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Your take on T-Mobile $30 Prepaid plan (100 min, unlimited text, 5GB of 4G data)

  • Something like this would be great for me

    Votes: 356 79.1%
  • Not for me

    Votes: 94 20.9%

  • Total voters
    450

Woochifer

macrumors 6502a
Apr 22, 2007
772
55
I had originally heard that music streaming didn't count against data on the $30 plan, but on Nov 17th I got this text making me think that maybe they changed their mind:

Free T-Mobile Msg: Upgrade to a $50/month prepaid plan and stream music without impacting your data allocation. Visit my.T-Mobile.com, a store, or call 611.

Can someone verify? (I don't really use any of the exempted services)

I received the same message, but I don't think it means anything. Except maybe to say that they reserve the right to remove these recently added freebies (free music streaming, free tethering) at any time.

Ever since they exempted music streaming services in June, I've not had any of that counted against my data cap. Keep in mind that only streaming radio services like iTunes Radio are exempted. Services like iTunes Match, in which you actually download music files onto your phone while listening, does count against the data cap.

I've been running speed tests continuously while driving the last couple of weeks, checking T-Mobile's new wideband LTE and none of it has counted against the data cap.

I frequently check the data usage on My Data Manager against what T-Mobile counts on my data usage, and haven't noticed anything different. According to My Data Manager, I used more than 6 GB of data last month, but T-Mobile only counted 2.2 GB against the cap.
 

BruiserB

macrumors 68000
Aug 9, 2008
1,729
702
I received the same message, but I don't think it means anything. Except maybe to say that they reserve the right to remove these recently added freebies (free music streaming, free tethering) at any time.

Ever since they exempted music streaming services in June, I've not had any of that counted against my data cap. Keep in mind that only streaming radio services like iTunes Radio are exempted. Services like iTunes Match, in which you actually download music files onto your phone while listening, does count against the data cap.

I've been running speed tests continuously while driving the last couple of weeks, checking T-Mobile's new wideband LTE and none of it has counted against the data cap.

I frequently check the data usage on My Data Manager against what T-Mobile counts on my data usage, and haven't noticed anything different. According to My Data Manager, I used more than 6 GB of data last month, but T-Mobile only counted 2.2 GB against the cap.


That's good news. I've never bothered checking. Most of my streaming is through the SiriusXM app which I don't believe is on the exempt list. So far I haven't had any issue...I still normally end up in the 3-4GB per month area.
 

HarryWild

macrumors 68020
Oct 27, 2012
2,042
710
Is the T-Mobile (Walmart) prepaid actually 4G LTE! My local T-Mobile rep said that it is only 3G!

Does anyone know if it is LTE or is it 3G?

Also, how much does it cost with taxes included?

How does it work with an Verizon branded iPhone 5C?
4G at least? Minneapolis area!

Thanks.
 
Last edited:

geoff5093

macrumors 68020
Sep 16, 2014
2,251
2,564
Dover, NH
Is the T-Mobile (Walmart) prepaid actually 4G LTE! My local T-Mobile rep said that it is only 3G!

Does anyone know if it is LTE or is it 3G?

Also, how much does it cost with taxes included?

How does it work with an Verizon branded iPhone 5C?
4G at least? Minneapolis area!

Thanks.

It's LTE, below is a screenshot that I took using this plan. $30 month is all you pay, there are no taxes, just perhaps sales tax if you have a state that has that when buying the plan.

 

BruiserB

macrumors 68000
Aug 9, 2008
1,729
702
T-Mobile $30 Prepaid plan (100 min, unlimited text, 5GB of 4G LTE data)

Is the T-Mobile (Walmart) prepaid actually 4G LTE! My local T-Mobile rep said that it is only 3G!

Does anyone know if it is LTE or is it 3G?

Also, how much does it cost with taxes included?

How does it work with an Verizon branded iPhone 5C?
4G at least? Minneapolis area!

Thanks.


It's LTE. It works great in Minneapolis! T-mobile will charge $30.00 to your account (no tax) but you will pay sales tax when you buy the refill cards in MN plus a small 911 fee. You can buy at Target with a RedCard and get 5% off so that almost makes up for the tax. And Target occasionally has refill cards on sale. Or you can buy online from callingmart.com for no taxes but they charge 2% over plan price so $30 costs you $30.60. You can also find refills on eBay for under face value, but they can be sketchy, although I've had good luck with them. I usually look for a seller who applies credit directly to your account and who does not require your account PIN to do the recharge.
 

HarryWild

macrumors 68020
Oct 27, 2012
2,042
710
Thank everyone for your help!

Just sign up and paid the tax of $3 and autopay too! $33 for LTE is great! LOL! Just did not want to go through the hassle to manually renew it and maybe loose my phone number. This way it automatic. Have a Great Thanksgiving to all too!
 

geoff5093

macrumors 68020
Sep 16, 2014
2,251
2,564
Dover, NH
Thank everyone for your help!

Just sign up and paid the tax of $3 and autopay too! $33 for LTE is great! LOL! Just did not want to go through the hassle to manually renew it and maybe loose my phone number. This way it automatic. Have a Great Thanksgiving to all too!
If it expires you won't lose your number, I often let my service lapse a couple weeks to a month and nothing changes. I heard somewhere though that if you go over 2 months without service you need to pick a new plan, and the $30 plan isn't an option
 

HarryWild

macrumors 68020
Oct 27, 2012
2,042
710
If it expires you won't lose your number, I often let my service lapse a couple weeks to a month and nothing changes. I heard somewhere though that if you go over 2 months without service you need to pick a new plan, and the $30 plan isn't an option

Nice to know the I have a grace period and it is a month! Then I cannot go back to my current plan after 2 months.
 

