Please sign in to post.

Changes to T-mobile international

I recently got notice from T-Mobile that my plan had changed to Experience Signature w/55+ savings.

However, looking at the plan closely there are some changes to the international portion:

--monthly price increase

--data speeds at up to 256k

-- international calls from overseas are now 50¢/minute

I looked at some of their other plans and they are more expensive.

Has anyone else seen this?

Posted by
11573 posts

Hmmm I haven't looked at my parents ' terms in a month or two. Will check, thanks for the heads up.

Posted by
2642 posts

Haven't received yet, but I'm very disappointed as this was why I switched to T Mobile and I've always been satisfied when I travel to Europe.

Posted by
671 posts

Regarding price increases, phone lines went up $6 each and home internet went up $6.

Posted by
12363 posts

Frank, your question scared me into delving into our plan which is Experience Beyond with 55+ savings. I did’t see an Experience Signature version.

We thought the 15GB high-speed international more than made up for the price increase, along with getting HULU included. International data used to cost us each $50/month when abroad, so about $100/year each.

The new plan looked like Int’l was only at 256Kbps but a little research revealed the following AI summary, which I confirmed with a dive on the T-Mobile site https://www.t-mobile.com/commerce/plan-details

  • No, the international component of the T-Mobile Experience Beyond 55+ plan is not strictly 256kbps. It actually includes a high-speed data allowance, with the slower 256kbps speed acting as an unlimited fallback.The plan’s international features operate as follows:High-Speed Allotment: You receive 15GB of high-speed data per billing cycle when traveling in over 215 covered countries and destinations. In Canada and Mexico, you get a separate 30GB of high-speed data.Unlimited Throttled Data: Once you exceed your high-speed allotment in either region, your data connection remains unlimited but is slowed to up to 256kbps for the rest of your billing cycle.If you need more high-speed data while traveling, you can purchase an International Pass to regain full LTE/5G speeds.

We don’t make more than 5 or 6 calls when we are overseas so the $.50/minute was no problem.

Posted by
339 posts

Yes. Our plan changed with a small increase in the monthly rate. While we were in Europe (for just under 90 days) the service worked just as before. We did not make any international calls.

Posted by
4286 posts

Frank, you may be on a grandfathered plan that doesn't exist for new customers. I recently switched to the plan Laurel referenced. It has unlimited international texting and up to 15GB of high-speed data, then unlimited data at up to 256Kbps, plus calls at 50 cents per minute. Sounds like they may have adjusted your plan to match their current offerings. My plan also includes Hulu, Netflix, and Apple TV (for $3/mo), all services I was previously paying for separately. And I have T-Satellite which is very handy for my off grid camping and I understand it may also work overseas (haven't tried that yet).

Posted by
836 posts

Frank II, thanks for starting this thread. I'm a pretty satisfied Tmobile customer, but they sure do a lousy job of telling anyone the plan details for "their" plan. I'm sort-of "grandfathered", with a Magenta 55+ plan. Now I'm an "Experience Signature w/ 55+ Savings". The changes for me are:
1-- Each line is $6/month more.
2--Calls from International places are 50 cents/minute, up from 25 cents.
3--Instead of 5 gb. high speed data in only 11 countries, I now get it in all 214 countries

I don't like the extra $6/month, but that just makes it $41/month for me.
As mentioned here, I don't care about the 50 cent/minute calling.
Getting high speed data everywhere will save me a few $50/month add-ons, so that's great.
And if I need more than 5 gb./month, I'll use my Roamless or Bcengi esims, no problem.

I never could find the details of the hotspot allowance, my plan was 5 gb/month, now it might be more, but that doesn't matter much to me.

Posted by
12363 posts

And I have T-Satellite which is very handy for my off grid camping and I understand it may also work overseas

CL, it does work overseas. It kicked in a couple of times for us in Ireland. Also worked great on the North Shore of Lake Superior where there are a surprising number of cellular dead spots.

As to the hotspot, I think it is domestic only, 250Gbps high speed, which is good but I think use overseas would eat the 15Gbps… LMK if anyone has a different interpretation.

Posted by
2600 posts

We have the grandfathered Magenta 55+ plan that came with Price Lock.

For accounts activated between April 28, 2022, and January 17, 2024, customers who signed up for qualifying mobile wireless plans received our original Price Lock Guarantee (“Original Price Lock”). Under that promotion, new accounts with qualifying service could keep their regular monthly rate plan price for unlimited talk, text, and data on our network, excluding taxes/fees, select limited-time promotions, per-use charges, third-party services (such as satellite connectivity), discounts, and network management practices.

We haven't been advised of any changes. My understanding is that as long as we make no changes, we keep our original plan and rates.

Posted by
6787 posts

A quick google search indicates that T-Mobile will be “migrating” customers with older plans.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/t-mobile-customers-on-old-plans-are-being-pushed-to-new-ones-starting-this-week/

I’ve got a Simple Choice plan from 2014 and my price has never been raised. My plan has the slow international data so I always pay extra for a high speed international data pass ($50 for 30 days). I considered upgrading to one of the newer plans but could not justify it because my old plan was cheaper even with the extra fees. I just logged into my account and they have not yet changed anything yet but I expect that I will eventually get a similar notice.

