t mobile old business plans

T-Mobile Small Business Cell Phone Plans

Learn more about T-Mobile small business cell phone plans with key information, pricing details, frequently asked questions.

Updated on June 23rd, 2023

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T-Mobile is a major international cell phone provider with coast-to-coast coverage in the United States and small business cell phone solutions to help businesses stay connected. In 2020, T-Mobile merged with Sprint Corporation, allowing the company to expand its network and customer offerings.

*All plans exclude taxes and fees.

International Plan Details:

Pros: Fantastic mobile device management and awesome coverage.

Cons: Not all devices are compatible with T-Mobile.

Bottomline: Excellent platform to enable efficient business communications.

Key Information:

What are T-Mobile's plans?

T-Mobile has a variety of plans for phones, tablets and hotspots, wearables and lifestyle devices, and prepaid plans.

What solutions does T-Mobile offer for business?

• Mobile point-of-sale (POS) .
• Fleet management.
• Help desk for small businesses.
• Mobile device management .
• Productivity solutions.
• Internet of Things network solutions.

What are the T-Mobile business plans?

• Magenta for Business.
• Military Plan for Business.
• T-Mobile Simple Choice.
• T-Mobile 13+.
• T-Mobile Amplified.

Does T-Mobile allow my business to bring my own device (BYOD)?

Yes. BYOD saves your business money and gives your business the flexibility to use company-owned devices or allow employees to use their own. You can just add T-Mobile's plan.

Can my business keep it's existing number if I bring my own device?

Yes. Most phone numbers can be transferred to T-Mobile. You need to check the transfer eligibility of your existing number from your current service provider.

What information does T-Mobile require to port my business number?

• Previous carrier's name.
• Previous carrier's account number.
• Account pin number.
• Phone number to be ported in.

How do I contact a T-Mobile business sales representative?

If you are interested in T-Mobile business plans, you can talk to a T-Mobile business expert by calling 1 (844) 428-9675.

Does T-Mobile offer a small business discount?

T-Mobile does not have a specific small business discount, but you pay less per line with every line that you add, and veteran-owned small businesses can qualify for special rates and plans.

What is T-Mobile ONE business?

T-Mobile One is a plan for Military veterans who own small businesses. As long as you verify your military status, you can get a discount of between 20% and 50% off per line.

What are the account benefits for this plan?

• Coast to coast 4G LTE coverage.
• 24/7 customer support.
• Online account management and bill payments.
• Unlimited data options.

What is T-Mobile Business Care?

T-Mobile Business Care is a customer service department of T-Mobile that is dedicated to business support. You can dial 611 from your T-Mobile phone to reach the T-Mobile business care line, or you can call the T-Mobile business number at 1 (877) 347-2127.

What is the T-Mobile Business Family Discount?

The Business Family Discount is a discount that T-Mobile offers to the family members of someone who is already on a T-Mobile business plan. With this discount, you can save up to 50% on the first two lines in your family plan.

What are some alternatives to T-Mobile's Small Business cell phone plans?

• Mint Mobile .
• Metro PCS .
• Cricket Wireless .
• Xfinity Mobile .

Best T-Mobile cell phone plans in 2024

These are the best T-Mobile cell phone plans for families, seniors and anyone who needs unlimited data

• Best overall plan
• Best family plan
• Best plan for seniors
• Best for travlers
• Best for streamers
• Other plans
• T-Mobile alternatives

Is T-Mobile a good carrier?

Singling out the best T-Mobile cell phone plans should be easy. But then you look at all the options available at T-Mobile — most of which feature unlimited data — and you realize how tricky things can get.

1. The quick list 2. The best T-Mobile plan overall 3. The best value T-Mobile 4. The best T-Mobile plan for families 5. The best T-Mobile plan for seniors 6. The best T-Mobile plan for travelers 7. The best T-Mobile plan for streamers 8. Other T-Mobile plans 9. Getting T-Mobile coverage on a budget 10. Is T-Mobile a good carrier?

The good news is that T-Mobile includes plans that cost less than what competitors charge for comparable service. And you're going to get data — a lot of it — no matter which of the half-dozen or so T-Mobile plans ends up as your own. But you will have to do some searching, as not every plan is visible when you look at T-Mobile's website — you've got to keep scrolling and clicking to see every available option.

Fortunately, we've gone through all of these plans, digging into their details to see what options deliver which benefits as we look for the best cell phone plans overall. And we're happy to report that T-Mobile offers some of the best unlimited data plans out there. Need more than one line? You'll find some of the best family cell phone plans through T-Mobile, too. There's even choices for people who don't need a lot of data as well as discounts for seniors who are 55 years or older.

As complicated as sifting through the different T-Mobile options may be, your reward is a large range of prices that match up well to what rival carriers have to offer. And if you want to save even more while still enjoying the benefits of T-Mobile's network, plenty of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) such as Mint Mobile and Tello use T-Mobile towers to provide coverage of their own at discounted rates.

If you want to find a great option at T-Mobile, here are our picks for the best T-Mobile cell phone plans for a variety of different customers.

The quick list

Unlimited data for $75/month

The Go5G plan includes 5G coverage, 15GB of hotspot data and six months of Apple TV Plus. Taxes and fees are included in the $75 rate, too.

Read more below

5GB of data for $15/month

If your data needs are modest, T-Mobile connect offers you a low monthly rate for a plan that includes 5G coverage. This plan's data allotment has grown every year while the price has stuck at $15. 

Unlimited data for $180/month (four lines)

The best unlimited plan at T-Mobile is also the best plan for families, thanks to escalating discounts as you add lines. Family plans get a Netflix subscription, too.

Unlimited data for $60/month (two lines)

Seniors 55 years or older should turn to T-Mobile's Essentials Choice 55 plan for basic coverage including 5G with unlimited data. This is T-Mobile's cheapest option for seniors.

