In today’s world, having a mobile phone is essential. However, the cost of phone bills can quickly add up, especially with carriers like AT&T, which often increase rates unexpectedly. If you’re an AT&T customer looking to lower your mobile bill, you’re in luck. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore ten effective strategies that can help you save money on your AT&T mobile bill. From taking advantage of vocational discount programs to switching to a cheaper MVNO plan, we’ve got you covered. So, let’s dive in and start saving!
Why Did My AT&T Phone Bill Increase?
Before we dive into the strategies for lowering your AT&T mobile bill, let’s first understand why your bill may have increased. There are two main reasons for bill increases with AT&T:
- Various Surcharges, Taxes, and Fees: AT&T includes ten types of taxes, surcharges, and fees on your bill. These increases are often due to state and federal regulations, and AT&T passes them on to customers rather than absorbing the cost themselves.
- Overage Charges: Understanding your data usage is crucial in controlling bill fluctuations. Even if your plan claims to be “unlimited,” there may be instances where you could be charged for overage use.
Now that we have a clear understanding of why bills increase, let’s explore the strategies to lower your AT&T mobile bill.
Check for Vocational Discount Programs
AT&T offers a wide range of vocational discount programs that can help you save money on your mobile bill. These programs are designed to reward specific demographics, such as students, seniors, and union members. Let’s explore some of these programs:
AARP Members
If you’re an AARP member, you can enjoy several benefits from AT&T. The AT&T Unlimited Premium plan offers a 10% discount for AARP members, along with 5G access at no extra charge. Additionally, there is a 50% savings offering for activation and upgrade fees, and a 15% discount on accessories for AARP members who are AT&T customers.
Military and Veterans
Active duty military personnel, their spouses, military reserves, and veterans can qualify for exclusive savings and discounts on AT&T plans. For unlimited plans with four or more lines, the price is $27 per month per line.
Union Members
AT&T offers significant savings for union members. With the AT&T Unlimited Premium plan, union members can save $10 per month per line. Additionally, there are periodic special new member credits offered for union members who switch to AT&T.
First Responders
First responders and the extended public safety community have access to the exclusive FirstNet wireless network. This network was specifically designed for the first responder community. Families of first responders and other public safety personnel can save 25% on the regular AT&T network.
Teachers
Teachers and their families can qualify for special pricing on unlimited plans. Plans with four or more lines are priced at $27 per month per line.
Nurses and Physicians
Nurses, physicians, and their families can also benefit from special pricing on unlimited plans. Similar to teachers, plans with four or more lines are priced at $27 per month per line.
Students
AT&T offers students a 10% discount on the AT&T Unlimited Premium plan. This plan includes 5G access at no extra charge. Additionally, there may be other benefits available to students depending on their school or university.
Employer Discounts
Some employers have agreements with AT&T to offer discounts to their employees. You can check AT&T’s database of qualifying employers to see if you qualify for any employer discounts.
By taking advantage of these vocational discount programs, you can significantly lower your AT&T mobile bill.
Employ a Bill Management Service
If you want to save money on your AT&T mobile bill without investing too much time, consider employing a bill management service. These services, such as Trim and Billshark, specialize in negotiating lower bills on your behalf. While they charge a fee, they can often save you more money than the fee itself. Here are some popular bill management services to consider:
Billshark
Billshark is a well-established bill negotiation service that can lower your AT&T bill by 25% in just 2 minutes. While they charge the highest rates among similar services, they have a proven track record. Billshark’s fee is a one-time payment of 40% of your savings, plus $9 for each subscription they cancel. They also offer a $25 reward bonus that can be used at various retailers.
BillSmart
BillSmart is another excellent option for negotiating lower AT&T bills. Like Billshark, BillSmart only charges if they can lower your bill. Their fee is 25% of the first year’s savings. BillSmart focuses on reducing your overall bill and negotiating one-time credits to be added to your account.
Billslasher
Billslasher guarantees savings or you don’t pay them. Their fee is 40% of a year’s worth of successful savings made in three monthly installments. With Billslasher, you don’t even need to provide your bill to sign up for their service.
Rocket Money
Rocket Money is committed to producing savings results, or you don’t pay them. Their fee is a one-time payment of 40% of your savings. Rocket Money also offers additional financial tools such as budgeting and credit score monitoring.
By utilizing a bill management service, you can potentially save a significant amount on your AT&T mobile bill without investing much time or effort.
Reduce Data Fees by Off-loading to Wi-Fi
If you’re not on an unlimited data plan and pay by the gig, there are steps you can take to reduce your data fees. By off-loading data usage to Wi-Fi, you can avoid using your full monthly data allowance and potentially downgrade to a plan with less data. Here’s how you can be more proactive about your data usage:
- Use Wi-Fi as often as possible: By connecting to Wi-Fi networks whenever available, you can reduce your reliance on cellular data. This not only helps you avoid using your full data allowance but also allows you to consider plans with less data.
