Independent plan guide · Updated October 2026
Real 2026 prices, the data limits nobody explains to you in the store, and the switch deals that are actually worth the paperwork — all on one page. About five minutes, no sales call, no account required.
Independent guide. We are not AT&T, and AT&T has not reviewed or endorsed this page. We may earn a commission when you sign up through our links — it never changes the price you pay. Prices and offers change often; always confirm on the carrier's site at checkout.
The short answer
If you only read one thing on this page, read this. These are the 2026 prices with AutoPay and paperless billing — the number you actually see on your bill before taxes and fees. Four plans, one decision: how much high-speed data do you really need?
| Plan | 1 line | 4 lines | Premium data | Hotspot | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Value 2.0 | $50/mo | $120/mo $30/line |
5GB high-speed, then unlimited but slowed when busy | 3GB | Light users who live on Wi-Fi |
| Unlimited Extra 2.0Best value | $70/mo | $160/mo $40/line |
100GB priority | 50GB | Almost everyone — solo, couples, families |
| Unlimited Premium 2.0 | $90/mo | $200/mo $50/line |
Unlimited priority | 100GB | Heavy streamers & frequent travelers |
| Unlimited Elite 2.0 | $110/mo | $280/mo $70/line |
Unlimited priority | 250GB | Remote workers, international callers, gadget families |
AutoPay with a bank account or the AT&T Points Plus Card. Without AutoPay, add about $10 per line. Taxes, fees and surcharges are extra. Premium 2.0 and Elite 2.0 include 4K streaming; Value 2.0 and Extra 2.0 stream in standard definition.
Start where you are
Most people arrive here with one of three questions. Pick the one that sounds like you and skip straight to the part that matters.
You can keep your number. Porting is free by federal law and usually finishes in under an hour. The two things that actually cost money: any device balance left on your old bill, and the fact that your old promo credits stop the moment the line closes. AT&T currently offers up to $800 per line to pay off that balance.
See the 6-step switch checklistAdding a line is the single cheapest way to get a new phone at AT&T — the biggest trade-in credits are tied to a new line of service, not to an upgrade. And because AT&T lets you mix plans line by line, the new line can sit on a cheaper tier than the rest of the family.
See new-line offersThen skip the device entirely and bring your own. If your phone is unlocked and compatible, you can be on the network today with an eSIM — and if you want to test the signal first, AT&T's app offers a 30-day network trial with no credit card and no need to cancel your current carrier.
Bring your own phonePlan by plan
The gap between tiers is rarely about "unlimited" — every plan here is unlimited. The real differences are how much data runs at full speed, how much hotspot you can share, and how good the video looks.
The entry tier. Genuinely cheap — genuinely limited.
$30/line at 4 lines ($120 total)
The tier we recommend to nearly everyone who asks.
$40/line at 4 lines ($160 total)
No data caps to think about, and travel gets easier.
$50/line at 4 lines ($200 total)
The "I work from my phone" plan. Devices included.
$70/line at 4 lines ($280 total)
One detail that saves real money: AT&T lets every line on the account sit on a different plan. A family of four can put two heavy users on Extra 2.0 and two light users on Value 2.0 instead of paying for four identical lines. Ask for it — it is not the default at checkout.
Plan finder
No email, nothing to install. Tap the options below and we'll tell you which tier to look at first — and what it costs at one line and at four.
1. How many lines do you need?
2. How do you use data away from Wi-Fi?
3. Do you travel outside the US?
Money on the table
AT&T runs a lot of promotions and most of them stack badly. These are the four that consistently move the number on your bill — plus the free one that costs you nothing to try.
The biggest discount AT&T offers is tied to trade-in, not to your plan tier. Recent flagships with a good trade can land at $0 per month; older or damaged phones still knock hundreds off. Hit the cart and see what AT&T values your current phone at.
Discount lands as monthly bill credits over 36 months — leave early and the remaining credits stop.
Value my trade-inThe real reason people hesitate to switch is the balance left on the old device. AT&T's switcher credit reimburses what you still owe, per line, once you bring your number over. It is the difference between "someday" and "this weekend".
Requires porting your number and an eligible plan. Submit the old carrier's final bill within the claim window.
