Looking for a way to keep your child connected without breaking the bank? Mint Mobile's Mint Kids plan allows parents to add their child to any of Mint’s affordable data plans and have greater control over their usage (and budget!).
Mint Kids simplifies how parents can organize and monitor the data activity within a single line, either by itself or as part of a Mint family plan.
Read on to see whether Mint Kids is a good choice for your family.
What is Mint’s phone plan for kids?
Mint Kids is a way for parents to specify phone lines dedicated to their child. You can choose from any of Mint’s standard data plans (5GB, 15GB, 20GB or Unlimited) and designate it as a Kids plan in your account. The plan can either be a standalone plan for them, or you can add it as a line to a Mint Modern Family plan.
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Mint Mobile
Unlimited Data Plan
$25.00/mo
$75.00 upfront payment for 3 months (equals to $25.00/month). Intro pricing for new customers only.
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Mint Mobile
20GB Data Plan
$20.00/mo
$60.00 upfront payment for 3 months (equals to $20.00/month). Intro pricing for new customers only.
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Mint Mobile
15GB Data Plan
$15.00/mo
$45.00 upfront payment for 3 months (equals to $15.00/month). Intro pricing for new customers only.
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Mint Mobile
5GB Data Plan
$10.00/mo
$30.00 upfront payment for 3 months (equals to $10.00/month). Intro pricing for new customers only.
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By specifying the plan as being a Kids plan, you’re able to monitor the data usage on that line and see how much your child is actually using. This helps you better budget and understand how much data your child needs (and whether their online screen time is higher than you would prefer). Any plan changes that happen within the account will trigger a notification to you, so you have complete visibility. Mint Kids lines are also shielded from all marketing messages.
Mint Mobile: T-Mobile coverage for half the cost
Mint Mobile is a T-Mobile MVNO, meaning it operates on T-Mobile's nationwide network. By opting for Mint, you get access to the best 5G speeds at half the cost of the major carrier.
We tested Mint for a full month and found its coverage to be reliable and easy to access from basically anywhere we were. Explore Mint’s plans to see how much money an MVNO carrier can save your family.
Mint Kids plan options
As mentioned, you can choose any of Mint Mobile’s data plans as a Mint Kids plan. Mint offers data packages ranging from 5GB to unlimited data, and you can change plans if you or your child needs more or less data. Note, though, that while you can increase your child’s higher data at any time, you can only switch to a lesser data plan when it’s time to renew your package.
| Plan | Intro price (first 3 months) |
3-month renewal | 6-month renewal | 12-month renewal | |
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| 5GB plan | $15/mo. |
$25/mo. | $20/mo. | $15/mo. | View Plan |
| 15GB plan | $20/mo. | $35/mo. | $25/mo. | $20/mo. | View Plan |
| 20GB plan | $25/mo. | $45/mo. | $35/mo. | $25/mo. | View Plan |
| Unlimited plan | $30/mo. | $40/mo. | $35/mo. | $30/mo. | View Plan |
Mint’s pricing structure is unique in that plans are sold in 3-, 6- and 12-month packages. Your first three months are priced at the lowest monthly cost, as cheap as $15/month for 5GB ($45 total upfront) to a still extremely affordable $30/month for unlimited ($90 upfront). Once your initial 3 months are up, you can renew for any package you like, with the 3- and 6-month options getting more expensive. To lock in the cheapest price, Mint requires you to sign up for an annual plan.
While you may balk at the upfront cost, the overall savings over a year of a Mint unlimited plan is significant compared to what you would pay for a year of T-Mobile or Verizon. For example, 12 months of a Mint Unlimited plan cost $360, while a year of T-Mobile's cheapest unlimited plan costs $600.
That said, signing up for a year upfront also means you can’t change your child’s plan, since you’ve already chosen a full-year service plan.
Parental controls with Mint Kids
Image: Mint Mobile
While Mint doesn’t offer specific parental controls, the Mint Kids plan does allow you to monitor your child’s data usage and adjust their data allowances as needed. You’ll also receive all phone plan alerts and communications, including notices on any changes made to the plan. Lastly, your child’s phone line will be exempt from all marketing texts.
In acknowledgment of its lack of heftier safety controls, Mint recommends some parental control apps to give you an added layer of security. In our own testing, we recommend apps like Kaspersky Safe Kids, OurPact, and Google Family Link as reliable parental control tools to keep your kids safe with their wireless usage.
