AT&T Prepaid Plans
Signing up for an AT&T prepaid plan is a smart way to reap the benefits of AT&T’s robust 4G LTE network while avoiding a credit check. With prepaid plans, you pay in advance for your talk, text, and data, as opposed to at the end of your billing cycle, as is the case with postpaid plans.
AT&T Prepaid Plan Overview
AT&T offers the following prepaid plan options for its customers:
- AT&T Prepaid $2/Day: You only pay on the days that you use talk or talk (data costs $.01 per 5KB).
- AT&T $25 Prepaid Plan: Unlimited talk & text, no data, unlimited text to 100+ countries
- AT&T $30 Prepaid Plan: Unlimited talk & text, 1GB, unlimited text to 100+ countries
- AT&T $40 Prepaid Plan: Unlimited talk & text, 8GB, Mexico & Canada privileges, unlimited text to 100+ countries
- AT&T $50 Prepaid Plan: Unlimited talk, text, & data, Mexico & Canada privileges, unlimited text to 100+ countries
- AT&T $70 Prepaid Plan: Unlimited talk, text, & data, Mexico & Canada privileges, unlimited text to 100+ countries, 10GB hotspot, HD video streaming
Prepaid Unlimited Plans
AT&T’s $50 Prepaid Plan is an especially thrifty way to get unlimited data aboard their great network, considering AT&T’s postpaid unlimited plans, Unlimited &More and Unlimited &More Premium, cost $70 and $80 respectively. That said, the $50 prepaid plan doesn’t come with the entertainment features that the postpaid plans do, like live TV or a premium streaming subscription.
The $70 prepaid plan is somewhat expensive as far as prepaid unlimited plans go, and again, it doesn’t come with the entertainment perks that the postpaid plans do. However, it does include 10GB of hotspot and HD video streaming.
| AT&T Prepaid Unlimited Plan | Cost | Data deprioritization | Mexico & Canada | International | Other Features |
| $50 Prepaid Plan | $50/month | Reduced speeds at any time | Unlimited talk, text, & data | Unlimited text to 100+ countries | n/a |
| $70 Prepaid Plan | $70/month | 22GB | Unlimited talk, text, & data | Unlimited text to 100+ countries | 10GB hotspot, HD video |
Prepaid Family Plans
To qualify for a multi-line account through AT&T, each line must be on the $30/month prepaid plan or higher, and there is a limit of five lines per account. You can mix and match your prepaid multi-line plan in order to accommodate everyone in your family.
| Plan | Data Allowance | 1-Line Cost | 2-Line Cost | 3-Line Cost | 4-Line Cost |
| Prepaid $30 Plan | 1GB | $30/month | $50/month | $70/month | $80/month |
| Prepaid $40 Plan | 8GB | $40/month | $70/month | $100/month | $120/month |
| Prepaid $50 Plan | Unlimited | $50/month | $90/month | $130/month | $160/month |
| Prepaid $70 Plan | Unlimited | $70/month | $130/month | $190/month | $240/month |
No matter which 4-line prepaid plan you choose, you’ll wind up reducing your phone bill by $10/month per line, or $40/month total. That’s up to $480/year in savings.
AT&T Prepaid Plans Vs. Other Major Carrier Prepaid Plans
Network
When it comes to choosing a prepaid plan, you can go with a smaller MVNO or a major carrier for your service. The advantage of going with a major carrier is unfettered access to its coverage. AT&T’s network offers the third-best coverage in the country, behind only Verizon (71%) and T-Mobile (59%).
Prices
AT&T’s prepaid prices range from $25/month to $70/month. Both Verizon and T-Mobile have comparable prices for their prepaid plans, while Sprint doesn’t offer prepaid plans (Sprint’s Forward prepaid program has been discontinued). Here’s how AT&T’s unlimited prepaid plans stack up price and features wise with the competition.
| Carrier Plan | Price | Mexico & Canada | International | Other Features |
| AT&T $70 Plan | $70/month | Unlimited talk, text, & data | Unlimited text to 100+ countries | 10GB hotspot, HD video |
| AT&T $50 Plan | $50/month | Unlimited talk, text, & data | Unlimited text to 100+ countries | n/a |
| Verizon $65 Prepaid Unlimited | $65/month | Unlimited calls to both countries | Unlimited text to 200+ countries | Hotspot-capable |
| T-Mobile ONE Prepaid | $70/month | Unlimited talk & text, 5GB data | Unlimited text & data in 210+ countries | Unlimited hotspot at up to 3G speeds |
| T-Mobile ONE Prepaid Domestic | $50/month | n/a | n/a | Unlimited hotspot at up to 3G speeds |
Here’s how AT&T’s lower data plans compare to the likes of T-Mobile and Verizon.
| Carrier Plan | Price | Data Allowance | Mexico & Canada | International | Other Features |
| AT&T $40 | $40/month | 8GB | Unlimited talk & text to/from, data use in both countries | Unlimited text to 100+ countries | Hotspot-capable |
| AT&T $30 | $30/month | 1GB | n/a | Unlimited text to 100+ countries | Hotspot-capable |
| Verizon $45 | $45/month | 8GB | Unlimited calls to both countries | Unlimited text to 200+ countries | Hotspot-capable |
| Verizon $35 | $35/month | 3GB | n/a | Unlimited text to 200+ countries | Hotspot-capable |
| T-Mobile Simply Prepaid 10GB | $40/month | 10GB | n/a | n/a | Hotspot-capable |
Benefits of Choosing an AT&T Prepaid Plan
There are many advantages to choosing an AT&T prepaid plan over one of its postpaid plan options. These pros include:
- More affordable plans
- No credit check
- Excellent network coverage
- Flexibility
- Family plan options (mix and match)