See switch offerAT&T regularly pays you for skipping the queue: an online-order credit on new lines that stacks with trade-in. Same network, same plan, same people on support — different price.
Online orders only. Credit applied to the account, typically spread across the installment term.
Order onlineNot sure the signal is good at your desk, your gym, or your mother-in-law's kitchen? Download the AT&T app, spin up a trial eSIM and use the network for 30 days while your current carrier keeps working. No credit card, nothing to cancel.
Compatible unlocked phone required. Trial runs on a separate eSIM alongside your existing line.
Start the free trialNo new phone needed
A new device is the most expensive part of switching, and most people don't need one. If your phone is paid off and unlocked, you can move to AT&T with an eSIM and be done before your coffee goes cold.
| Prepaid | Postpaid | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly from | ~$20–$55 | $50 / line |
| Credit check | None | Usually yes |
| Device deals | Limited | Best offers |
| Data priority | Lower | Higher |
| Hotspot | 5–25GB | 3–250GB |
| International | Mexico & Canada | Up to 210 countries |
Rule of thumb: buying a phone → postpaid. Keeping your phone → compare prepaid first, you may be paying for features you never use.
The switch, step by step
Almost every failed switch comes down to the same three mistakes: cancelling the old line too early, using the wrong account PIN, or not checking the phone is unlocked. Here's the order that works.
Dial *#06# for the IMEI and confirm it's unlocked and certified for the network. This is the one step that can't be fixed later.
From your current carrier, not from AT&T. The account number is not your phone number. On AT&T you can get the PIN by dialling *7678. PINs expire in a few days — do this right before you switch.
The new carrier moves the number for you, and that closes the old line automatically. Cancel first and you can lose the number permanently.
Enter the number, account number, PIN and the billing name and address exactly as they appear on the old account. A mismatch here is the most common reason a port fails.
Leave the old SIM active until the new line works. Restart the phone once service appears — carrier settings often don't apply until you do.
Turn off Wi-Fi, make a call, send a text, load a page. Then submit any trade-in or switcher claim — those have a deadline and nobody will remind you.
Will it actually work?
Price is the easy part. The questions people actually regret not asking are about signal at home, what happens during an outage, and whether the "best deal" quietly requires the most expensive plan.
AT&T describes itself as America's largest wireless network (excluding satellite) and combines 5G with the largest fiber footprint in the country. In practice it sits between Verizon and T-Mobile on rural reach and is strong in cities and suburbs.
Three promises: an automatic bill credit if a qualifying outage lasts 60+ minutes across 8+ towers, a human expert within five minutes (or a callback you choose), and best phone deals that don't require the priciest plan.
ActiveArmor spam and fraud call blocking is included rather than sold as an add-on, and it covers public Wi-Fi protection. It won't replace good habits, but it's a real line item you don't pay extra for.
Advertised prices assume AutoPay plus paperless billing. Taxes and fees are extra. Device discounts arrive as 36 monthly credits, so leaving early forfeits the rest. An activation fee usually applies to new lines.
You may already qualify
These are permanent monthly reductions, not one-time credits — which makes them worth far more than a launch promotion. They aren't applied automatically, so you have to ask.
| Program | Who qualifies | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|
| Signature discount | Military, veterans, first responders, teachers, nurses and physicians | Up to 25% off the plan |
| 55+ plan | Anyone 55 or older | From $40/mo for one line, ~$35/line for two |
| AARP / employer programs | AARP members, unions, participating large employers | Around $10 off per line on Premium |
| Multi-line pricing | 4 or more lines on one account | Up to $40/line cheaper than single-line pricing |
| Lifeline | SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, public housing or income-eligible households | Monthly credit on the bill |
Verification usually takes one to two billing cycles, and some discounts can't be combined (the 55+ plan and the military discount, for example). If a discount hasn't appeared by your second bill, call — it is almost always fixable.