Paulyboy

macrumors 6502
Jan 26, 2007
361
17
No visual voicemail on T-Mobile prepaid?

After a long and painful porting process from Straight Talk to T-Mobile prepaid I am finally set up on my new iPhone 6+ except visual voicemail isn't functioning. Tapping on the voicemail tab in the phone app on the iPhone just dials the voicemail number to retrieve messages the old way. My first call to T-Mobile about the issue sent me to technical support where they walked me through this process of resetting my network settings so they could do something on their end to make the visual voicemail work. They said to just wait 10 minutes which I did but nothing happened. So I called again only to get a completely different story regarding visual voicemail on an iPhone with a prepaid T-Mobile plan. This person told me that the visual voicemail on an iPhone T-Mobile prepaid plan is not possible. You have to be on a T-Mobile postpaid plan in order to use visual voicemail.

Can anybody confirm this or is this just a bunch of hogwash? There's always so much conflicting information when dealing with these carriers that I don't know what to believe. I can always go backto YouMail but I'd rather use the native solution of possible.

Thanks in advance for any help.

.-PN
 

skimcpip

macrumors regular
Aug 28, 2013
236
15
After a long and painful porting process from Straight Talk to T-Mobile prepaid I am finally set up on my new iPhone 6+ except visual voicemail isn't functioning. Tapping on the voicemail tab in the phone app on the iPhone just dials the voicemail number to retrieve messages the old way. My first call to T-Mobile about the issue sent me to technical support where they walked me through this process of resetting my network settings so they could do something on their end to make the visual voicemail work. They said to just wait 10 minutes which I did but nothing happened. So I called again only to get a completely different story regarding visual voicemail on an iPhone with a prepaid T-Mobile plan. This person told me that the visual voicemail on an iPhone T-Mobile prepaid plan is not possible. You have to be on a T-Mobile postpaid plan in order to use visual voicemail.

Can anybody confirm this or is this just a bunch of hogwash? There's always so much conflicting information when dealing with these carriers that I don't know what to believe. I can always go backto YouMail but I'd rather use the native solution of possible.

Thanks in advance for any help.

.-PN

I'm on this prepaid plan and visual voicemail works fine. Everything works as it should. It didn't work immediately though. I don't remember how long it took (no more than a day though), but it eventually fixed itself. Good luck.
 

technopimp

macrumors 6502a
Aug 12, 2009
645
219
I'm really thinking about this plan, but is there any sort of happy medium between this and the unlimited minutes for $50? I don't use that many minutes, and could use Google Hangouts if necessary, but my wife uses 500+ a month. Seems silly to pay an extra $20 for 300 more minutes.
 

Paulyboy

macrumors 6502
Jan 26, 2007
361
17
Did you ever get the visual voicemail fixed?

Seems it somehow fixed itself overnight. I didn't even have to restart the iPhone. I guess I can assume that whatever the first customer representative I spoke to did made it happen. Finally fully up and running!

-PN
 

Blaine

macrumors 6502a
Dec 3, 2007
792
97
Abilene TX
T-Mobile $30 Prepaid plan (100 min, unlimited text, 5GB of 4G LTE data)

I'm really thinking about this plan, but is there any sort of happy medium between this and the unlimited minutes for $50? I don't use that many minutes, and could use Google Hangouts if necessary, but my wife uses 500+ a month. Seems silly to pay an extra $20 for 300 more minutes.


Yeah I was hoping for the same :/
I need more than 100 minutes as I'm tired of having to decline calls and then call them back on my skype number.

They have a 45.00 plan with 2GB of data & unlimited calling/texting, but no international texting. You have to do the 50.00 monthly plan to get everything I need, but it's 20.00 more per month and only 1GB of data.

Sigh, the 30.00 plan has severely spoiled me.
 
Last edited:

617aircav

Suspended
Jul 2, 2012
3,975
818
Yeah I was hoping for the same :/
I need more than 100 minutes as I'm tired of having to decline calls and then call them back on my skype number.

They have a 45.00 plan with 2GB of data & unlimited calling/texting, but no international texting. You have to do the 50.00 monthly plan to get everything I need, but it's 20.00 more per month and only 1GB of data.

Sigh, the 30.00 plan has severely spoiled me.


Why not jump to cricket. Better coverage than T-Mobile and you can get 10gb for $55 flat or 3gb for $45. I can't see how any working adult can get by on 100 min. Using VoIP is a poor solution when not on wifi and in areas of weak coverage.
 

skiltrip

macrumors 68030
May 6, 2010
2,894
268
New York
Extra minutes are 10 cents each. For me it works out great. Most of my months are light on minutes, so those are $30. Now and then I use 150 minutes a month. That would bring me to $35 for that month. Even if I had a crazy talk month, for $50 I'd have 300 minutes. The beauty is I never pay for more than I use.
 

TG1

macrumors 6502a
Feb 21, 2011
591
51
This plan plus Google Voice (Hangouts Dialer) is mobile plan gold. Music Freedom applies to this plan too.
 

skiltrip

macrumors 68030
May 6, 2010
2,894
268
New York
This plan plus Google Voice (Hangouts Dialer) is mobile plan gold. Music Freedom applies to this plan too.


Yup. I was surprised it was, but I noticed that Pandora and Spotify weren't making the data clock move. This is the Golden Plan for sure.
 
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