Monthly phone bills often come with perks you might not know you’re already paying for. Major phone carriers bundle subscriptions, bonuses, and promotional perks that many customers never use or know about.
This guide covers the extras from major carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T, as well as smaller providers such as Visible, Mint, and Google Fi.
T-Mobile leads the pack when it comes to giveaways
Free Netflix, Hulu, and more if you’re eligible
Source: T-Mobile
T-Mobile doesn’t hold back when it comes to free stuff. They love spoiling their customers.
Any Go5G™ or Magenta® plan with two or more lines and Experience More, Experience Beyond, Go5G Next, Go5G Plus™, or Magenta® MAX plan includes Netflix Standard with Ads for free.
Higher-tier plans, like Experience Beyond, include Apple TV+ and ad-supported Hulu on top.
That’s up to $35 per month worth of streaming you don’t have to pay for separately, covering your binge of Stranger Things, Ted Lasso, and The Handmaid’s Tale.
T-Mobile Tuesdays is the carrier’s weekly giveaway program. Prizes can range from small treats like free coffee or donuts to discounts on movie and concert tickets.
Install the T-Life app and log in with an eligible plan to claim prizes.
Verizon gives you control over what perks you pay for
Discounted bundles replace free perks
Source: Lucas Gouveia/Android Police | insta_photos/Shutterstock
Verizon historically tied freebies to its plans. If you’ve been a Verizon customer for a while, you might recall older plans like Get More Unlimited that came with Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass, Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
If you’re on an older Verizon plan that includes these, think twice before switching.
Now, Verizon has shifted to a customizable myPlan system where you choose your perks with discounted bundles to add to any plan.
For example, you can get the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle for $10 per month ($17 separately) or a Netflix + Max (HBO Max) bundle for $10 per month ($18 separately).
The upside is that you only pay for the services you want. The downside is, well, you pay.
Verizon hasn’t given up on freebies altogether. Their rewards program is still around. While it’s less generous than T-Mobile’s weekly giveaways, you can score bonus items like local passes or bonus data.
Open the My Verizon app, go to the Me tab, scroll to My savings & benefits, and select My Access. You might have something waiting.
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Watch out for one-time offers via email or text
Source: AT&T
Like Verizon, AT&T has recently been conservative with freebies. While AT&T doesn’t throw around free Netflix, it runs limited promotions.
Sometimes, you’ll see offers like six months of Stadia Pro when the platform was a thing. These tend to be one-time promos announced via email or text.
AT&T also runs a rewards program through its AT&T Reward Center. You might be eligible for a reward if you recently signed up for a new plan, switched carriers, or purchased a qualifying product. These are typically Visa Reward Cards, bill credits, or gift cards to major retailers.
Head to rewardcenter.att.com, enter your account or claim number, and follow the prompts to redeem.
Prepaid carriers like Cricket and Metro offer serious value at lower prices
Big-name perks without the big-name price
Jules Wang / AP
Some prepaid and MVNO brands have started bundling valuable perks into their plans.
The main caveat is that you must be on the highest-tier plan to get the goodies. Two examples are Cricket Wireless (owned by AT&T) and Metro by T-Mobile (owned by T-Mobile).
The Cricket Wireless unlimited plan ($60 monthly) includes a free ad-supported Max streaming subscription. Every Cricket customer also gets 2 GB of cloud storage via the myPhotoVault app for free. If you’re on the $60 plan or have its device protection add-on, you get 150 GB.
Metro by T-Mobile similarly offers value-packed plans. Every Metro Flex plan has 100GB of Google One cloud storage. If you’re on Metro’s Unlimited Plus ($60 per month), you get free Amazon Prime.
Like its parent company, T-Mobile, all Metro plans have access to T-Mobile Tuesdays.
Both carriers use the Add It Up app to gamify rewards. Play, win, and reduce your phone bill.
Google Fi stays true to the Google experience
Google One storage, built-in VPN, and YouTube Premium trials
Now branded as Google Fi Wireless, Google Fi has gained a loyal following. Its perks differ from those of other carriers. They focus on the benefits of the Google ecosystem.
Google Fi plans (Unlimited Plus/Premium) come with Google One cloud storage. All plans also come with a built-in VPN.
In addition, Google Fi gave new Unlimited plan subscribers six months of YouTube Premium for free. This is often a promo for new customers or plan upgrades, so it’s worth checking if it’s still available when you sign up.
Mint’s perks are found in the savings, not the giveaways
Discounts and promos make it worth a look
Mint Mobile is a carrier known for its low prices. Mint’s philosophy is more about discounts than giveaways.
The plan gives you what you need (talk, text, data, some international privileges) without extras, often for half the price of the big guys.
If you calculate the yearly difference, those savings could easily pay for a year of Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ with money to spare.
Mint often runs promotions like buy three months, get three months free for new customers, or phone discounts when you bundle a device with a year of service.
These aren’t ongoing perks, but it’s worth checking Mint’s website during the holidays or shopping seasons for such offers.
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Most perks go unused because users don’t know where to look
The easiest way to discover hidden perks in your mobile plan is to log in to your carrier’s website or mobile app and navigate to sections like Plan Benefits or Included with Your Plan, where carriers list streaming services, security tools, travel benefits, and more.
Many providers have dedicated rewards apps offering regular freebies, discounts, or promotional deals, so it is worthwhile to download and regularly check these apps.
Keep an eye on emails, texts, or social media announcements from your carrier since these often highlight time-sensitive perks and special offers.
Contact your carrier’s customer service directly if you cannot find information. Representatives clarify available benefits and sometimes reveal unadvertised extras.
If you are on a family or multi-line plan, confirm that perks requiring activation by the primary line holder are correctly set up and shared across all eligible lines.
Some carriers give you more while others take less
When comparing carrier perks, T-Mobile stands out with streaming services and weekly giveaways. With Verizon, you don’t get everything for free, but at least you can pick what you use and skip paying for the rest.
As for AT&T, it should look at what the others are doing and take notes.
Smaller carriers like Cricket and Metro pack high-value subscriptions into affordable plans, while Mint and Google Fi remind us that sometimes the best perk is not getting nickel-and-dimed.