- Limit background usage: Many apps continue to use data even when you’re not actively using them. You can control this by disabling background usage for specific apps. Go to your phone’s settings, navigate to the “Cellular” section, and turn off background usage for apps that you don’t want to use data in the background.
By implementing these strategies, you can effectively reduce your data fees and potentially lower your AT&T mobile bill.
Switch to a Cheaper MVNO Plan
If you’re looking for significant savings on your AT&T mobile bill, consider switching to a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) plan. MVNOs are mobile providers that lease access from major carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. By offering lower prices, MVNOs can help you reduce your monthly bill while still utilizing the same network infrastructure. Here are some popular MVNO carriers on AT&T’s network:
Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile offers an unlimited data plan for as low as $25 per month for new customers. This plan includes unlimited talk and text, making it an affordable option.
Cricket Wireless
Cricket Wireless offers a variety of plans, starting at $30 per month for a 5GB data plan. The price increases as you add more lines to your plan.
Red Pocket
Red Pocket offers a basic unlimited plan starting at $20 per month. While the plan is called “Unlimited,” it includes 3GB of data per month. Red Pocket also offers a plan for $10 per month, which includes 500 minutes, 500 texts, and 500MB of data.
TracFone
TracFone offers an unlimited talk and text plan with 4GB of data for $30 per month. Their cheapest plan is priced at $15 per month and includes unlimited talk and text. By enrolling in automatic “refills,” you can get a discount of $5 per month for the first two months of use.
Straight Talk
Straight Talk offers a plan priced at $35 per month, including unlimited talk, text, and calls to Canada and Mexico. This plan also includes 10GB of data.
Switching to an MVNO plan can significantly lower your AT&T mobile bill while still providing access to the same network infrastructure.
Review Your Plan with a Representative (in person)
To gain a better understanding of your AT&T bill and explore potential cost-saving opportunities, consider reviewing your plan with a representative. You have two options for this:
- Go to an AT&T store: By speaking with an AT&T specialist in person, you can engage in a face-to-face discussion about your bill. This personal interaction can help position you as someone who genuinely cares about your bill. During your visit, discuss various charges, fees, and features of your bill. Identify any items that you may not need or that seem to be increasing in price. Additionally, expressing a genuine interest in finding better deals with other providers may prompt the AT&T representative to offer you additional discounts or incentives to retain your business.
- Call and negotiate: If you prefer not to visit a store, you can call AT&T customer support and discuss your bill over the phone. When calling, be prepared to negotiate. Reference AT&T competitor rates that are similar to your current plan to demonstrate that you’ve done your research. Be clear about the rate you believe you should be paying based on your previous payments or expectations. You can also inquire about loyalty discounts and express your willingness to explore other options if your bill cannot be reduced.
Taking the time to review your plan with an AT&T representative can uncover potential cost-saving opportunities and help you lower your mobile bill.
Opt for Automatic Payments
Signing up for automatic payments and paperless billing is a simple step that can lead to savings on your monthly AT&T bill. By enrolling in both automatic payments and paperless billing, you can save between $5 and $100, depending on your plan and the number of lines. Here’s how to set up automatic payments:
- Log into your AT&T account.
- Go to the “Settings” section.
- Locate the options for automatic payments and paperless billing.
- Enroll in both services and provide the necessary bank account or credit/debit card information.
By opting for automatic payments, you not only save money but also streamline your bill-paying process.
Why Are AT&T Mobile Bills So High?
AT&T mobile bills tend to be higher compared to other carriers due to several factors. One primary reason is that AT&T provides primary data access as a tower owner, rather than simply leasing access like MVNOs. This ownership of infrastructure contributes to the higher cost of AT&T plans. Additionally, AT&T bills can increase over time due to inflation, fee changes, and plan tier adjustments.
Does AT&T Offer Loyalty Discounts?
While AT&T has a loyalty program for certain customer tiers, the rewards are typically in the form of third-party discounts or gifts, such as movie tickets or discounts on new hardware. The loyalty program is not designed to directly reduce the dollar amount of your bill as a long-time customer.
Conclusion
Lowering your AT&T mobile bill is possible with the right strategies in place. By checking for vocational discount programs, employing a bill management service, reducing data fees through Wi-Fi off-loading, switching to a cheaper MVNO plan, reviewing your plan with a representative, and opting for automatic payments, you can effectively save money on your monthly bill. Remember to take advantage of the various vocational discount programs offered by AT&T, negotiate with representatives, and consider alternative plans from MVNO carriers. With these strategies, you’ll be on your way to enjoying a lower AT&T mobile bill while still receiving the quality service you need.
