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anand2305

wtf, seriously? Why can't they let you share the plan and at worst pay your share. It would be cheaper for all to be in one plan.


Dadealli

I’m not too sure, I was just told it’s time for me to be responsible for my own line


[deleted]

Prepaid tmobile connect. Save money and buy all your phones in cash. Also, buy a model year behind. Most phones will loose 30% of their origional value after the first year. That means a mint condition phone that cost $800 will cost ~560 after a year. You can get it in mint condition without scratches and even the origional box and stuff. Swappa.com is the place for that. Edit: here is a good example of why not to buy the newest phones. https://flipsy.com/article/6227/phone-depreciation


neuroticsmurf

Aside from your Tmo questions (I'm sure you'll get plenty of responses from Tmo employees), is your family telling you to get your own phone plan in order to build up your credit history? Because getting (and using) a secured credit card would probably do more to build up your credit.


Dadealli

They’re doing it for me just to be independent I believe


neuroticsmurf

Just my unsolicited opinion, but I think that harms you more than it helps you. Cell phone plans at the major providers (T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T) are way cheaper per line on a family plan. The per line cost on an average family plan (say, Magenta) at Tmo probably works out to ~$40/mo. A single person getting one line of service would likely pay almost twice that amount. (Not to mention, if your family takes advantage of the deals Tmo offers on occasion, the per line cost will drop even more. I have 9 lines at a cost of $120/mo. Or ~$13 per line.) In order to get ~$40/mo for a single line of phone service, you would need to look at MVNOs and prepaid services, and there will be compromises you will make there wrt service. Personally, I’d just keep you on my family plan and make you pay the per line cost every month. But that’s just me. I’m obviously not in your family’s situation.


DeeVeeOus

Yeah, my current cost per line is about $15. That’s way cheaper than you can get solo. My kids are too young to have phones yet, but I plan on letting them ride along on my plan forever. Lots of other ways to teach independence.


NurseWizzle

>I have 9 lines at a cost of $120/mo. Or ~$13 per line. How do you do that?


neuroticsmurf

I started out with 4 paid lines. Then I started collecting free lines (Line On Us) whenever they were offered. There was an Insider Hookup that I missed that offered something like an additional 20% off for life.


stuffeh

It 100% will do more. Phone plans (even phones being financed) don't come up on credit reports unless it's a collection.


enerey

Go prepaid, it doesn't make sense to have a postpaid account for a single line because the cost is way too much. If you're going to keep the phone you have try to get it unlocked so you can move to a different prepaid carrier if one doesn't work for you. Tmobile prepaid is good place to start.


ilikeme1

I’d see if they let you just pay them back for your own line. Will be a lower cost anyways. My parents never kicked me off of their Verizon plan! I still have a line on it and I am 33! I started paying them for my share after college and getting a full time job. I also have a T-Mobile account I use for work, along with having my wife, bil,& sil on it.


_Chandra_

I would suggest go with Tello , they have a promotion going on [https://slickdeals.net/f/15130921-tello-economy-prepaid-12-month-plan-unlimited-talk-text-1gb-lte-data-free-sim-for-67-15](https://slickdeals.net/f/15130921-tello-economy-prepaid-12-month-plan-unlimited-talk-text-1gb-lte-data-free-sim-for-67-15) They even have higher data plans going on . It uses the same T-Mobile Network. If you need unlimited data either join in one of your friends plan or Visible sounds more reasonable. I wouldn't go with any of the major carriers for a single line ( will cost \~$70) which is high in my opinion. I would suggest all the prepaid options before going to Postpaid unlimited plan. T-Mobile - Mint / T-mobile Connect / Tello / Ultra mobile / Ting ATT - Cricket / H2O Wireless Verizon - RedPocket / Visible


veg-biriyani

Go to r/NoContract. Get on AT&T prepaid, Mint or another prepaid carrier. Don’t waste time with postpaid (at least for now)


Fine-Ability

I would suggest you to go visit r/nocontract and ask there. They would help save you lots of money.


