Who owns Mint Mobile?
You might not be sure who owns Mint Mobile, whether it's Ryan Reynolds or T-Mobile.
Who owns Mint Mobile?
Best answer: T-Mobile owns Mint Mobile. The process to purchase began in March 2023, and the completion was announced on May 1st, 2024. The previously Ryan Reynolds-owned prepaid carrier has promised to keep Mint's famous $15/month plan.
Mint Mobile: Starting at $15/month
Since Mint Mobile first hit the MVNO scene back in 2016, it's reigned as one of the most popular alternative carriers around. It provides excellent T-Mobile coverage with low costs and a humorous approach to marketing. Although it was recently purchased by T-Mobile, you can still take advantage of its affordable data plans in 3, 6, and 12-month increments.
A brief history of Mint Mobile ownership
Mint Mobile launched in 2016 as a subsidiary of Ultra Mobile, another MVNO. In 2019, actor Ryan Reynolds made the highly publicized decision to buy an ownership stake in Mint. After that purchase, Reynolds starred in most of the carrier's commercials, adopting a humorous persona that went hand-in-hand with the MVNO's sardonic marketing style.
In March 2023, T-Mobile announced that it had purchased both Ultra Mobile and T-Mobile in a $1.35 billion deal. This news was shared on YouTube through a characteristically humorous advertisement starring Reynolds and Mike Sievert, T-Mobile's CEO. On May 1st, 2024, T-Mobile officially completed its Mint Mobile acquisition, after receiving approval from the FCC.
How will this acquisition affect Mint Mobile? T-Mobile promises that from now on and in the following months, it will roll out perks to Mint Mobile customers, such as Scam Screeners and free Canada and Mexico roaming. Only time will tell what other perks Mint Mobile users will enjoy. But its famous $15/month plan remains in place.
The perks of Mint Mobile
As detailed in our Mint Mobile review, this unique prepaid carrier sells its plans in multi-month bundles rather than on a per-month basis. With prices starting as low as $15 per month for 5GB of data, you can buy up to a year of service at a time and save yourself lots of cash. In addition to that minimum 5GB plan, there is a 15GB, 20GB, and Unlimited tier capped at 40GB.
All Mint Mobile plans include unlimited talk and text, 5G and 4G LTE coverage provided by T-Mobile, Wi-Fi calling, free calls to Mexico and Canada, and a 5GB mobile hotspot with select plans and 10GB with the Unlimited plan. Of course, like all the best MVNO carriers, there are no contracts or hidden fees. One upfront payment is required; the amount will depend on your chosen plan.
Suppose you're curious about Mint but aren't ready to commit (comMINT?). In that case, the carrier also offers a 7-day free trial to use the service alongside your existing carrier for a week without interruptions. Most of the best Android phones are compatible with Mint, and the carrier is known to offer great deals that could get you a new phone and a full year of wireless service for dirt cheap. If you want to bring your phone over, ensure that it's unlocked. But if you're unsure if it's compatible, you can use Mint's Phone Compatibility service.
Mint Mobile: New owner, same great price
Although we can no longer call Mint Mobile our "favorite Ryan Reynolds-owned wireless carrier", T-Mobile's recent acquisition of the company will hopefully spell good news for the future of prepaid wireless. While we wait to find out, you can still enjoy excellent T-Mobile coverage for as little as $15 per month with Mint Mobile.
- MVNO deals: Mint Mobile | Visible | Boost | Tello | Cricket
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After almost a decade of working in the e-commerce space, Patrick Farmer (he/him) began his career at Android Central as a Deals and Commerce Writer before moving into a new role as AC's eCommerce Editor in 2023. When he's not hunting down the best deals and offering shopping advice for our readers, you'll often find him listening to music, camping out at a brewery, or treating his cat like a human child.