Unlimited data for $90

Globe trotters will appreciate the more expensive Go5G Plus unlimited data plan, which gives you 5G of high-speed data when traveling in 215-plus countries. In-flight Wi-Fi is included, too.

Unlimited data for $100

It's T-Mobile's most expensive plan, but streamers will find value as perks include subscriptions to Apple TV Plus, Netflix and Hulu. You can also upgrade your phone every year.

The best T-Mobile cell phone plan overall

T-Mobile Go5G | unlimited data | $75/month - T-Mobile's best plan plan With few exceptions, T-Mobile plans mean unlimited data, and the best of the bunch is T-Mobile's Go5G offering. At $75 for a single line, it features a few more perks than the slightly cheaper Magenta plan such as 15GB of hotspot data instead of 5GB and double the data (10GB) you can use when traveling in Mexico and Canada. Go5G customers are also eligible for the same upgrade offers available to new customers, making it easier to switch to a different phone. Pros: More hotspot and roaming data than Magenta; Easily to upgrade device Cons: More expensive than Magenta

Best value plan at T-Mobile

T-Mobile Connect | 5GB data | $15/month — Best low-cost T-Mobile cell phone plan T-Mobile's Connect plan is a great option if you're on a tighter budget and don't need a lot of data. The plan has grown to 5GB of data, thanks to annual boosts from T-Mobile. (Data increases end in 2025, though.) This plan only costs only $15 a month, but once you hit your data cap, you can't use any more for the rest of the billing cycle.) You can upgrade to T-Mobile's connect plan with 8GB of data instead for $25/month, while there's a 1GB option available for just $10/month. (That latter plan remains capped at 1GB.) Pros: Low costs, 500MB data boosts annually Cons: Out of data once you hit your cap

The best T-Mobile cell phone plan for families

T-Mobile Go5G | unlimited data | $180/month (4 lines) - T-Mobile's best family plan Families should also turn to the Go5G plan, as discounts for every line you add help keep the cost lower than family plans at other carriers, not to mention T-Mobile's own plans. You get the same hotspot and travel benefits a single linge of Go5G enjoys, and once you add two or more lines, T-Mobile includes a free Netflix subscription with your plan. T-Mobile frequently runs a promotion that waives the price of the third line of data, brining the cost of this plan down to $155 for four lines. Pros: More hotspot and roaming data than Magenta; Includes Netflix subscription Cons: Families an't mix and match different T-Mobile plans

The best T-Mobile cell phone plan for seniors

T-Mobile | Essentials Choice 55 senior unlimited plan | 2-line plan | $60/month — Best value unlimited senior plan If you're 55 or over, you can get a T-Mobile unlimited data plan for lower price and with a few changes to some of the perks. The best price for seniors comes with the Essential Choice 55 plan, which includes two lines of unlimited data for $60/month after a $5 price hike. (A single line now costs $30.) This comes with unlimited data, calls, and texts with no speed restrictions, 3G mobile hotspot speeds, and scam protection. However, you are limited to SD streaming, and if you're in Mexico or Canada, you can only use 2G data. Pros: Affordable price; No annual contract; 5G coverage at no extra cost Cons: Limited to 2G in Mexico/Canada; Only SD streaming

Best T-Mobile cell phone plan for travelers

T-Mobile Go5G Plus | unlimited data | $90/month or $220 for four lines - Best T-Mobile plan for travel If you do a lot of travelling, you'll want to pay up for the Go5G Plus, a super-sized offering that packs in more perks. Even single lines of data qualify for a Netflix subscription as well as Apple TV Plus, and you get 50GB of hotspot data. Travel perks includ 15GB of data for use in Mexico or Canada, plus the ability to use 5GB of high-speed data in 215-plus countries. (Data is slowed to 3G speeds after that.) In-flight Wi-Fi is also included where available. As with many T-Mobile plans, the cost of a third line of data is often waived, lowering the amount families of four need to pay. Pros: Extensive travel benefits; Free streaming services Cons: Expensive, particularly for families

The best T-Mobile cell phone plan for streamers

T-Mobile Go5G Next | unlimited data | $100/month or $260 for 4 lines Go5G Next is T-Mobile's most expensive plan, and it has all the perks of Go5G Plus. So why pay extra? If you're a streamer, you get the ad-supported tier of Hulu with Go5G Next to go along with Netflix and Apple TV Plus. Those extra streaming services can save you money elsewhere in your budget. You also get to upgrade your phone every year under Go5G Next. Pros: Lots of streaming perks; Extensive travel benefits; Ability to upgrade phone every year Cons: T-Mobile's most expensive option

Other T-Mobile plans

We're highlighting the best T-Mobile cell phone plans for particular situations, but these aren't your only option at the Uncarrier. Here's a quick summary of the other plans currently on offer at T-Mobile.

T-Mobile unlimited data plans

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• Magenta Max ($85/month): One of T-Mobile's older offerings, this plan includes the same travel benefits as Go5G Plus, though you only get 5GB of data to use in Mexico and Canada. You're also limited ot 40GB of hotspot data.
• Magenta ($70/month): Essentially, the Magenta plan is just like the Go5G plan, but with less hotspot data (5GB instead of 15GB) and only 5GB of data when traveling in Mexico and Canada.
• Essentials ($60/month): This used to be T-Mobile's cheapest unlimited data plan, with only 3G speeds for hotspot data and few other perks. Your data speeds can be slowed if you use more than 50GB in a month.
• Essentials Saver ($50/month): If you need only one line of data and can bring your own phone, you can sign up for this cheap unlimited plan, which otherwise has the same perks as Essentials. This is the only option families can't sign up for.