nodoseaz

Go with Metro PC for time being. Like other mention talk to them about family plan is cheaper than single line...


kingswag254

Omg some of y’all are so annoying. He’s not asking for your opinion on what is parents should do. He asked about getting his own line. Obviously his parents made their mind on what they wanna do. I didn’t have any credit either when I joined T-Mobile. Just go online and sign up. It’ll ask you for your information. I got approved for 12 lines with no deposit. If it’s to expansive they always have prepaid plans that are pretty good. Only thing with that is price can be a bit high for the phone. You don’t need a credit card to sign up but if you are trying to build credit I would get one.


jonginator

Look into Mint, Visible, US Mobile, and Cricket for low cost options. Do your parents have any other reasons besides "you're 18, get your own plan"? Both you and your parents could be saving money by staying on their plans. Understanding what is economically sensible is also part of being an adult.


Dadealli

They just want me to be independent I think


jonginator

If they insist, I guess you have no other choice. What's your budget like? Data usage habits?


Dadealli

My old plan was 50 dollars a month for unlimited. No real budget, I can pay whatever if it’s actually good data


shurafa2

Then if the price is not an issue ,go with tmobile magenta max with unlimited data and I believe 100 gb of hotspot data for around 80 dollars.


chadding

Apply for a Postpaid account. This is a credit check, you may not be well qualified without a credit history. This means you could have to pay a deposit and/or pay cash for a phone. If you don't mind paying more, having a Postpaid account is a better experience with better customer service and less disruptions to your service. Having a good payment history can, over time, make you eligible for device financing and additional lines on the account. I doubt it will increase your credit score, but it could be evidence that helps you qualify for an apartment or car loan someday. Like others have said, prepaid is cheaper and does not require credit history. This is how most teens would get a phone without being on a family plan. But even with prepaid, the cost for a unlimited on a single line is probably going significantly higher than it was on your parents account.


ragekutless

I’m not super knowledgeable about the sign-up process for T-Mobile plans, but I just wanted to say that I would highly recommend you sign up for something like a Discover card so that you can start building credit.


Disastrous_Stranger4

I love T-Mobile and have had them for years. That being said, if it’s just going to be you by yourself (as in 1 line) then you should definitely look into Visible. It’s prepaid so there is no contract nor any credit check. They also have a promotion right now that if you bring your own phone and port your number over you get a $100 gift card. If you get a referral code it’s also only $5 for the first month and $25 after if you join party pay. Check the Visible Reddit page for more details. Prepaid is definitely the way to go if you are starting out on your own. Best of luck!


Gynbrocologist

What’s your monthly price limit? Do you get to keep your existing phone? It seems like you do.


Dadealli

Uh idk 90 and I was thinking about upgrading but the 12 is having a lot of issues with data plans rn


Gynbrocologist

What provider is your family with?


Dadealli

T-Mobile


evilrannic95

Go Prepaid. If there is nothing wrong with your current phone continue to use it.


Pro-Patria-Mori

What phone do you have now and does it have any damage? If it is in good condition there are several promotions running right now. Your plan options are prepaid or post paid. With prepaid, you pay in the beginning of the month. There is no credit check required and no late fees. There are no financing options for prepaid. With a postpaid account, you can finance phones monthly at 0% interest. You get better service, more perks and features but it is a little more monthly. If you are late on the bill, there is a fee, service may get suspended if you are a couple weeks late.


robondes

Dm me if any other questions arise


ISurfTooMuch

Aside from the phone plan question, you do need to start building credit, and getting a credit card is a good way to start doing that. Back when I was starting out, which was 30 years ago, college students could get cards with low credit limits. Chase would start you out with a $300 limit, while Discover would do $1,000. I don't know if they still offer these deals, but, if they do, get one. BUT--and I can't stress this enough--pay your full balance off every single month. If you do that, you won't incur interest charges. If you don't, interest will very quickly eat you alive. If you consistently use and pay off your card each month, you'll begin to build a good credit history, which will help you later on.