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PSA: Metro by T-Mobile charges $15 per phone swap (Update: Can now avoid charges)
Update, December 6, 2018 (04:10 PM ET): Metro by T-Mobile contacted us here at Android Authority to give a statement on the $15-per-phone-swap fee discussed in the article below.
According to the Metro by T-Mobile rep, the $15 fee will no longer apply, assuming you still call ahead of time and go through the series of automated prompts. Here is what the rep told us:
“All current Metro customers can now complete a device (IMEI) change free of charge by calling 611, *228 or 888-8metro8 and using our automated system.”
Calling ahead of time to warn Metro you are swapping phones is an inconvenient practice, but it’s one the carrier has had in place for some time. At least it will be free going forward.
If calling ahead is still too much for you, unfortunately, Metro by T-Mobile probably isn’t the right carrier for you. Check out our roundup of other prepaid carrier options here.
Original Article, December 4, 2018 (10:50 AM ET): If you own multiple smartphones and like to use them for different reasons, you likely swap your SIM card from one to the other quite often. Well, if that’s the case, you might want to avoid signing up with Metro by T-Mobile, as you’ll be charged $15 every time you swap (via Android Police).
As far as we know, this $15 fee is something no other carrier has in place, not even T-Mobile, which is the obvious parent company of Metro.
To be clear, this is not the same as the usual “Activation Fee” carriers love to throw at you when you buy a new device or upgrade a line. This fee is simply for swapping your card from one phone to another, even phones you already own.
If you like to swap phones a lot, you could rack up hundreds of dollars in fees before the end of the month without even knowing you’re being charged.
According to Android Police, this policy has been in effect since MetroPCS became Metro by T-Mobile, but it was relatively easy to call customer support and get the charge(s) removed. Now, however, Android Police reports that customers can no longer request removal of the fees.
We’ve reached out to a Metro by T-Mobile representative for a statement on the matter and will update this article if and when we receive a response.
In the meantime, are you a serial phone swapper? Are you a Metro by T-Mobile customer? Let us know what you think about this policy in the comments below.