What to Do If You Can’t Pay Your Phone Bill Right Now
Do you use your mobile phone a lot when you spend most of your time at home? You can save on your monthly bill.
In March, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced his commitment to ” Keep Americans Connected ” so that people can use their phones and the Internet during the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 700 companies have signed a bond that requires within 60 days of signing:
- The company will not stop serving individuals or small businesses if they are unable to pay bills due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- The company will waive late payment penalties due to financial circumstances surrounding the pandemic.
- The company will open Wi-Fi hotspots “for any American who needs them.”
On top of that promise, there is a good chance that your cellular carrier is offering additional convenience during a pandemic.
Here’s an overview of what the major carriers offer their customers and how you can get help if you’re having trouble paying your bill on time.
AT&T
AT&T is increasing its mobile hotspot data volume by 15 GB per month for each line of an unlimited plan that includes provision of a modem. This increase is valid until May 13th. If you purchase or upgrade your service online, you will receive free express shipping and waive any activation or renewal fees.
You can request an excess or late payment waiver using this form (you will need your username and login ID). The waiver is valid for payments from March 13 to May 13. You can also use the form to request assistance if you need more time to pay your bill.
Sprint
Sprint is giving customers 60 days of unlimited data for plan accounts starting March 18. Customers with hotspot-enabled devices will receive 20 GB of free mobile hotspot. Starting March 17, international calls from the US to CDC Tier 3 countries ( almost everywhere ) are free.
Whether you need to buy a phone or sign up for a data plan, Sprint waives activation fees and offers free next day shipping for all online orders.
If you find it difficult to pay your bill, you can set up a payment method in your online account.
T-mobile
Starting March 13, every T-Mobile customer with a data plan will receive unlimited data on their smartphone for 60 days.
If you have a mobile hotspot plan, you can add 10 GB of data per month for two months. To do this, you must log into your account and add the “COVID-19 Response High Speed Smartphone Mobile HotSpot” feature for each voice line.
Customers can make international calls free of charge to a long list of countries, which is updated here .
All online orders that include the device will receive free two-day shipping until May 13th.
If you need more time to pay your bill, you can customize your payment order by logging into your account.
Verizon
Verizon is providing wireless customers with an additional 15GB of monthly data on top of their April 30th May 31st bill. Fios and DSL broadband customers will have unlimited data.
If you have a postpaid account, you will have unlimited minutes to call various countries until April 30th. If you are using the prepaid plan, you will get 300 minutes before April 30 to use it for international calls to the same countries. country. The list can be found here .
From March 18th, the sensations of activation and renewal will not work.
Verizon will waive late fees and late fees from March 16 to May 13 if you inform the company that you cannot pay your bill due to the coronavirus. You can request a payment method in your online account.
Other carriers
If you use the services of a company outside the Big Four, you can also get additional benefits. MVNO operators such as Cricket and Ting are offering new plans at discounted rates during the pandemic, while US Cellular is providing additional data on hotspots.
You can see some of the offers in the FCC catalog , but it’s also worth logging into your carrier’s online portal to see what options are available to you. Even if you are able to pay your bill, you can change your plan to make it more affordable or better suited to your needs.
This post was originally published on 4/20/20 and was updated on 4/22/20 to update Verizon’s free data offering.