X

Last chance to get 3 months of Mint Mobile service for $20

If you're thinking about a carrier change, this extended trial is too good to pass up.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
mint-mobile-3-months-for-20

Mint's deal is pretty excellent if you're looking to test-drive a new carrier.

Mint Mobile

Chunky-style milk, anyone?

In case you missed it, that was the cornerstone of Mint Mobile's Super Bowl ad earlier this month -- arguably one of the few entertaining things about that horrifically dull game.

Me, I'll stick with almond milk, thank you very much. But Mint's latest trial offer -- which ends tonight, Feb. 28, at midnight -- is pretty darn good: Three months of service for $20. That's $20 all-in, by the way, not $20 per month. 

If that sounds familiar, well, the low-cost-if-you-prepay carrier has been running a similar deal for the last couple months. But the difference here is that you get a bigger chunk of 4G LTE (aka high-speed) data: 8GB per month, a substantial jump from the previous 5GB.

After that, you can continue with this 8GB plan for three, six or 12 months, paying a total of $105, $150 or $240, respectively. Mint also has 3GB and 12GB prepaid plans. Assuming you can afford these upfront options, these are some of the lowest prices around. 

To use Mint, you need an unlocked phone that supports GSM carrier bands. Ostensibly, that's AT&T and T-Mobile , but many newer phones, such as the 2018 iPhone models, should work even if they were originally sold on Sprint and Verizon plans. Although I haven't used the service myself, I've written about it many times, and I'd say the vast majority of readers have been extremely happy with it. (Your mileage may vary, of course.)

Oh, and speaking of which: Mint uses the T-Mobile network. So if that offers good coverage in your area, so will Mint -- but if it doesn't, then you'll probably want to look at other options.

I know that many of you are still with one of the Big Four carriers -- and almost certainly paying much higher rates. I'm not saying Mint should be your new provider, merely that for $20, you get a full three months to test the waters.

Your thoughts?

12 awesome cheap phones you can buy right now

See all photos

Originally published on Feb. 4, 2019.
Update, Feb. 28: Added deal-expiration information.


CNET's Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones , gadgets and much more. Note that CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter!