The under-$25 phone-plan shelf is still crowded in May, but the price cards are not telling shoppers the same story. A plan can show a low monthly number because the carrier includes taxes, because it is discounting the first year, because the customer prepays several months at once, or because the plan trades lower cost for a smaller high-speed data bucket.
That is why the daily SaveOnPhone check is focused on the math behind the headline price. Visible, US Mobile, Mint Mobile, Tello, and Cricket all give budget shoppers real options, but each one asks a different question before checkout: is the number permanent, are taxes included, how much hotspot is usable, and what happens after the introductory period?
Visible makes the simple-price case
Visible's current plan page is the cleanest example of why taxes-included pricing gets attention. The page lists Visible at $20 per month for 12 months with code FRESHSTART, down from a regular $25 monthly price, and says taxes and fees are included. It also lists Visible+ at $30 per month for 12 months, down from a regular $35 monthly price, with taxes and fees included.
The practical appeal is predictability. If a shopper is trying to keep one line near $20, a taxes-included bill is easier to compare against a cable bundle, family-plan add-on, or prepaid alternative that may add fees later in checkout. Visible also describes unlimited phone hotspot use, with Visible+ offering twice the hotspot speed compared with the base Visible plan.
What this means for you: Visible's discount can be a strong single-line benchmark, but the "for 12 months" language matters. Compare the regular monthly price too, especially if you do not want to switch again when a promo expires.
US Mobile pushes the annual-payment tradeoff
US Mobile's plan page highlights a different budget path: paying in advance. Its current promotion presents Unlimited Starter at less than $17 per month and Unlimited Premium at less than $25 per month when paid annually in advance for new lines. The same page also shows that the annual renewal math can change after the first year, with terms tied to the advertised first-year price.
That structure can be attractive if you are confident in the network and plan fit. It can also be risky if you are still testing coverage at home, at work, or on a regular commute. A lower effective monthly price is not the same as a month-to-month plan if the savings require a full-year commitment.
What this means for you: annual pricing deserves a separate line in your comparison spreadsheet. Divide the first-year payment by 12, then write down the renewal amount, refund rules, hotspot language, and which network option you plan to use.
Mint Mobile keeps the introductory-price warning front and center
Mint Mobile's plan page continues to promote wireless plans starting at $15 per month, with a required upfront payment for the three-month introductory offer. The page says taxes and fees are extra and notes that customers using more than 50GB per month on the unlimited plan may notice reduced speeds for the rest of the monthly cycle.
Mint's model can work well for shoppers who are comfortable prepaying and who understand the renewal ladder. The important part is not just the $15 number. It is whether the data bucket, term length, renewal price, and taxes still make sense after the introductory period is over.
What this means for you: do not compare Mint's introductory three-month price against another carrier's regular month-to-month price without labeling the term. Put the renewal options beside the promo price before deciding.
Tello shows why build-your-own can beat unlimited for light users
Tello's current custom-plan page advertises a 10th-birthday promotion with any Tello plan for $10 per month for the first three months. The page also shows build-your-own choices such as 2GB, 10GB, 20GB, and unlimited data, with unlimited text included and government taxes shown separately in the checkout-style pricing area.
The useful lesson from Tello is that the cheapest good plan may not need to be unlimited. A light-data user who spends most of the day on Wi-Fi can sometimes save more by choosing a smaller data bucket than by chasing a discounted unlimited plan. But that only works if the customer checks the after-promo monthly price and understands what happens after the high-speed data amount is used.
What this means for you: check your last three bills before buying unlimited. If your actual mobile-data usage is low, a custom plan may beat a bigger promo even when the bigger promo looks more exciting on the landing page.
Cricket is a reminder to compare prepaid plan families, not just one card
Cricket's phone-plan page frames its lineup around monthly phone plans and unlimited options, with separate paths for all plans, monthly plans, multi-month plans, smartwatch plans, tablet plans, and hotspot data. That matters because budget shoppers often land on one card and miss the surrounding plan family.
For a household, the cheapest individual line may not be the cheapest account. Multi-line discounts, hotspot add-ons, smartwatch needs, device deals, and activation terms can change the total. For a single line, the better comparison may be between Cricket's prepaid structure and an MVNO that includes taxes or discounts the first year.
The SaveOnPhone read
- Separate regular price from promo price: Visible, Mint, Tello, and US Mobile all show offers where term length or payment timing changes the real comparison.
- Mark whether taxes and fees are included: a taxes-included $20 plan is easier to compare than a $20 plan with fees added later.
- Do not overbuy unlimited: if your real usage is low, a custom or limited-data plan can beat an unlimited promo.
- Hotspot terms matter: unlimited phone data, hotspot speed, and hotspot bucket size are different features.
- Watch renewal language: first-year and first-three-month offers can still be good deals, but only if the next price is acceptable too.
What to do before switching this week
- Write down the regular monthly price, not just the advertised promo.
- Note whether taxes and fees are included, extra, or unclear.
- Check whether the discount requires a promo code, annual prepayment, or multi-month purchase.
- Compare hotspot speed and hotspot allowance if you tether a laptop or tablet.
- Save a screenshot of the offer terms before you port your number.
Sources
- Visible, "Visible Unlimited Prepaid Phone Plans," accessed May 13, 2026: visible.com/plans
- US Mobile, "Unlimited data, talk & text," accessed May 13, 2026: usmobile.com/plans
- Mint Mobile, "Premium Wireless Plans Starting at $15/mo," accessed May 13, 2026: mintmobile.com/plans
- Tello, "Build Your Own Plan," accessed May 13, 2026: tello.com/buy/custom_plans
- Cricket Wireless, "Monthly Phone Plans," accessed May 13, 2026: cricketwireless.com/cell-phone-plans