join another family of 3 so that everyone can benefit. You can also join your friends or connect your grandparents, parents, or other family members to your plan. As long as they pay regularly and on time, 4 and 5 are the best number of users for unlimited plans.
These plans offer 5G access, among other things, and while it says unlimited, your data speeds are slowed down or throttled after you reach a certain bandwidth/data cap; this is true for any AT&T plan that offers “unlimited” data. However, the data caps differ from plan to plan.
Wireless 4GB plans
The 4GB plan is a standard plan that costs between 40 and 50 dollars per person, up to 5 lines. They offer 4GB of data per line per month and charge a data overage of 10 dollars per 2GB. There is no 5G access.
You can compare all the AT&T wireless 4GB and Wireless Unlimited Plans here.
Wireless prepaid plans
Prepaid plans are another great way to save money on your cell phone bill because you can buy data add-ons if you need them instead of paying overages. There is a wide variety of wireless options with AT&T prepaid plans that range from 25 dollars per month to 75 dollars per month.
The highest prepaid plan can also drop to just 50 dollars per month if you enroll in AutoPay. You get 5G access and unlimited data on the top AT&T prepaid plans.
You can compare AT&T wireless prepaid plans here.
Old plan vs. New plan
It is important to note that if your old plan is costing you less, there is no need to change to a new plan. However, if your old plan is costing you more for texts, minutes, or data, you may save a lot on your cell phone bill by opting for a new one.
If online comparisons are not your thing, you can always walk into an AT&T store and ask how you can lower your wireless bill. It may take some time, but even if you walk out saving 10 dollars on your phone bill, you save 120 dollars each year.
Try bundle offers
There are also plenty of bundle offers that include wireless services with AT&T’s other services like the internet or TV. If you use any one of these other services, you may want to compare the bundle offers online or create your own bundle to save money on services as a package.
You can start creating your own AT&T bundle here.
Curb data usage
If you do not have an unlimited plan, lowering your use of data is one of the fastest ways to lower your cell phone bills. If you do have an unlimited plan, lowering your use of data will help avoid exceeding your data cap and experiencing temporary slow data speeds.
Make sure you always connect to WiFi whenever possible, and if you stream a lot of music, it is wise to download your playlist onto your cell phone. You can also use built-in tools on your iOS or Android mobile device to control how much data usage.
You can even limit certain apps to WiFi-only and set alerts if you exceed a preset data limit. These things will significantly lower your use of wireless data and save money by cutting costs on monthly overages.
Utilize stream saver
Big wireless carriers like T-Mobile offer tools that help you save data. AT&T also offers this service in the form of Stream Saver on their prepaid plans and other eligible plans. If your plan has this option, you can use it to lower your data consumption and save money.
This option is ideal for users who like to stream videos on their wireless service. It limits the quality of streaming videos to 480p, but it will allow you to continue streaming videos on your cell phone without using too much data.
Check for discounts
AT&T offers some great wireless discounts to you and your family if you belong to certain fields, institutions, or businesses.
These discounts extend to:
- Students
- Business employees
- AARP members
- Union members
- Military and veteran families
- First responder families
- Teachers and their families
- Nurses, physicians, and their families
You can check if you qualify for these discounts by filling a short form here and start saving money on your AT&T monthly bill today.
Lose what you don’t need
Some AT&T wireless plans offer things that you may not need. For example, Hotspot data and HBO Max are costly extras that not everyone uses. If you do not need these options, you can get rid of them and move to a lower-priced plan that saves money on your monthly cell phone bill.
Similarly, if you see yourself using only half of the available 100GB “premium” data on your current plan, which is unthrottled, high-speed data, you are paying extra for no reason. Moving to a lower-priced plan will save you over a hundred dollars each year.
Ask for discounts
Often calling AT&T and politely asking for a discount can save money on your cell phone bill. If you are an older customer, you are more likely to succeed. They will do their best to accommodate your request because they appreciate your long-term loyalty.
You may get a loyalty discount that is not even available on their website. It may only be a temporary discount but, it will save money on your next cell phone bill. If you are lucky, you can save around 40-60 dollars on your next month’s cell phone bill.
Just remember to keep your current cell phone plan details on hand and always be polite, and you will go far.
Negotiate better deals
One way to save money on your monthly bill or cell phone plan is to test your negotiation skills.
Call AT&T and tell them you are thinking of getting a new plan for yourself (or your family if you use a family plan), and you would like to continue using AT&T’s services if you can get a better deal.
All customer service representatives have certain targets to hit, and one of these targets is cancellation saves. If you share concerns, there is a high chance that the rep will offer you a better deal to keep you on and meet their target for the day.
Why it works
Compared to other wireless carriers like T-Mobile or Sprint, AT&T is more expensive, and this why showing concerns over pricing works to get AT&T to offer you a better deal. Moreover, you can share concerns about the high fees and taxes they charge you.
Depending on how well the conversation goes, you may end up getting a 12-month discount deal of 5-20 dollars per month. Saving you anywhere between 60-240 dollars on your cell phone bill for the year.
You can also ask them to extend the discount period. For example, if they give you a six or 12-month discount, ask for an additional six months. They may need to check if it is possible but, you are likely to get the extension.
If it doesn’t work
If you are not offered any discounts, you can try another day with another rep. If that doesn’t work either, ask to speak to a supervisor or manager and share your concerns. Higher-level employees are typically better positioned to offer more favorable deals and discounts to customers.
If even that doesn’t work, call the AT&T loyalty department and share your concerns. As mentioned earlier, if you are a long-time customer, they are likely to offer you a loyalty discount.
Final thoughts
Hopefully, your concerns about how to save money on AT&T wireless are answered here. More often than not, politely asking your wireless carrier for money-saving options, discounts, and better deals will get you what you are looking for.
If you are still not satisfied, doing some research, comparing plans, and checking out discounts will help you better understand how to get the best deal at the best price. You do not have to compromise on what you need, but removing things you never use will almost always lower your cell phone bills.
Always remember loyalty and politeness goes a long way with any service provider, including cell phone providers and wireless carriers like AT&T.