Posted by
2743 posts

Do these prices include your handset or do you need to buy your own?

Posted by
836 posts

GerryM, Speaking for myself, my grandfathered Magenta 55+ plan did not come with a new phone. I just bought a used, unlocked one on Ebay. If I had Tmobile give me a new phone, I believe I'd have to pay something monthly for it. And definitely it would be locked to Tmobile. That was the deal-breaker for me. I do not want a locked phone.

Posted by
2743 posts

For this sort of money in the UK you'd also be getting an iPhone 17 or equivalent included.

Posted by
2600 posts

GerryM, when we started with T-Mobile in 2022, they offered a choice of “free” phones. We were basically billed and credited the cost of the phones for 24 months. So, yes, the handset was included. It’s time for my husband to upgrade his phone, but I think we’ll hold off a bit. I don’t want to rock the boat.

Posted by
2743 posts

It always seems like American consumers get a bit of a raw deal with mobile phone and internet connectivity pricing compared to over here. I guess it balances out with the price we pay for electricity and gas, in both uses of the word, fuel for cars and homes.

Posted by
6811 posts

I got "migrated" to this new plan with an added $6/month/line and a bunch of streaming add-ons that I don't want. But it was four years since I started with T-Mobile -- unfortunately a few months before the "price lock" that jeanm mentioned above (sweet!). I use the phone overseas for data and texting, wifi for Zoom conversations with my wife. So I don't like the increase (we have two lines so $80 has become $92), but it's roughly in line with inflation over time. I'm sure there will be future increases, bundled with other stuff I don't want.

I can't get T-Mobile to stop billing me for a tracker they sold me several months ago without telling me it would cost another $2/month. I canceled and returned it immediately but every month they still pull that $2 from my bank. Neither the "customer care" line nor the store has been able to change this, they just string me along. A company that seems very technologically advanced but ethically primitive. Maybe some other poster has some advice. Thank goodness, the phone's unlocked so I can switch if it all becomes too frustrating. But T-Mobile's overseas service still seems much better than other carriers.

Posted by
19398 posts

I've been with T-Mobile for over 12 years. At first, I was put on a plan with no price increase. Then I was moved to a new plan with a slight increase. My old plan was no longer available.

Now I'm moved to a new plan, with a price increase, because my old plan is no longer available.

At least it does say my price is locked in for five years.

Unless, of course, they change plans again.

I am with them strictly because of the included international component. I don't want to have to pay an extra fee to be able to use the phone outside the US. I spend about 75% of the year outside the US.

I do my best to only make calls when wifi is available and use Google Voice. I try to keep my data use limited and again use wifi whenever available. I don't keep earbuds in my ear when out and about because it takes away from me being aware of my surroundings.

I hope that those people who insist on walking around constantly looking at their phones, and having earbuds in their ears, completely oblivious to other people, never procreate.

Posted by
11714 posts

We have been with T-Mobile for many years and the plan we had is now obsolete. We were switched to the Experience Signature w/55+ Savings plan. This plan raised our price $6 per line, so $12. We are now paying $82/month. They doubled the price per minute when traveling internationally but I rarely have the need to make a call. I tend to use more data than my husband because I use my phone as a hotspot when I’m using my iPad. I don’t like using unsecured public wifi which includes most hotels. I’m thinking that a VPN might be the solution for that. I’ve mentioned it to my husband before but he was skeptical. An eSIM is also a consideration. If he keeps dragging his feet I’m just going to take care of it myself.

Posted by
8807 posts

I found this research report useful. The spreadsheet of plans links provide a staggering number of actual plans.

https://tmo.report/2026/07/heres-every-t-mobile-experience-migration-plan-along-with-prices/

My T-Mobile account did not show my new plan name until (roughly) the day before my monthly bill preview rolled out for inspection.

You are correct that the overseas voice call rate has doubled, but the various downgrades of data speed after a certain amount of highest 5G speed is not a new "feature." Since I use Waze and Google Maps extensively while traveling, I can live with this form of "unlimited" data.

Posted by
2981 posts

I’ve been a T-Mobile customer for so long that it was called Voicestream when I started. My plan is a Simple Choice plan. As of today, I have not been migrated to anything new but I’m sure it’s coming.

I’m expecting a price increase but what makes me nervous is the change from 25 cents a minute to 50 when I’m traveling. I make a lot of calls since I work when I travel. To avoid fees, when I make a call, I turn off my phone completely, move to my iPad, using the hotel WiFi since the iPad does not have data, and make my call on WhatsApp.

This didn’t happen previously but this year - when I got home - I had about $60 in international charges - despite making no international calls on my phone.

I talked to T-Mobile numerous times. They agreed I made no calls. They really could not explain the charges (they credited them back to me). The charges only occurred for WhatsApp calls where I called my business partner on his T-Mobile phone that is on the same plan as mine.

This has happened on my last two international trips -I can’t prove it’s related to these company-wide changes, but I wonder.

At any rate - it leaves me in a bind with TMobile. For my trip later this month, I might buy an international plan…although I’m gone longer than 30 days and will actually need to buy two…for nearly $100!