T-Mobile senior plans

• Go5G Next 55 ($120/month for two lines): The senior version of Go5G Next, this plan lets you upgrade your smartphone every year.
• Go5G Plus 55 ($100/month for two lines): Anyone 55 years or older can get a discounted rate on the Go5G Plus plan, while receiving the same streaming and travel benefits included with unlimited data.

T-Mobile prepaid plans

• 12GB plan: T-Mobile's most expensive prepaid plan costs $35/month.
• 8GB plan: Like the 5GB connect plan, T-Mobile has increased the amount of data while keeping the price the same. This plan costs $25/month.
• 1GB plan: T-Mobile's cheapest prepaid plan is for people with minimal data needs. It costs $10/month.

Low-cost T-Mobile alternatives

Pricing on the best T-Mobile cell phone plans compares very well to comparable service at AT&T and Verizon , particularly when it comes to unlimited data plans. But there's a way to get T-Mobile service for even less — turn to a discount carrier that uses T-Mobile's network to provide low-cost coverage.

Such a service is known as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), and there are plenty that use T-Mobile for coverage. Our favorite happens to be Mint Mobile (which T-Mobile is actually in the process of buying). Mint offers four plans , ranging in price between $15 (5GB) and $30 (unlimited data) per month. You get those low rates by paying for your service in advance — prepaying for a year of data gets you the very best rate at Mint. A frequent promotion at Mint drops the month cost of every plan to $15 for the first three months, if you're looking for additional savings.

Mint's a popular choice because it includes full coverage on T-Mobile, including 5G speeds if you've got a comparable phone. As with any MVNO, you do risk seeing your traffic slowed if the network is congested and T-Mobile prioritizes its own customers.

Other MVNOs using T-Mobile's network include Tello , TextNow and Metro by T-Mobile. The latter service is owned and operated by T-Mobile.

T-Mobile is not just a good carrier — it's currently the runner-up in our best phone phone carriers rankings. This position comes down to a couple of benefits and factors T-Mobile does very well.

When it comes to terms of plans and offers, T-Mobile is one of the most diverse options. It offers a wide array of prices that span family plans, unlimited data choices, prepaid plans and more.

Past that, our LTE network testing showed that T-Mobile is one of the faster carriers available, and subsequent testing by third parties backs that claim. In Ookla's most recent testing , T-Mobile was rated the fastest mobile operator in the U.S. with the best download and upload speeds.

T=Mobile also ranks well in 5G performance testing by third parties, with RootMetrics currently rating T-Mobile tops for 5G speeds and availability. (Verizon's 5G is judged to be more reliable.) T-Mobile's 5G service reaches more than 330 million people and through its incorporation of Sprint, 5G speeds have increased further by adding Sprints 5G into the spectrum. T-Mobile now offers its fastest 5G to 300 million people after an aggressive upgrade program.

T-Mobile also has weekly giveaways and a host of incentives for its customers. The carrier's blend of affordability, features and coverage make it a top choice if you're looking for a wireless provider who offers something more than just a low monthly bill.

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Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.

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T-Mobile Raises Rates on Select Legacy Plans, Here's the Deal

Those on older plans can expect a $2 or $5 per line increase, with notifications to affected customers having gone out on Wednesday.

T-Mobile has avoided rate hikes for older plans the last few years, but that's now set to change. In a memo sent to employees that was obtained by CNET, the company says it was sending out notifications on Wednesday to some customers whose charges will increase, starting with their June or July bills. 

The memo was sent out by Jon Freier, president of T-Mobile's consumer group. The note doesn't list which plans are affected, but Freier specifically says that those on the carrier's latest assortment of Go5G plans will not see their prices increase. The same goes for the "millions of customers" who are covered by T-Mobile's Price Lock guarantee, which he says will continue to be in effect for those people. 

Freier says in the memo that T-Mobile is raising prices on older plans "for the first time in nearly a decade" and that the increases are designed to "keep up with rising inflation and costs."

Read more :  Our Picks for the Best Cellphone Plans

It isn't known exactly how many people will be affected by the change. The note says it'll affect a "small portion" of T-Mobile's customers. Those with free lines from the carrier won't see increases on those lines, T-Mobile confirmed to CNET. 

According to a support page that the carrier put up , the rate increase will go into effect on June 5. This is why it could be on a June or July bill, as it depends on when your particular bill is issued. The page mentions that voice lines will go up by $5 and connected devices (such as cellular-connected tablets or smartwatches) will increase by $2 per month. It does not, however, list exactly which particular plans will be seeing a price hike. 

Beyond the higher price, the carrier says it is not changing anything else with impacted customers' plans. 

The company expected to notify all affected customers on Wednesday. T-Mobile previously tried to move customers on older, generally cheaper plans to some of its newer, pricier ones last year, only to back off the plan amid backlash. Whereas with that move, people had the option to call T-Mobile's support and push back against the change, a source familiar with the company's plans tells CNET that this option won't be available with this new rate hike. 

People affected by the price hike will be able to call up to change their plans to newer T-Mobile offerings, but they won't be able to opt out of this increase. The plans that were included with last year's experimental migration included T-Mobile's older One, Simple Choice, Magenta and Magenta 55 Plus options. 

Read more: Our Guide to Switching Cellphone Carriers

As spotted by The Mobile Report , which has been monitoring which plans have seen increases, users on those above plans as well as a handful of others have reported receiving notifications that their bills will be going up. 

The announcement of a price hike comes amid increasing talk from the company that it was looking to raise prices. Just last week, at the MoffettNathanson Media and Communications Conference, T-Mobile's Chief Financial Officer Peter Osvaldik  hinted that an increase was coming . He did not disclose any details at the time. 

