Are you thinking about switching to a low-cost cell phone carrier, but don’t know which one to choose? Metro by T-Mobile, formerly MetroPCS, offers plans and add-ons that give you flexibility and a predictable bill every month.
Everything you need to know about Metro by T-Mobile
Nicole Carroll, Team Clark’s Social Media Manager, has been a MetroPCS and Metro by T-Mobile customer for 18 years! In this article, we’ll review the key features of this service.
Read on for everything you need to know before you sign up, plus Nicole’s video review.
Table of contents
1. Plans and pricing
Metro by T-Mobile offers several plans and add-on services with no annual contracts.
Currently, the company offers four plans, two with data caps and two with unlimited data. Pricing is as low as $30 per line but will vary depending on the plan and number of lines.
Higher-tier unlimited plans also include perks like Amazon Prime, hotspot data and Google One cloud storage.
You can also add on services to your plan, including hotspot data, international service and additional robocall blocking. Learn more about the plans and pricing here.
Currently, if you pay your bill in-store, you will be charged a $3 fee regardless of payment method. The same fee applies to paying a bill of more than $18 over the phone.
2. Network
When MetroPCS started, the service was only available in a few parts of the United States, but as time has gone on, its coverage has expanded. T-Mobile has owned MetroPCS since 2013 and changed the name to Metro by T-Mobile in 2018.
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Metro runs on (you guessed it) T-Mobile’s network and uses their towers to provide coverage. You can see Metro by T-Mobile’s coverage map and compare it to T-Mobile’s network coverage.
RELATED: Coverage maps: Find a cheap cell phone plan with the best coverage
3. Getting started
There are three quick steps to set up service with Metro by T-Mobile:
- Choose a device from Metro or bring your own phone to the network
- Buy a SIM card
- Switch to Metro by T-Mobile
These steps can be completed by going to MetroByT-mobile.com or into a Metro by T-Mobile store. Note that some Metro by T-Mobile stores still have the old MetroPCS logo.
4. Phone options
Metro by T-Mobile lets you bring your own phone or purchase a compatible GSM device directly from the carrier. To check your phone’s compatibility with Metro by T-Mobile, click here.
You’ll need to know your phone’s IMEI number to check the compatibility. Here are a few ways to find it fast:
The company notes on its website that a “Phone must be unlocked GSM device. Certain device functionalities may not be fully available for BYOD customers. See store for details and information.”
If you choose to buy a phone from Metro by T-Mobile, you’ll have to buy it in-store. According to a customer service representative, the phones you see online are just a sample of what Metro by T-Mobile offers.
If you buy a phone through Metro, it may be best to pay for it in full to avoid finance charges.
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5. Call and text performance
Since Metro by T-Mobile runs on T-Mobile’s network, you’ll want to make sure that your area has a strong T-Mobile connection before you switch.
Nicole from Team Clark is based in Atlanta, where Metro by T-Mobile has a big presence so she experiences few problems with her service.
Overall, Nicole’s phones have performed well on MetroPCS and Metro by T-Mobile, but she has experienced a few troublesome situations.
Nicole bought an unlocked GSM phone from an independent retailer and experienced dropped calls almost every time she was on the phone longer than five minutes.
The in-store associates tried resetting the phone and switching the SIM card, among other things. By the third time she went to the store for help, they told her that the phone itself was the problem.
When she switched back to a phone from MetroPCS, she no longer had those issues.
Nicole also recently went on a road trip to Orlando and did not receive any calls or messages during the ride. When she arrived, she restarted her phone and received all the messages that she missed while she was in the car.
Other than these recent incidents, Nicole said she hasn’t had much trouble with calls or texts with her 4G LTE service.
6. Data speeds
Data speed is important for everything from web browsing to streaming music.
We conducted six speed tests on Nicole’s LG Stylo 3+ from the Team Clark headquarters in Atlanta. The average download speed was 18.8 Mbps and the average upload speed was 1.13 Mbps.
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That’s a decent average, especially if you stream video on a service like Netflix or YouTube.
7. Customer service
Nicole has been a MetroPCS and Metro by T-Mobile customer for 18 years and she’s had plenty of interactions with customer service. She says:
“Every time I’ve contacted customer service…I’ve had a great experience. They’ve always been very helpful, whether it’s been in the store in-person or over the phone.”
Team Clark member Chelsea also has Metro by T-Mobile and has had some billing issues.
She’s contacted customer service multiple times for some refunds. Although her problem was eventually resolved, she had to be persistent about her problem in order for the company to fix it.
You can get customer support in-store or by calling 888-863-8768.
Final thought
Metro by T-Mobile offers dependable and affordable service on a Big 4 network, plus in-person customer service at its stores.
If you’re looking for other options, Mint Mobile and Republic Wireless are also mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that run on T-Mobile’s network and offer competitive low-cost cell phone plans.
