Starlink Adds $16/Month Mini Installments, Standard Dish Returns To Roam

Starlink has made a couple of changes to the hardware options available with its Roam plans, including a new way to purchase the Starlink Mini and the return of the Standard 4X dish.

The Mini is now available on a 12-month installment plan for $16/month, giving customers another option besides paying for the hardware upfront. At the same time, the Standard dish has quietly returned to Roam less than a month after being removed from the ordering flow.

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Starlink Mini Now Available For $16/Month

Roam customers can now purchase the Mini Kit for $16/month for 12 months when signing up for any of the Roam service plans.

This $16/month charge is only for the hardware. Roam service is still a separate monthly charge, with limited data plans at $55/month for 100 GB and $80/month for 300 GB, along with the $175/month Unlimited plan.

Customers can still purchase the Mini outright for $199, but the new installment option spreads the cost across 12 monthly payments of $16, making it easier for some customers to get a Mini without the larger upfront expense.

According to Starlink's Truth in Lending disclosure, the installment option has a 0% annual percentage rate and no finance charge.

Interestingly, the installment option adds up to $192, making it $7 cheaper than purchasing the Mini outright at the current $199 price.

Customers on the installment plan can also switch between Roam plans or activate Standby Mode without triggering payment of the remaining balance. However, canceling Starlink service before the 12-month installment period is complete makes the full remaining balance due immediately.

This Is An Installment Purchase, Not A Rental

It's also important not to confuse this new installment option with the hardware rental program Starlink recently introduced for Residential customers.

New Residential customers now rent their Starlink hardware for $10/month, and the equipment remains owned by Starlink unless the customer later purchases it.

The new Mini option is different. This is a financed purchase of the hardware, with Starlink referring to the agreement as a Retail Installment Agreement. Once the Mini is paid for, there isn't an ongoing hardware rental charge.

Standard Dish Returns To Roam

The Standard 4X dish has also returned as a purchase option when signing up for Roam service, reversing a change Starlink made less than a month ago.

The Standard is currently listed for $349, alongside the $199 Mini and the new Mini installment option.

On July 1, we reported that Starlink had removed the Standard dish from new Roam orders, leaving the Mini as the only hardware option for new Roam customers purchasing directly from Starlink.

That change didn't last very long, though. Less than a month later, the Standard is back in the Roam ordering flow at the same $349 price it was previously offered at.

The Standard remains an attractive option for users who don't need the smaller size and lower power consumption of the Mini. It offers a larger antenna and has traditionally had more flexibility to move between compatible Residential and Roam plans.

The Mini remains the cheaper and much more portable choice, especially for RVers and boaters looking for something easy to deploy and that doesn't use as much power.

Concluding Thoughts

Starlink's hardware offerings and plan options change frequently, and the return of the Standard dish less than a month after it disappeared is another good example of that.

For Roam users, both changes are positive. The new Mini installment option lowers the upfront hardware cost to just $16 and even saves a few dollars compared to buying it outright, while still allowing customers to switch between Roam plans or use Standby Mode. The tradeoff is that customers are committing to the full $192 purchase, and canceling service before the 12 months are up makes the remaining balance due immediately.

For users who prefer the larger Standard dish, it's also good to see Starlink once again offering it directly with Roam instead of forcing customers to find one through a third-party retailer. Roam customers once again have more hardware choices, along with a cheaper way to get started with the Mini.

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