A rise in prices post-Sprint merger

As part of its merger with Sprint, which was completed in 2020, T-Mobile was legally required to not raise prices for three years . That period ended last year and the carrier has since introduced its Go5G assortment of plans: Go5G, Go5G Plus and Go5G Next. These plans have some new features, but they're also pricier than T-Mobile's earlier offerings. The carrier still allows new customers to sign up for older or cheaper plans like Magenta, Magenta Max and Essentials, but some of these plans (namely the Magentas) are buried on its website and you'll have to call in or chat with T-Mobile support if they want to sign up. 

Even to just find the Magenta and Magenta Max options today requires heading to T-Mobile's plan page, clicking "see more available plans" then clicking on a link to "learn more about Magenta and Magenta Max plans." 

In a recent report Finland-based research firm Rewheel, as spotted by Light Reading , found that since the T-Mobile/Sprint merger the US wireless market has become "one of the most expensive mobile markets in the world."

While this move has been the first price hike from T-Mobile, its rivals have already made multiple increases to their respective plans over the last couple of years. AT&T raised rates for its latest plans by 99 cents earlier this year and has gone through other rate increases for older plans . 

Verizon has similarly gone through a bevy of price increases for its plans, most recently for those who were still on its older 5G Get More, Do More, Play More and Start plans in February after raising rates on some of its  older unlimited plans last summer  while also  adding in new fees for other, older plans  last year.

As with other price increases -- including seemingly T-Mobile's -- Verizon's most recent move appeared to be designed push people to switch to some of its newer, more expensive, wireless plans . 

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How To Keep Your Current T-Mobile Plan & Not Be Forced Migrated To The New More Expensive Plans

Earlier this week we learned that T-Mobile plans to start moving grandfathered customers on old plans to new plans unless they opt out. That’s according to a series of leaked documents that popped up on Reddit, and were confirmed by The Mobile Report and Cord Cutters News. A T-Mobile spokeswoman confirmed that “a small number of customers” will be begin to get notifications on October 17, but didn’t specify how many are affected.

According to leaked documents, the carrier will begin to migrate customers on older Magenta, One, Magenta 55+, Simple Choice/Select Choice and Simple Choice Business plans onto Magenta, Essentials Select, Go5G, Go5G 55, and Business Unlimited Advanced. This move could cost some customers $10 a month.

The good news is you can opt out of these price hikes and plan changes but you need to ask T-Mobile not to move you or to move you back to the original plan.

Here is how you can opt out of this migration to more expensive plans:

First, you can call T-Mobile at 1-800-937-8997 to chat with a customer service rep.

Second, you can use the chat feature in your T-Mobile app or on the T-Mobile website.

Third, you can use T-Force on social media by messaging T-mobile on X HERE or Facebook HERE .

The website The Mobile Report which first confirmed this says they recommend you wait until after the notifications start going out on October 17, 2023.

T-Mobile has a large bulk of customers on older, much cheaper plans introduced when John Legere was CEO and had just kicked off the “un-carrier” campaign. Back then, T-Mobile was a scrappier fourth-place carrier, and needed aggressive offers to win back customers. Past offers included two free lines, or multiple lines at a deeply discounted price.

While T-Mobile has done a lot to try to get sway those subscribers to new plans, such as restricting its best iPhone trade-in offers to people willing to pay for its pricier plans, many have stubbornly stuck to their plans because of the significant savings.

T-Mobile executives, past and present, have privately said they would prefer to move those customers on to its newer plans.

Roger Cheng contributed to this story.

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Welcome to the subreddit of the best wireless carrier in the industry! T-Mobile is the second largest wireless carrier in the U.S. offering affordable plans, the fastest network in America, no contract, and no overages. This is the place to discuss everything magenta!

Business plan options and phone upgrades?

I currently have the Biz NAmerica TT+10GB TE account with a total of 5 lines for $140/month.

That program is no longer available, but I'm seeing that I can get 5 lines for $120/month with unlimited talk/text/data on their network. So it would seem that this is a better deal.

It's kind of a pain to do any changes with the business account - the people in the stores always tell me they can't do anything, but calling puts me on hold for a long long long time.

I'm looking to get the best deal on 5 lines, and maybe some upgrades on phones. We currently have two S21s that we may be looking to upgrade, but again...the online shop is pretty useless as far as finding out what is available, it always tells us to contact the business rep.

What are the options for us?

We're making some changes to our mobile pricing this year, here's why

Long story short

If you've only got a minute, here's what you really need to know:

• We're increasing most of our prices for postpaid (hand-held) and pre-paid plans for a number of reasons including to help us keep investing in the performance, reliability and security of Australia's largest mobile network. Here’s what it takes to keep it running .
• Increases on average are between $2 and $4 per month for most plans.
• Prices aren't changing straight away: postpaid prices change on 27 August 2024 and pre-paid prices change on 22 October 2024. We'll be in touch over the coming weeks to give you the details on how your pricing is changing.
• We have support available for those who need help .

Read more below to find out what is changing, when and why.

What's changing?

In the coming weeks, we’ll be changing the prices of our mobile postpaid and pre-paid plans, as well as pre-paid mobile broadband services.

The price for most plans will increase between $2 and $4 a month. 

Prices won't be changing straight away, however. These changes will take effect from 27 August 2024 for postpaid customers and 22 October 2024 for our pre-paid customers.

The price of the postpaid Starter Plan will remain unchanged and from 27 August, the data allowance increases from 2GB per month to 5GB per month (for use in Australia). That means more value for the same price. 

Additionally, we will be removing speed caps on the Starter Plan and Basic Plan, so you can get uncapped 4G and 5G speeds (within your data allowance) for use in Australia no matter which in-market post-paid plan you're on.

For postpaid mobile broadband, our Large Data Plan also won’t be available to purchase on and from 27 August 2024, but existing customers can remain on this plan until further notice.

Check out the table below to see how the pricing structure for our post-paid and pre-paid services are changing.

Why are we changing some of our prices?

