AT&T Prepaid is AT&T's own prepaid brand and can be obtained directly from the carrier or at select retailers, such as Walmart. They offer monthly or multi-month smartphone plans, pay as you go daily options, and data-only hotspot & tablet plans.
Plan Information
AT&T has a confusing array of Prepaid options with varying features and restrictions along with contradictory or old information on the AT&T website:
- Smartphone only plans that are available online.
- Capped data-only plans for tablets, computers, cameras, and gaming devices that use AT&T's buy-a-session website
- Data-only plans for tablets, mobile hotspots, and routers that are only available from AT&T stores.
We also keep Gear Center entries for AT&T Prepaid's RV Data Connect Plans and their Retired DataConnect Prepaid Unlimited Tablet Plan.
Data-Only Plans
Prepaid Data-Only Plans
Currently Available Plans:
- 5G Data Plans for Tablets, Mobile Hotspots & Routers - Only available at AT&T stores - plan information here):
- Best Value Plan - $300 for 12 months - 20GB/month ($25/month)
- Essential Data Plan - 15GB/$35/month
- Great Deal Plan - 25GB/$50/month
- The Most Data Plan - 40GB/$75/month
- Session-based "DataConnect Pass" Plans (Only available at AT&T Buy-A-Session Website or through an AT&T mobile App)
- Only available for tablets, cameras, and gaming devices
- 25GB
- 7GB
- Computer Plans:
- 100Mb, 300MB, or 1GB plans
Plan Specifications:
- Carrier Networks Used: AT&T
- Carrier Relationship: Direct prepaid
- Plan Types Available: Tablet, Hotspots, Connected Devices
- Device Types Permitted: Tablets, Hotspots, Routers, Cameras, Gaming Devices, wearables - plan specific
- Unlimited: No
- 5G Access: On 5G Data plan for Tablets, Mobile Hotspots & Routers only
- High-Speed Mobile Hotspot Use:
- Throttling: Plans experience full network speeds until the data cap (if any) is reached. Speeds are then throttled to 128kbps for the remainder of the month.
- Network Management: All plans are subject at 22GB.
- Video Streaming Resolution: Most plans come with Stream Saver (SD) which can be turned off to experience full HD video.
- Device Purchase Required: No, but can purchase a device
- Plan Period: Most plans are 30 days unless you are purchasing a plan that is priced in a multi-month fashion - with permits you a capped data amount that refills monthly. Notable exceptions:
- 2GB Session-based Tablet plan is 90 days
- Best Value Plan is a 12-month commitment prepaid upfront
- International Roaming:
- Plans are U.S.-only, but international data add-ons are available for some session-based plans (at an extra cost).
- Domestic Roaming: AT&T Prepaid seems to include domestic roaming, and likely has similar limits to postpaid accounts.
- Data Roll Over:
- Best Value Plan (20GB/month for 12-months) includes data roll-over for one month
- Session-based Plans: Not included (2GB plan does last 90 days, however)
- Store-only Tablet/Hotspot Plans: Not included
- Overage Charges: None
- Additional high-speed data can be purchased for capped plans by the MB or GB - amount and price vary by plan.
- Lines permitted per account:
- Extras:
Smartphone Plans
Prepaid Smartphone Plans
Currently Available Plans:
- Plans available online at AT&T's website
- 15GB - $40/month
- Unlimited - $65/month ($50/month with autopay)
- Unlimited Plus - $75/month ($60/month with autopay)
- Multi-month plans - 8GB/month
- 12-month plan - $300 ($25/month)
- 3-month plan - $99 ($33/month)
- Smartphone Plan - available at "select authorized AT&T Prepaid Dealers" only:
- 12GB - $40/month (10GB available as mobile hotspot data)
- Walmart Phone Plans (Only available through Walmart)
- Offers change semi-frequently, but often include mobile hotspot
- 25GB plan for $40
Plan Specifications:
- Carrier Networks Used: AT&T
- Carrier Relationship: Direct prepaid
- Plan Types Available: Phone
- Device Types Permitted: Phones, Tablets, Hotspots
- Unlimited: Yes, two plans (Unlimited, Unlimited Plus) have unlimited data on device
- 5G: Available on Unlimited Plus plan only - with a compatible device. Subject to network management at 22GB.
- High-Speed Mobile Hotspot Use:
- Smartphone Plans:
- 15GB Plan: Yes - all
- Unlimited: None included: can add 5GB for $10
- Unlimited Plus: 10GB, then unlimited at 128kbps (U.S. usage only)
- Smartphone Plans:
- Throttling: After data cap on 15GB plan; none of Unlimited plans.
- Network Management:
- 15GB Plan: None
- Unlimited: Always
- Unlimited Plus: After 22GB
- Video Streaming Resolution: 480p
- Device Purchase Required: No, but can purchase a device
- Plan Period: 30 days, except for multi-month plans
- International Roaming:
- Smartphone plans except the 5GB plan include unlimited voice, text & full allotment of on-device data in Mexico & Canada.
- AT&T may cancel your plan for using more than 50% of this service outside the U.S.
- International add-ons are available.
- Smartphone plans except the 5GB plan include unlimited voice, text & full allotment of on-device data in Mexico & Canada.
- Domestic Roaming: AT&T Prepaid seems to include domestic roaming, and likely has similar limits to postpaid accounts.
- Data Roll Over: Unused data on capped data plans rolls over to the next month, as long as the account is kept active.
- Overage Charges: None
- Lines permitted per account:
- Extras:
Connected Car Plans
Prepaid Connected Car Plans
Connected Car Plans:
- For existing AT&T customers:
- Mobile Share Plans - Add car for $10/month
- Unlimited - Add car for $20/month
- For non-AT&T customers:
- 2GB - $15/month
- Unlimited - $25/month
- Unlimited Annual - $200/year
- For existing AT&T customers:
Plan Specifications:
- Carrier Networks Used: AT&T
- Carrier Relationship: Direct prepaid
- Plan Types Available: Connected Car
- Device Types Permitted: Connected car device, Vehicle
- Unlimited: Yes
- 5G: No
- High-Speed Mobile Hotspot Use: All
- Throttling: 128kbps after data caps are met.
- Network Management: Always on capped plans; after 22GB on unlimited plans
- Video Streaming Resolution: No throttles
- Device Purchase Required: No
- Plan Period: 30 days or annual
- International Roaming: Data can be used in Canada only at no additional charge.
- Domestic Roaming:
- Data Roll Over: None
- Overage Charges: None
- Lines permitted per account:
- Extras:
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Shopping for Cellular Data Plans
Finding the right plans for your needs is no easy task - quite simply mobile travelers using cellular data as their primary way online is not how most carriers have designed their plans. Many of us want plans that provide copious amounts of data.
Understanding the different plan terms (like network management, throttling, hotspot data, video resolution) is key to determining if a plan will meet your needs or not. You also need plans that are suitable for use in the device you want to use them in - such as smartphone, mobile hotspot device or cellular embedded router.
To learn more about shopping for dataplans, check out these key guides:
As heavily as the carriers push their "Unlimited' data plans - you'll quickly discover that most have limits. Here's a video going over what you need to know about unlimited plans, including 3rd party resellers plans that you might find on the internet:
But a data plan alone will not keep you online - it's only one part of the equation. You also need the right gear and signal enhancing strategy.
For more education on assembling a cellular centric mobile internet setup, head on over to our collection of guides:
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