When you look at the basics of the T-Mobile military discount, it holds its own when compared to similar programs offered by bigger, more traditional carriers. While it’s not quite as sweet of a deal as advertised — and it’s not available to military family members except in select circumstances — its discounts are extremely competitive.
And unlike the big carriers, T-Mobile’s prices are inclusive of taxes and fees.
Before we get into all the details, don’t forget to download The Krazy Coupon Lady app to learn about more military discounts on top of everyday discounts for the masses.
The T-Mobile military discount is 22% – 47% off.
The T-Mobile military discount is available for two different Magenta plans. Discounts start at 22% off and tend to get larger the more lines you add. However, while T-Mobile advertises this offer as 50% off, the largest discount KCL was able to find was 47% off 5+ lines on the Magenta Military plan.
Percentages aside, it ends up being fairly competitive in terms of raw dollars with the military discounts offered by other providers — most notably Verizon’s military discount.
T-Mobile Military Plan: Magenta
First, there’s a plan called Magenta that offers:
T-Mobile Military Plan: Magenta MAX
Of course, you could also opt for the larger Magenta MAX plan, which includes:
Related: Find out how to qualify for Target’s military discount and how to use it.
Who qualifies for the T-Mobile military discount?
T-Mobile’s military discount is extended to:
- Active-duty service members
- Reservists
- National Guard members
- Veterans
- Retirees
- Gold Star families
Important to note: the only way you can qualify as a military spouse is if your service member is actively deployed or if you lost your service member in the line of duty during a time of conflict.
Gather this paperwork to claim the T-Mobile military discount.
The paperwork required is going to vary depending on your current relationship with the military.
- Active duty: LES, orders, and/or power of attorney (if your spouse is setting up service for you while you’re deployed)
- Reserves/Guard: LES, orders, NGB 23, and/or retirement points statement
- Veterans: DD214 (must be honorably discharged), NGB 22, valid veteran-designated drivers license, Veterans Affairs ID card, and/or VA form 26-1880
- Retiree: DD214, NGB 23, Retirement Certificate, and/or an official letter
- Gold Star Families: DD1300
Related: Does Best Buy have a military discount? We’ve got the answer.
Who has the best military discounts on cell phone bills?
Overall, Verizon and T-Mobile offer competitive rates across the board for military members, with the biggest price variance being about $2 – $5 per line. However, T-Mobile’s prices include taxes and fees while Verizon’s don’t. Ultimately, T-Mobile is likely to be cheaper.
If you prefer Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ to Netflix or would prefer an Apple Music subscription over Apple TV+, you might want to go with Verizon depending on how much your taxes and fees will be.
If you’re getting just one line, AT&T offers better prices than T-Mobile, but again with the taxes and fees. AT&T’s military discount plans don’t include streaming service subscriptions at all. It’s also not as good as T-Mobile if you’ll be texting abroad frequently. But in terms of dollars per month for the plan itself, AT&T does win out a little bit here.
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