In May 2024, we let our postpaid mobile customers know that we were moving away from our CPI-linked annual pricing review.

This change simplified our pricing approach to be more consistent across our products and services, and also reflected there are a range of factors that go into any pricing decision.

It takes a lot of work and cost to run a mobile network as large as ours, and even more to support the increased usage we have seen on our network . 

The investments we make in our mobile network don't just help to keep your phone connected to your favourite content and apps. We know those are important, but our network does so much more every single day. 

Our connectivity is at the heart of the way Australia works and lives, supporting everything from major transport networks that get you from A to B, through to payment services for major banks and retailers, and even critical infrastructure that helps keep us safe everyday.

These price changes help us to keep investing in mobile coverage, performance and local support, as well as ongoing investments to improve the security of our services.  We monitor our network 24/7 to help protect against scams by blocking malicious calls and texts from reaching you.

Changing our prices is always a difficult decision, especially in the current climate. But if you look at the broader context around pricing, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that telecommunications pricing, which covers all telecommunications equipment and services beyond just mobile price, have not increased for consumers anywhere near the rate of other consumer household goods and services over the last decade. In fact, according to this data in eight of the last 10 years, those prices have actually deflated.

Check out the graph below, based on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics which shows a comparison between how pricing has changed for other goods and services compared to telecommunications equipment and services.

What if I need help?

We have support available for those who need it as we know some are doing it tough, and we're conscious of the impact on our customers.  There are lots of ways to reach us if you need to talk about your service .

For any of our customers who need payment support

We have a range of options to help postpaid customers who need payment assistance, including giving more time to pay, a tailored payment plan, and reviewing accounts to see if the customer might benefit from moving to a more affordable plan or product, or removing any services or features not needed. In some cases, we will also consider waiving some of your fees or charges, discounting a charge or applying a credit on your account.

For our pre-paid customers we can support with recharges for their service.

We are also offering a few additional measures for our pre-paid and postpaid customers.

For postpaid customers who need support

The price of our postpaid Starter Plan will remain the same, and from 27 August 2024 we will increase the data allowance from 2GB to 5GB (for use in Australia). 

For our concession customers with a valid Health Care card, Pension Concession card, or Department of Veteran’s Affairs gold card, we will also retain our $19/mth discount on the Starter Plan. 

This means our concession customers on the Starter Plan will get more value, for the same price. 

For pre-paid customers who need support

For our pre-paid customers, from 22 October the Telstra Top Up program is increasing its free pre-paid recharge from $160 to $180 with 70GB of data (valid for six months), to ensure customers needing financial assistance get the same amount of value. 

Customers will now also be able to access the Top Up directly from us as well as through community partners using InfoXchange’s case management system, with the program available to 30,000 customers.

We have a wide range of plans that give our customers choice and flexibility in deciding on the best option for their circumstances – postpaid, pre-paid, and Belong – and we can help our customers understand which option is right for them.

Importantly, our month-to-month plans with no lock-in contracts give our customers the flexibility to move between plans.

In FY23, Telstra supported over 1 million customers in vulnerable circumstances to stay connected and contributed over $90 million in value through our social and community investment programs, including Telstra Top-Up; the School Student Broadband Initiative and our ongoing payment assistance program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are some pre-paid recharges increasing by more than $2-$4.

The price changes for our pre-paid recharge amounts are relative to their expiry period. When the increase for a pre-paid plan with long-expiry periods (e.g. 6 months or 12 months) is averaged out to a monthly rate, the effective monthly increase is between $2.50 and $4 a month depending on your recharge amount.

Why are you changing your prices?

Whenever we review our pricing, we strive to strike the right balance between our ability to invest in our network, to provide the best possible mobile products and services that we can, our business needs, and the value and affordability of our plans.

Providing customers access to Australia’s largest and most reliable mobile network is our priority. These price changes help us to keep investing in our mobile coverage and performance, as well as improving the reliability and security of our services, while responding to increased usage on our network. We have around one million square kilometres more coverage than any other mobile network, 24/7 network monitoring to help protect against scams by blocking malicious calls and texts from reaching you, and support from our local teams.

How can I get help paying my bill?

We have a range of payment assistance options to help customers if they are having problems paying their bill or invoice for any reason, including for post-paid customers giving more time to pay, a tailored payment plan and other options, including those that can keep customers connected. In some cases, we will also consider waiving some of your fees or charges, discounting a charge or applying a credit on your account. For our pre-paid customers, recharges for your pre-paid mobile plan may be available. View our Payment Assistance Policy here Telstra Payment Assistance Policy  

Is this price change influenced by CPI/inflation?

No, we have not calculated our prices based on an overall percentage. We announced in May we were moving away from our annual CPI based review of postpaid mobile plans to simplify our pricing approach across our products and services.

How will I know how much my plan price is changing?

We will shortly start communicating to our customers about their individual services. Depending on how you receive correspondence from us, you’ll either receive an SMS or an email in your inbox in the coming days if you communicate with us digitally, or a letter in your mailbox over the coming weeks.

How can I lower the price of my Telstra bill?

We have a lot of ways to help make sure you’re on the right service for your needs. We have a wide range of plans that give our customers choice and flexibility in deciding on the best option for their circumstances – postpaid, pre-paid, and Belong – and we can help our customers understand which option is right for them. 

Importantly, our month-to-month plans with no lock-in contracts give our customers the flexibility to move between plans. 

Reach out to us either via phone, the My Telstra app or even book an appointment at a store and we can assess your usage, remove products you may not need or talk you through your other plan options.

By Brad Whitcomb

Group Executive, Telstra Consumer

Brad Whitcomb joined Telstra in January 2023, bringing extensive Australian and global experience across the telecommunications and technology sectors. As Telstra’s Group Executive, Consumer, Brad leads the team responsible for creating and delivering the best experiences possible for consumers and small business customers.

