AT&T recently announced that the prices for retired plans will change beginning August 2024. Single-line unlimited accounts will see a $10 increase on monthly bills, and multi-line unlimited accounts will see a $20 increase.
In this article, I’ll share what we know so far about the upcoming AT&T price hikes. I’ll also share alternative phone plans to consider that may be cheaper once your current rate rises.
AT&T Customers on Older Plans Will Pay More Beginning in August
If you’re currently on an old unlimited plan from AT&T, you can expect a price increase beginning with your August bill.
“We’re increasing the monthly charge on most of our retired unlimited wireless plans,” says AT&T. “Starting in August 2024, you’ll see the relevant price change reflected on your August bill.”
According to AT&T, the monthly plan charge for single-line accounts will increase by $10. If you have multiple lines on your account, the monthly plan charge will increase by a total of $20. AT&T clarified that this is the total monthly increase, not a per line increase.
The pricing change will affect most of AT&T’s older unlimited plans including the following:
- AT&T Unlimited & MoreSM Premium
- AT&T Unlimited Choice Enhanced
- AT&T Unlimited & MoreSM
- AT&T Unlimited Choice II
- AT&T Unlimited Plus
- AT&T Unlimited Choice
- AT&T Unlimited Plan
- AT&T Unlimited Plus Enhanced
- AT&T Unlimited Value Plan
- AT&T Unlimited Plan (with TV)
Along with the price increase, retired unlimited plans will get added high-speed data and hotspot data, according to AT&T.
- AT&T Unlimited Choice, Choice II, Choice Enhanced, Unlimited &More, and Unlimited Value plans will now include 75GB of high-speed data and 30GB of hotspot data.
- AT&T Unlimited Plus, Plus Enhanced, Unlimited &More Premium, and AT&T Unlimited (with TV) plans will now include 100GB of high-speed data and 60GB of hotspot data.
AT&T notes that Connected Car plans will keep their existing high-speed data benefits and will not get hotspot data.
Even if your plan isn’t listed, you may still see a price increase on your August bill. AT&T Mobile Share plans with less than 6GB of data will see a $5 monthly plan charge increase. Mobile Share plans with 6GB of data or more will increase by $10. Along with the price increase, these plans will gain 5G access on compatible devices.
Additionally, Retired FamilyTalk and Nation plans that cost $45 or less before taxes and fees will see a monthly plan charge increase of $5. Monthly rates that are more than $45 before taxes and fees will increase by $10. No new features will be added to these plans after the price increase.
To see if you’ll be affected by AT&T’s upcoming price hikes, sign in to your AT&T account and visit your myAT&T account overview. From there, select “Settings” and scroll to “Billing.” Select “Customer service summary” to view any new monthly charges.
Cheaper Plans on AT&T’s Network
While you may not be able to prevent the price increase on your current plan, you can always consider a more affordable phone plan. When AT&T first raised prices on older plans two years ago, Clark said an upcoming price increase is a great time to make the switch.
“This is a time you should re-shop your cell phone service before the AT&T price increases go in. You don’t want to be someone who just says, ‘OK, come take more money from me.’ No! You may find out that there are much better, cheaper plans available elsewhere or even from AT&T. This is the time that you shop as a free agent.”
If you really like AT&T’s service, there may be a new plan available that works better for you. AT&T offers a Value Plus VL Plan for $50.99 per month for one line with unlimited talk, text and data. For 4+ lines, the price drops to $30.99 per line per month. You can check out the details here and see details on AT&T’s other unlimited postpaid plans.
AT&T also offers prepaid plans beginning as low as $25 per month. The least expensive plan includes unlimited talk, text and data (16GB high-speed per month) but requires you to pay for 12 months in advance ($300 upfront). You can also get 5GB of data per month for $30 with AT&T Prepaid, 15GB for $40 or unlimited for $50 with autopay.
If you’re ready to save big on your monthly phone bill but like the coverage you’re getting now, consider switching to one of AT&T’s MVNOs. An MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) is a low-cost service provider that operates on the same towers.
Here are a few of the best, most affordable MVNOs that provide access to AT&T’s network:
Boost Mobile offers prepaid plans that work with AT&T’s network beginning at $100 annually. That works out to just $8.33 per month! Of course, you can expect limited data with cheaper phone plans. This plan includes unlimited talk, text and 1GB of 5G/4G LTE data per month.
If you’re shopping for a family plan, Cricket Wireless offers one of the most affordable options: $25 monthly per line for four lines. This plan includes unlimited talk, text and high-speed data, but speeds will slow during network congestion. H2O Wireless also offers four lines for $25 monthly per line with up to 40GB of high-speed data.
You can check out our full list of the best AT&T MVNOs here. Alternatively, if you’re ready to leave the network altogether, see our top picks from all three of the major cell phone service providers and MVNOs that run on the same towers.
Final Thoughts
Even if you’re happy with your current AT&T plan, now is the time to make sure you’re still getting the best deal. If you’ve been on the same plan for a long time, it’s easy to become a creature of habit and not think about switching. In fact, this is what AT&T is relying on with the upcoming price hikes.
If AT&T offers the best service in your area, consider the AT&T Value Plus plan or a prepaid plan directly from the carrier. For even more savings, look into a few phone plans from MVNOs that operate on AT&T’s network.
If you do decide to switch to a new phone carrier, check out our step-by-step guide on how to keep your number.
Will you be affected by the upcoming AT&T price hike? Let us know in the Clark.com Community! Be sure to also check out the latest conversations around cell phone plans.
