We Found a New Way to Get a Serious Discount on Your Cell Service

We love buying in bulk because of the sweet discounts. With our 36 rolls of toilet paper, 20 pounds of dog food and gallon of liquid dish soap, we’re saving money and stocking up at the same time.

It satisfies our caveman instincts to hoard goods and materials essential for survival. This basic principle is what keeps warehouse chains like Costco and Sam’s Club in business.

But what about cell phone service? We found an innovative company that applies this concept to offer a serious discount.

Get Cheaper Phone Service With This Online Plan

Enter Mint Mobile, a bold newcomer that’s making a splash in the world of wireless carriers. Mint cuts out the retail stores and expensive overhead that inflate the rates of service plans from the big guys, such as Verizon or Sprint. 

Here’s Mint Mobile’s deal: Beyond the savings from being online-only, it offers deeply discounted rates when you pay for several months in advance.

Mint runs on T-Mobile’s network, so you can expect similar coverage. It lets you keep your same phone number, whether you bring your own unlocked phone or buy a new one through Mint.

Let’s say for the next year, you’ll want 8GB of 4G LTE data per month — about 216 hours of surfing the internet, 56 hours of streaming music or nearly 8 hours of streaming video.

With Mint, that costs $20 per month, a significant savings compared to your typical cell phone plan. In contrast, you’ll pay $50 — for a 5 GB plan at Verizon, and at least $60 for a 6 GB plan at AT&T. Now, to lock in those savings, you’ll pay the whole $300 for the year up front — all 12 months at a time — and forget about your phone bill for a year.

To make sure you’re a fit before going all-in with the 12-month plan, you could try a three-month plan with a seven-day money-back guarantee. Right now, Mint is offering introductory three-month plans starting at just $15 a month — 35% off. If you love it, re-up for 12 months after that to keep the same rate.

All plans offer unlimited talk, text and data (data speeds slow down after you use the listed 4G LTE allotment).

And, for a limited time, Mint is sweetening the deal with a special promotion on its 8GB 4G LTE plan. When you buy three months at $20 per month, you get three more months for free — that’s six months for $60.

Mike Brassfield ([email protected]) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. He has two kids and buys paper towels in bulk.