Across his career Brad has held a number of leadership positions spanning strategy, product development, marketing, sales, customer experience, and business transformation. Immediately before Telstra, he was at nbn™ Australia for eight years, in various leadership positions including Chief Customer Officer. His prior experience also includes two stints at Vodafone as Australian Chief Strategy and Business Transformation Officer and 11 years at Vodafone in both the US and Japan, spearheading corporate development projects and large transactions. Originally from the USA, Brad holds an MBA from Saint Mary’s College of California and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. 

At Telstra we recognise and acknowledge the existing, original and ancient connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to the lands and waterways across the Australian continent. We pay our respects to the elders past and present. We commit to working together to build a prosperous and inclusive Australia .

Ex-Secret Service special agents explain why countersniper who saved Trump's life may have lost crucial seconds

• Trump's life was saved by a Secret Service countersniper assigned to Saturday's detail.
• But the shooter still managed to kill one rallygoer and injure two others before he was taken out.
• Experts said heat, staffing, and a focus on a nearby tree line may have cost crucial seconds.

The Secret Service countersniper who narrowly saved the life of former President Donald Trump may have lost crucial seconds because of factors including the extreme heat, a lack of antisniper backup, and a likely focus on a nearby tree line, a former special agent told Business Insider.

"This countersniper made an amazingly quick decision and clearly saved Trump's life," Bill Pickle, the former special agent in charge of Al Gore's vice-presidential Secret Service detail, said.

"Our guys are the best shots in the world. That's what they do," Pickle said.

"And within a second of the moment this kid opened fire, the CS guy shot him," he said, using Secret Service shorthand to refer to the countersniper deployed at Saturday night's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"But someone will blame that CS and the spotter and say, 'If only he had been two seconds faster in spotting the shooter,'" the former special agent said.

"The real question may be: If there were more antisniper eyes on that building, could this have all been avoided?" he added.

How did the countersniper team not see the shooting suspect sooner?

Pickle said one area of focus for investigators would be how the shooter managed to get on top of the building without authorities taking notice.

"The other question is: Why wasn't this roof secured, and were there agents or law enforcement in there checking IDs?" he added.

"How did this kid figure out a way to get out on the rooftop and slither across that rooftop?" Pickle said. "He low-crawled across the roof on his hands and knees, and he pushed the weapon ahead of him just like in the military."

But even if they see a shooting suspect quicker, countersnipers may not always have the ability to act immediately when they spot a threat, Anthony Cangelosi, a former special agent who directed the Secret Service's technical-security advances for presidential candidates, said.

"You either have to make a decision: 'Do I take a shot? Or do I not take a shot?'" Cangelosi told BI.

"What if you find out, 'Oh, I just killed a 20-year-old kid who loves the protectee, and he couldn't get in the venue, and he just wanted to get up on that roof?' No one wants to be in that position," Cangelosi said.

Cangelosi said the Secret Service team at the event should have a "site plan" that would include a layout of the area and the surrounding buildings.

The would-be assassin fired at least three rounds from a rooftop 150 yards from where Trump was speaking. He killed one rallygoer and critically injured two others before being shot dead by a yet-to-be-identified Secret Service countersniper who was positioned on another rooftop.

Related stories

One bullet grazed Trump's right ear , bloodying his face.

"This kid, at 150 yards, made a great shot," Pickle said Sunday of the would-be assassin, his voice grim. "I don't know the specifics of whether he used optics, meaning a scope on his rifle," he told BI.

"But even with optics, it takes somebody with training to aim at somebody's head from 150 yards away and you actually hit the edge of the head," he said.

"That's not a lucky shot," he added. "That's a guy who actually shot before."

The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks , 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The FBI said it was still investigating a motive.

But for now, it's clear that at least three things may have factored into the several-second delay between when Crooks was seen crawling onto the roof and when the CS team saw and shot him, Pickle said.

The decision on how many antisnipers to deploy may prove the most critical factor, he said.

"Someone made a decision that that number of countersnipers was sufficient," he said. "And obviously, in hindsight, they were wrong because there was a kid who was able to get up there on that rooftop and pull the trigger three times at least."

How many CS teams were deployed?

Staffing decisions would have been made at the Secret Service's headquarters in Washington, DC, based on whatever agency personnel on the ground recommended after a several-day investigation of the site, Pickle said.

"An advance team actually does a lengthy survey, where they look at everything and then recommend what they need," he said.

"But if they're stretched for resources, headquarters can say we can only get you one team out there. And that's not unusual — if you don't have it, you don't have it," Pickle said.

"It always boils down to resources," he said. "And if it's not a resource problem, and the money was there, then it's still an allocation-of-resources problem," he said — meaning someone underestimated the forces needed to keep Trump safe.

Regardless of how many snipers were present, the Secret Service typically has "360-degree coverage" of an event where a sitting or former president is speaking, Cangelosi said.

Another factor is the weather.

"The CS guys would probably say: 'We were up there for four hours in 100-degree heat, and if we had another team up here or drone support, this wouldn't have happened,'" Pickle said.

The team may also have been focusing on a nearby tree line, seeing it as the primary risk.

"You're looking at everything that would hide a potential assassin," Pickle said.

"The first assumption is that if I'm a bad guy, I'm going to hide. Human nature is such that I'm going to be scanning the rooftops to make sure they're empty, but then I'm going to be focusing on that tree line because you think the bad guy is going to be hidden," Pickle said.

"You don't think the bad guy is going to be out in the open," he said.

Interagency squabbles and intense public scrutiny are forthcoming

Once the would-be assassin opened fire, "everything that happened up there was textbook and the way it should have happened," Pickle said. The CS team returned fire, long-gun-toting counterassault agents in black jumpsuits and helmets rushed the stage, and business-suited agents at the rally platform hurried Trump offstage.

