How To Lower Your AT&T Bill

AT&T operates the second-largest wireless network in the United States. As a major mobile service provider, it offers a wide range of postpaid plans that provide extensive coverage to millions of customers. But AT&T’s cell service isn’t cheap. On average, AT&T clients spend $80/month (or $960/year) for a single line of unlimited data, with an average American family of four paying around $244/month. The good news is that you can reduce your monthly payment without sacrificing AT&T's reliable network coverage.

The best way to cut costs on your AT&T bill is to switch to a smaller carrier on AT&T’s network. That way you get the same excellent coverage at a fraction of the cost. If you aren’t ready to take the leap just yet, we’ve found 6 ways to reduce your AT&T wireless bill and help you save money.

1. Downgrade to a cheaper plan

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A straightforward way to lower your AT&T bill is to evaluate your current postpaid plan and consider switching to a more affordable one. AT&T offers multiple plan tiers (with limited or unlimited data) at varying price points.

Get cheaper unlimited data

Many AT&T customers pay for premium plan features they don't use. Unless you need a massive 100GB hotspot, you shouldn’t be paying for AT&T's top-tier plan. At $90/month (or $1,080/year), AT&T’s Premium 2.0 plan is the most expensive option available. Downgrading to a cheaper unlimited plan can instantly save you up to $40/month. With three unlimited data options, AT&T offers plans for different budgets.

Here’s AT&T unlimited plan pricing from cheapest to most expensive:

• $50/month Value 2.0 plan
• $70/month Extra 2.0 plan
• $90/month Premium 2.0 plan

We recommend switching to the Value 2.0 tier for the best value among AT&T’s unlimited plans. It includes unlimited data, 5G access, and a 3GB hotspot to keep your other devices connected away from home. Despite its data being deprioritized, its low price is worth the potential slowdowns. If you switch from premium, you’ll save $40/month, totaling $480/year.

Look for a limited data option

Unlimited data is generally pricier than limited or capped data options. Looking for a plan with a smaller data allowance can help you cut down on your AT&T phone bill. But how much data is enough? 

Most Americans only use between 10–12GB of data each month. Depending on your personal data needs, you may need more or less than the average user. For instance, if you frequently shoot, edit, and upload reels away from home, you probably need more than 10GB/month. But if you depend on Wi-Fi at home or at work, you can get away with much less. Just keep in mind that your plan needs may include hotspot capabilities or international texting, perks that aren’t usually included in limited data plans.

AT&T offers a 4GB postpaid plan, which includes access to AT&T’s nationwide 5G and 4G LTE networks for top speeds and reliable coverage. Plus, you can use your plan’s data with a hotspot, or even in Mexico and Canada with AT&T’s roaming. This plan also includes unlimited talk and text to both countries, and texting to over 200 locations. 

Important note: Yes, this plan is the same price as AT&T’s cheapest unlimited plan at $50/month. However, the limited data plan includes hotspot capabilities and full roaming in Mexico and Canada.

Save with AT&T Prepaid

Prepaid AT&T plans deliver competitively priced service with access to the same high-quality network as its postpaid alternatives. These plans offer significant savings while including top-tier perks typically found on more expensive options.

With both limited and unlimited data options, you can choose the best plan for your budget.

• We recommend the 30GB Unlimited Saver Plan. At $35/month, it's your best bang for your buck when it comes to value for AT&T's prepaid options.

$35/month for 30GB of high-speed data is definitely worth it, considering an average phone user burns through at least 10GB/month. You don’t have to worry about surprise fees either, since this plan doesn't charge for data overages, but you will be seriously slowed down once you reach your limit. AT&T's limited data options include 5G access, unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada, and international messaging to 230 countries.

There is one condition to its low price: Your speeds are capped at 3Mbps. You get cheap unlimited data, but your 30GB speeds peak at 3Mbps speeds and drop to 1.5Mbps after you use the 30GB. Hotspot isn’t included either, so make sure you won’t need it before you switch.

2. Sign up for automatic payments

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AT&T offers an AutoPay and paperless billing discount for wireless service. In fact, when you look at AT&T’s website, all of the carrier’s plan pricing already reflects the AutoPay discount. But the amount you save depends on your payment method. 

• To receive the maximum monthly discount of $10/line, you must pay with your bank account (either checking or savings). 

• Using a debit card or the AT&T Points Plus Card from Citi reduces the discount to $5/line. 

It’s important to note that any other credit cards no longer qualify for any AutoPay discount. Your monthly discount is automatically applied once you enroll in AutoPay and keep a valid email address on file for paperless billing. Learn more about managing your account in the myAT&T app, or troubleshoot paying your AT&T bill online in our guides.

3. Review your add-ons

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Regularly reviewing your plan's add-ons is a crucial step to lowering your AT&T bill. Pricey services like phone insurance and early upgrade plans can inflate your monthly payment for benefits you may not even use.