Before you decide
All three carriers finally price their entry plans within a few dollars of each other. What still separates them is coverage where you actually live, and how much the middle tier costs.
| AT&T | Verizon | T-Mobile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry unlimited, 1 line | $50 (Value 2.0) | $65 (Welcome) | $50 (Essentials Saver) |
| 4 lines, entry tier | $120/mo | $120/mo | Varies by line count |
| The "sweet spot" tier | Extra 2.0 — $70, 100GB priority, 50GB hotspot | Unlimited Plus — $80, 30GB hotspot | Experience More 2.0 |
| Strongest at | Price-to-feature balance; fiber + wireless bundle | Rural reliability | 5G breadth, included streaming perks |
| Notable promise | AT&T Guarantee (outage credits, 5-min support) | 3-year price lock | 5-year price guarantee |
Prices with AutoPay, checked October 2026, before taxes and fees. Competitor pricing moves constantly — treat this as a starting point, not a contract.
Straight answers
Unlimited Value 2.0 is $50/month for one line with AutoPay and paperless billing, or $120/month for four lines. It is genuinely unlimited data, but only the first 5GB runs at full speed — after that it can slow down when the network is busy. If you stream anything away from Wi-Fi, it's the wrong tier.
Unlimited Extra 2.0 at $70/month for one line, or $40/line at four lines. The 100GB priority allowance is high enough that typical users never hit it, and 50GB of hotspot covers working away from home without stress. It's the tier we'd pick for a solo user, a couple, or a family of four.
Postpaid plans normally involve a credit check, and a deposit may be required depending on your history. AT&T Prepaid does not run a credit check at all, which is why it's the usual answer for people new to the US, rebuilding credit, or who simply don't want a hard inquiry.
Yes — number portability is a legal right in the US and carriers cannot charge you to move your number. You'll need your current account number and a transfer PIN, and you must not cancel the old line first. Most ports complete within a few hours.
Three things: an activation fee on the new lines (commonly around $35 each), any device balance still owed on the old carrier — which becomes due when that line closes — and the promotional credits you were partway through, which stop. AT&T's switcher credit of up to $800 per line exists specifically to offset the second one.
If it's unlocked and compatible, yes. Dial *#06# to get the IMEI and run it through the compatibility checker before you buy anything. Most phones sold in the US in the last few years carry the right bands, but carrying the bands is not the same as being certified for voice over LTE on that network.
Yes. The AT&T app can set up a trial eSIM that runs alongside your existing line for 30 days, with no credit card and nothing to cancel. It's the honest way to answer "is the signal good at my desk?" before you're locked into a 36-month installment plan.
Yes — that's what AT&T means by Unlimited Your Way. You can put heavy users on Extra or Premium and light users on Value, on the same account. It isn't the default at checkout, so ask for it explicitly; on a family of four it can be the difference between a reasonable bill and an inflated one.
No. Every price on this page is the plan charge before taxes, fees and surcharges, and it assumes AutoPay with a bank account or the AT&T Points Plus Card. Paying with a credit card instead typically costs about $5 more per line. Budget roughly 8–15% on top depending on where you live.
If you're keeping your current phone, prepaid is often the smarter buy: same towers, no credit check, no activation fee online, from around $20/month on an annual plan. What you give up is data priority during congestion, the best device deals, and deep international roaming.
Under the AT&T Guarantee, a qualifying wireless outage — one incident affecting at least 8 towers for 60+ minutes while you're connected to an affected tower — earns an automatic bill credit. AT&T notifies eligible accounts; you don't have to file a claim. Fiber outages of 20+ minutes are treated separately.
Yes. The 55+ plan starts at $40/month for a single line and around $35/line for two. Military, veterans, first responders, teachers, nurses and physicians can get up to 25% off their plan through AT&T's signature discount program. AARP members and some employer programs add around $10 off per line on Premium. None of these are applied automatically.
The headline number — up to $1,200 off — is paid as monthly bill credits spread over 36 months. Stay the full term and you get all of it. Leave early, and the remaining credits stop; you'll also owe whatever is left on the phone itself. That's the real commitment, not the plan.
No. CellPlanFinder is an independent guide. We're not affiliated with, reviewed by, or endorsed by AT&T, and we may earn a commission if you sign up through our links — at no extra cost to you. Every price and offer here should be confirmed on the carrier's own site before you commit.
You're out of excuses
You now know more about these plans than the person who will try to sell you one. The only thing left is deciding whether the signal at your address is worth it — and there's a free 30-day trial for exactly that question.
Prices verified October 2026 · Offers change without notice · Independent guide, commission-supported