"But why wasn't he identified seconds sooner?" Pickle asked of the shooter.

"Was it caused by exhaustion from being on a 100-degree roof for four hours? Was the CS team watching the heavy foliage there, which arguably was the best place to hide?" he said.

"An open roof is not the best place to hide. If he climbed out onto an open rooftop, he was prepared to die," he added.

"The worst nightmare for the Secret Service has always been a lone gunman who hasn't been announcing his views publicly and is ready to die," he said.

Pickle said Saturday's attack would be dissected for years to come and "will be in the training syllabus forever."

"It's going to be a circular firing squad," Pickle said of the interagency finger-pointing and conspiracy theories that will play out as the attempted assassination is scrutinized by the FBI, Congress, and the press and public.

Cangelosi told BI that "a lot of people talk and things just travel" within the agency after an event of this magnitude.

"We all want answers, and we want them as quickly as possible, but it's going to take some time," Cangelosi said. "You know the Secret Service; they're professionals. Mistakes are made. They're going to remedy them."

Watch: How the Secret Service protected Trump after 'screwing up'

• Main content

Money blog: Pret ditches 'too good to be true' deal'; one of UK's top plastic surgery firms collapses

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Leave a comment with your thoughts below.

Thursday 18 July 2024 21:04, UK

• Pret ditches 'too good to be true' deal
• Global payments issue resolved
• One of UK's largest plastic surgery providers collapses
• Earnings growth falls - and it could have wider consequences
• Sainsbury's increases meal deal price

Essential reads

• We tried UK's cheapest three-course dinner - here's what you get for £4/£5
• Best savings accounts right now
• Women in Business: 'I set up business with £200 and went on Dragons' Den - now it's worth £1.5m'
• Basically... What happens when you go bankrupt?
• Money Problem : 'A £16 phone bill debt has put a default on my credit record and now I can't get a mortgage - what can I do?'

Ask a question or make a comment

Pret A Manger is scrapping its popular five coffees a day subscription deal - but is also cutting prices of a number of products. 

Under the current club offer, which has been running since 2020, customers pay £30 a month for the free drinks and a 20% discount on the rest of its menu. 

But, from 3 September, Club Pret members will pay £10 a month to receive 50% off on up to five barista-made drinks a day. 

The "simpler" scheme will initially launch at £5 a month for existing and new subscribers, but will increase on 31 March 2025. 

The change also means an end to the 20% discount, with the chain saying it "never really got comfortable" with dual pricing.

Pret's managing director Clare Clough said: "It's almost four years since we introduced our coffee subscription at the height of the pandemic, and I'm proud of the role Club Pret has played for us and our customers since.

"It was an innovative way to reconnect with our loyal customers and introduce Pret to tens of thousands of new ones, bringing customers back into our shops with an offer that almost seemed 'too good to be true'.

"Four years and over a quarter of a billion coffees later, we have decided that it’s time to rethink how it works."

In March, the chain implemented a crackdown to prevent Club Pret subscribers from sharing free drinks.

Some customers were exploiting loopholes by sharing subscription benefits. 

Since then, club members have been required to use the app to redeem their complimentary drinks. 

Pret also announced that its signature 100% organic arabica filter coffee would drop from £1.80 to 99p, and its all butter croissant will also drop from £2.30 to £1.99.

An increasing number of police officers in one of the country's biggest forces are said to be looking for second jobs due to rising living costs.

Sue Murphy, head of vetting and security at Thames Valley Police, said in a report that more staff and officers were looking for a second income "due to the high cost of living and high cost of housing" in the region.

According to the Bucks Free Press , the report said officers used to engage in "'hobby' type roles" - but some were now needing to generate further income to support their families.

Police officers are allowed to take on additional jobs outside their regular work if their force approves it.

According to Ms Murphy's report, Thames Valley Police is "carefully monitoring" the situation in the force, where there has been "continuous turnover of staff" and the risk of an "exhausted workforce" due to staff opting to work longer hours.

Sky News has contacted Thames Valley Police for comment.

NatWest and TSB have become the latest major lenders to announce a range of mortgage rate cuts. 

NatWest will reduce five-year purchase deals by up to 0.23% from tomorrow.

Two-year purchase deals will also decrease by up to 0.14%. 

Remortgage offers will fall by up to 0.18% and first-time buyer deals will be cut by up to 0.14%. 

TSB has said it will reduce rates on two-year fixed first-time buyer and home mover deals by up to 0.1%, and two-year fixed remortgage offers by up to 0.15%. 

The cuts come despite markets now pricing in a less than 50% chance of a Bank of England base rate cut in August - following yesterday's higher-than-expected inflation data.

Hannah Bashford, director at Model Financial Solutions, said the rate changes were "symbolic given the inflation data". 

"The war of rates is still raging. Hopefully the competition between banks and a tussle to be at the top and win business for the second half of the year will mean rates continue to fall throughout the summer," she told Newspage. 

Earlier this week, Virgin Money, Accord Mortgages, The Mortgage Works and Co-op Bank all dropped their rates as they started looking ahead to the Bank of England's interest rate decision in August. 

Carpetright's biggest rival has moved closer to buying its troubled competitor. 

Tapi, which was set up by the family who founded Carpetright, has placed a formal bid to purchase the brand name and a number of stores. 

If approved, the deal could save hundreds of stores and jobs. 

Carpetright put itself up for sale last week, appointing PwC as an administrator. 

It currently trades from more than 270 stores across the UK.

Sky News has contacted Tapi and Carpetright for comment. 

A global payments issue that hit the Bank of England this afternoon has been resolved - you can read more about this in our 15.03 post. 

The Bank has just issued a statement saying a third-party supplier has fixed the problem and payments are "settling as normal". 

"We expect that all payments received by the Bank today will be settled by the end of the day," it says. 