Check out our full guide to the top parental control apps to keep your kids safe and put your mind at ease.
Can Mint Kids be added to a family plan?
Yes, a Mint Kids line can be a part of a Mint Mobile family plan, whether you're creating a new family plan or adding to your existing Mint Family. You simply need two to five lines to qualify for and enjoy the ease of managing all your lines under one account.
Unlike most carriers, Mint doesn’t offer multi-line discounts as part of its family plan bundles—instead, it lets you mix and match plans to each line to create a custom family plan that works for your group’s specific needs and budget.
Check out all the specifics with our guide to Mint's Modern Family plan plan.
Pros and cons of Mint’s phone plan for kids
What we like about Mint Kids:
- Easily monitor your child’s data usage
- Choose from any of Mint’s phone plans
- Best nationwide 5G coverage
What needs improvement:
- No single-month plan options
- Must lock in for a year to maintain lowest pricing
- No enhanced parental controls
- No family plan discount
As a T-Mobile MVNO, Mint offers access to the best 5G coverage in the country. As long as you’re in a relatively urban or suburban area, T-Mobile’s 5G speeds can’t be matched. (Read up on T-Mobile’s coverage map for more detail). This equals the reliability you’re looking for when it comes to staying connected with your child.
You can also customize your Mint Kids plan to your child’s needs and to your budget. The intro prices (and the 12-month renewal pricing) are some of the cheapest you’ll find on the market, without sacrificing on network quality or reliability.
That said, the upfront package purchasing model can be a drawback, and there's no discount for a family plan. It may be hard to shell out a full year’s worth of cash for your phone plan, especially if you prefer the flexibility of a shorter term. While Mint doesn’t offer single-month packages like other MVNO carriers, the cheap 3-month intro pricing gives you enough time to determine whether Mint’s service is a good fit for your family—and the overall cheap prices make the lack of multi-line discount much easier to swallow.
Lastly, we’re pretty underwhelmed overall by Mint’s actual features for their Kids plan. Without actual parental control features, you’re essentially getting a Mint phone plan that’s simply easier to manage in your account. Yes, it’s nice to monitor your child’s data usage, but there are far more sophisticated parental control apps that do that for you and more.
Activating a Mint Kids plan
Adding your child to your Mint phone plan is easy. You can use the Mint Mobile app to add a Mint Kids line, or you can do so online through your Mint account.
If you’re adding your child to your existing Mint account:
- Tap My Mint Family and Add a family member.
- Choose your plan and fill in your child’s information.
- Add a payment method and confirm.
Image: Daphne Kelly | WhistleOut
Image: Daphne Kelly | WhistleOut
If you’re signing your child up for their own line through Mint outside of a family plan, simply go through the standard purchasing process.
For either option, you’ll need to specify whether you’re creating a new phone number for your Mint Kids account, or if you’re retaining a number because you’re switching your child from another carrier. If you’re switching, check out our guide on how to switch to Mint Mobile first, so you can make sure you have all the necessary info before you start.
Once your line is set up, the activation process is as simple as inserting your SIM card or activating your phone’s sSIM. For specifics, check out our guide to activating your Mint Mobile plan.
Choosing a cell phone for your child
If you are considering getting a phone for your child, there are plenty of affordable options out there to give your kids the tech they want without breaking the bank. As a rule, we recommend getting kids the “dumbest” phone you can find—meaning a flip phone or a smartphone that doesn’t necessarily have all the bells and whistles of the latest iPhone or Android models. (We have plenty of tips on how to save money on your kid’s cell phone.)
Our picks for the best phones for kids include the Apple iPhone 17 and the Google Pixel 10. Each of these devices has enough tech to let your kid do things like play games and take photos, but aren’t so sophisticated that they will cost you an arm and a leg.
You can find our full list of picks in our guide to the best cell phones for kids. Check out the newest devices you can get through Mint below:
iPhone 17e 256GB
- 6.1 inch display
- Rear Camera: 48MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Pixel 10 128GB
- 6.3 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 48MP, 10.8MP, 13MP
- Front Camera: 10.5MP
iPhone 17e 512GB
- 6.1 inch display
- Rear Camera: 48MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
iPhone 17 256GB
- 6.3 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 48MP, 48MP
- Front Camera: 18MP
Pixel 10 256GB
- 6.3 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 48MP, 10.8MP, 13MP
- Front Camera: 10.5MP
Mint Kids: FAQs
Jessica Santero
Staff Writer
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