Remove your phone's insurance plan

Removing your AT&T phone insurance can save you between $192–$300/year…if you dare. Protect Advantage is AT&T’s insurance program that covers cell phones, tablets, and smartwatches against loss, theft, and damage. It consists of an extra monthly charge, which you can then use to claim damages on your device. Insurance for one device costs $16, $19, or $25 per month depending on your device, while coverage for 4 devices has a flat rate of $50 per month. Both plans offer benefits like same-day replacement and new battery installation.

However, removing your device insurance shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you lose or break your device, the cost of replacing most phones will almost certainly outpace the savings you were counting on. In fact, for owners of the newest flagship phones or those prone to accidents, the protection plan likely justifies its cost.

Opt out of early upgrades

Removing AT&T's early upgrade add-on can save you $10/month. AT&T Next Up allows you to upgrade your phone after paying off 50% of its cost, but is a wholly unnecessary expense if you plan on keeping your phone for a few years. You can cancel this add-on at any time online through your myAT&T account if you don’t foresee any upgrades in the near future.

4. Bundle lines with a family plan

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Bundling lines with an AT&T family plan drops your monthly bill dramatically. A single line of Premium 2.0 line costs $90/month, but with four lines, the monthly price plummets to $55/line. That’s $220/month in immediate savings for a family of four, adding up to nearly $1,700/year.

The savings are even greater on other tiers. The Value 2.0 plan drops from $50/month for one line to $30/line with four. The more lines you add, the steeper the discount per line. Don’t worry, you can still save with a 2-line AT&T family plan too. This strategy lets you keep AT&T’s premium network features (like unlimited premium data and international data) while lowering your cost. Merging plans is a quick online process, making it the easiest way to cut your wireless bill without cutting corners on service.

We recommend AT&T’s Unlimited Your Way family plan so you can mix and match different unlimited plans on one account. That way if you have some members who need high data allotments and international privileges but others who need a simple data plan, you can keep them all under one account and benefit from the multi-line discount.

Check out the most popular 4-line AT&T family plans below:

5. See if you qualify for a discount

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AT&T phone plan discounts include 25% off its unlimited plans for professionals, including military personnel, veterans, teachers, first responders, and more. You don’t have to be a new customer to snag the discount either. Existing customers can apply for a professional discount at any time. All you have to do is contact AT&T and speak to an agent about signing up. 

Beyond these professions, many employees of partner companies and union members can save $10 per month per line. Students are also eligible for a $10/month discount on unlimited plans through AT&T's student verification program. AT&T has discounts for all ages, including seniors through the carrier’s 55+ plan options.

You can even stack these discounts with other savings (like AutoPay). Just know that you’ll have to verify your employment status, college enrollment, or age to qualify for plan discounts.

6. Switch to an AT&T MVNO

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The best way to save on your monthly bill is by switching to an AT&T mobile virtual network operator. These smaller carriers offer the same great coverage for a fraction of what AT&T charges. In some cases you can even snag better perks with an MVNO than what the major carrier itself offers with its postpaid plans. After testing several cheap carriers on the AT&T network first-hand, we wholeheartedly recommend leaving and switching to a lower-cost MVNO. 

The best cheap AT&T MVNO plan on the market is US Mobile’s Unlimited Starter plan for only $25/month. The plan includes truly unlimited premium data and 20GB of hotspot data. You’d have to pay at least $85.99/month with AT&T to score that much premium data. Plus, US Mobile harnesses the power of all three major networks to keep you connected no matter what. For a small fee of $2 per transfer, you can always change in a pinch. Just make sure to sign up on its Dark Star network if you want to stay connected to AT&T’s towers.

Another top-notch carrier on AT&T’s network is Cricket Wireless. Also owned by AT&T, Cricket offers affordable phone plans and some of the best perks among smaller carriers. The best Cricket cell phone plan is its Supreme Unlimited plan. Priced at $55/month (with AutoPay), you get unlimited premium data, 50GB of hotspot data, 150GB of cloud storage, and free HBO Max. The streaming subscription alone saves you $99.99/year.

Those aren’t the only plans worth switching to. Check the most popular plans from the best AT&T alternatives:

Lowering your AT&T phone bill: FAQs

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What’s the cheapest AT&T plan?

The cheapest AT&T plan available is its $35/month Unlimited Saver prepaid plan, while the cheapest unlimited data plan is the Value 2.0 plan for $50/month.

Is Cricket Wireless as good as AT&T?

Yes, Cricket Wireless is as good as AT&T, if not better. Cricket offers low-cost phone plans on AT&T’s network. With unlimited data plans starting at $35/month, Cricket Wireless customers enjoy top coverage and perks similar to AT&T’s plans. Plus, Cricket includes a free streaming subscription to HBO Max with its premium plan. 

Does AT&T offer discounts for seniors or military personnel?

AT&T offers a 25% discount for professionals and military personnel on its postpaid unlimited plans. Customers over the age of 55 can also save with AT&T’s $40/month 55+ plan.

How much is the average AT&T bill?

The average AT&T bill is $80/month (or $960/year) for a single line of unlimited data, or $244/month ($2,928/year) for 4 lines.