"If you are concerned about a CHAPS payment you plan to make or receive today, please contact your bank, or other payment service provider." 

Sky News understands the problem was not caused by a cyber incident. 

The CHAPS system is used for high-value payments, meaning some house purchases have been delayed today. 

One of the UK's largest plastic surgery providers has collapsed. 

The Skin Group, which has more than 70 branches across the UK, was also the owner of Skin Clinics, the Harley Medical Group, Skin Brands the Skin Experts and ABC Medical. 

In a message to customers, it said all the brands had "ceased trading". 

Its website displayed a note saying the company had "undertaken an extensive process to secure investment to enable it to continue trading but sadly we've been unsuccessful".

"We recognise this outcome will have a significant impact on our team members and our customers and we are deeply sorry for the stress and inconvenience this has caused." 

Clients still awaiting test results will be contacted as soon as possible, it added.

Communications firm Kendrick, which was Skin's PR agency, wrote in a post on Instagram that it was "blindsided" by the news.

"We have no information as yet regarding how things are being managed by Skin or the administrators, or how cancelled patient appointments / payments etc will be redressed," it said.

"We are sorry to have no news to share – this situation has blindsided us all. Should anything change in this regard, we will share relevant updates on our channels." 

A "global payments issue" has hit the Bank of England's CHAPS service. 

The issue is causing delays to high-value and time-sensitive payments, including some house purchases, the Bank says. 

"We are mindful of the impact this is likely to have and are working closely with a third-party supplier, industry and other authorities to resolve the issue as promptly as possible," it says. 

Retail payment systems and cash machines have not been affected. 

It is not clear how many payments have been impacted by the issue, which the Bank has been aware of since midday. 

Sky News understands a cyber incident has been ruled out.

Director of Thomas Legal, Chris Barry says the issue will affect property exchanges and completions up and down the country today. 

"Whilst many completions are preset and happen earlier in the day, some will still happen between the issue being announced and the cut off of 4pm," he told Newspage. 

"For many, this has just made an already stressful day even more stressful. Most contracts have a 12pm or 1pm hard time embedded, so if the payment is being made now, they are technically in breach of contract." 

CHAPS is one of the largest high-value payment systems in the world. 

High street banks and a number of international banks use the system to make large payments, with the system processing around £350bn a day. 

It can also be used by people spending lots of money - up to millions of pounds - on items such as cars, boats and properties. 

Our business presenter Ian King says it's not uncommon for CHAPS to experience problems, but the fact it's a global issue "does raise one or two eyebrows". 

"The problems usually crop up when one bank or another is experiencing a particularly heavy workload, and that's when delays can happen," he says. 

"Potentially, it could cause a lot of aggravation for people who are trying to complete on a housing transaction today.

"It is a big part of the financial plumbing for the financial services industry." 

Has your house purchase been delayed because of the issue? If so, we would like to hear from you. 

To get in touch,  send us a message on WhatsApp.

By doing so, you agree we can broadcast, publish and edit the material without any payment being due to you.

By James Sillars , business reporter

There has been no second interest rate cut by the European Central Bank (ECB), as widely expected.

The body responsible for monetary policy in the euro area maintained its current guidance on the path ahead following its latest meeting.

As such, there were no hints about what the governing council might do at its next meeting in September.

The rates announcement said that domestic price pressures remained elevated, and inflation would remain above the ECB's 2% target well into next year.

For Savings Guide this week, Savings Champion co-founder Anna Bowes explains why savers should be excited by yesterday's inflation figures... 

Headline inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index remained at the government target of 2% for June.

It returning to these levels means prices are rising less quickly than they have been over the last couple of years. 

For savers, it means that, currently, over 90% of savings accounts are offering a rate that beats the rising current cost of living.

But savers should be aware there are still accounts out there paying less than 2%. 

The National Savings & Investments Investment Account is paying just 1% - when you could earn 5.2% in the Ulster Bank Loyalty Account. 

On a deposit of £10,000, that would mean that you'd earn just £100 rather than £520 with over 12 months. 

More importantly, with your cash earning less than inflation, it is failing to keep up with the rising cost of living, so the real value of your cash is being decimated.

There are currently more accounts than ever for savers to choose from, but don't let choice paralysis and inertia stop you from earning the interest you deserve.

Here are some of your other options...

Santander has announced it will "now stop any payments with profanities in the reference" for its business banking customers. 

Several high street banks do not allow swearing in the references already so Santander is not alone, but it has still raised a few eyebrows.

A Santander spokesperson told the Money team it had implemented the guidance to protect customers. 

"Sadly, we've seen an increase in the number of customers receiving abusive messages and threats via faster payment messages," they said. 

"This can include customers in abusive relationships or those that have put restraining orders in place to protect themselves, and go on to receive death threats and targeted abuse in payments being made to them. 

"We hope that this new guidance will help our most vulnerable customers and protect them from receiving abuse via payments."

You can let us know your thoughts on the changes in the comments section above - but here's what some business people told Newspage...

Graham Cox, director at Self-Employed Mortgage Hub, said: "When you consider the vile comments left on social media these days, it can't be much fun for Santander's staff constantly viewing profanities on banking transactions."

Stephen Perkins, managing director at Yellow Brick Mortgages, said Santander censoring and blocking payments seemed "a little heavy-handed".

"While it's great that Santander cares about decency, this move feels a bit like your overly strict aunt scolding you for harmless jokes. We really don't need Big Brother banking," said Ranald Mitchell, director at Charwin Mortgages.

And Hannah Bashford, director at Model Financial Solutions, said: "Santander's proposal to filter profanities in the business banking app is unnecessary and may have the unintended consequence of blocking business for some the Britain's rudest named villages. 

"Does that mean all holidays to Sandy Balls are cancelled?"

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