AT&T is offering
12-Months AT&T Mobile Prepaid Unlimited Talk & Text + 10GB Hotspot for
$240 ($20/month) when you prepay upfront w/ activation on a new single line.
Thanks to Deal Hunter
htp182 for posting this deal.
Plan Includes:- 16GB of 5G • 4G LTE Data per month (After 16GB of data, speed slowed to a max of 1.5Mbps for rest of 30-day term)
- Unlimited talk and text from the U.S. to Mexico and Canada
- Unlimited text from the U.S. to over 230 countries and territories
- 10GB Mobile Hotspot Data (After 10GB, tethering slowed to a max speed of 128Kbps.)
Activation Details- Free Online Activation with SIM Card or eSIM
- Transfer Your Existing Number or Get a New One Free
Top Comments
The only thing I could think of was my billing address. Since my address has a unit number, I wondered if AT&T's billing address verification wasn't matching it exactly the way USPS formats it.
I called my sister, who already has AT&T Prepaid, and asked which credit card she used. I used her card and her billing address, and it worked for me about two days ago.
I contacted AT&T customer service multiple times, but they weren't able to help. They just kept saying their system was having issues. I checked Reddit, though, and people have been reporting the same problem for years. A lot of people believe it's caused by AT&T's billing address verification being overly strict.
From what I understand, once you have an AT&T online account and have a credit card saved to it, this probably isn't an issue anymore. The problem is that you need to get through the initial signup first.
One AT&T manager suggested going to a store, buying a $15 SIM card, creating the account there, and then selecting the prepaid plan afterward. I also found a Reddit post describing the same workaround. I didn't want to go that route, though. Since my sister already had a credit card on file with AT&T, I used her card and billing address for the initial payment, and it went through without any problems.
I know this all sounds weird, but I'm just sharing what I had to go through to get it working. It was incredibly frustrating, especially since nobody at AT&T seemed to know what was actually causing the problem.
Not saying it isn't a good deal. I had AT&T annual prepaid for years and was happy with it. I just had to figure an extra $18 for taxes and fees into the calculation.
Community Reviews
AT&T prepaid's annual plan stands out for direct AT&T coverage, 5G Plus access, unlimited talk and text, and 10GB of hotspot data at $240 upfront for new lines. The plan also gets credit for mid tier network priority and a simple annual setup once activated. The main drawbacks are the fine print and limits, taxes and fees can raise the total, the offer is new customer only, and the 16GB high speed bucket with 128 kbps fallback can feel tight. Canada and Mexico benefits are limited, so it fits best when AT&T coverage matters more than extras.
Common Questions (5)
AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago
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That was my experience. I feel the need to warn people since it caught me off guard the first year. It sounds like there are plenty of people who aren't charged taxes and fees, probably because their state doesn't subject cell phone service to sales tax or 911 funding fees. (other companies include them in the state price to keep things simple.) Maybe it has changed, but I had to pay extra for taxes and fees up through a couple years ago. Do your research.
I was considering switching back to ATT, but the deal needs to be just a bit sweeter.
EDIT: In my case the fees were state Sales Tax and 911 funding fee. It looks like AT&T may have added their own made up "cost recovery fee" of $2.63 per service payment as of 6/22/26 https://www.att.com/legal/terms.o...edule
I'm not switching, i want the rollover
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Recommenations? I do want the plan to include international calling (at least Canada, UK) and some free or reasonable roaming in Canada, UK / Europe, and Australia.
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