How Cell Phone Plan Perks Work—And Which Carriers Do Them the Best

Talk, text, and data is great—but sometimes you’re looking for a bit more from your cell phone plan. 

That’s where perks come in. These extras (a.k.a. add-ons) can encompass a wide range of benefits, everything from streaming subscriptions to international data privileges to extra hotspot data. Packaging these services with your cell phone plan can sometimes save you significantly over paying for them separately.

All three major carriers (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile) include at least a few perks with their plans, and many sub-brands, like Xfinity Mobile, do the same. In this article, we’ll break down the plan perks offered by these carriers, and compare them to one another. Read on to learn all about cell phone plan perks—and which carriers do them the best. 

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How the Big Three Compare on Perks

The three major carriers, Verizon, T-mobile, and AT&T, vary significantly with respect to how they package (or don’t package) perks into their plans. 

Verizon: Customizable perks with myPlan

Verizon handles perks in a unique way—instead of packaging them into a given plan, they offer them a la carte via a program they call myPlan. 

Granted, Verizon’s premium and midrange unlimited plans do come with some packaged perks—specifically, international ones. However, you can add an assortment of other extras onto your plan for a reasonable $10/month each (with the exception of Apple One, which is $15/month). In many cases, you’ll pay less for these perks by going through the myPlan system. 

Verizon’s list of myPlan perks is long—here’s what’s currently available:  

• YouTube Premium
• Disney Bundle (Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+)
• Netflix & Max (With Ads)
• Apple One (Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+)
• Walmart+ membership
• Apple Music Family 
• Additional 100 GB of Mobile Hotspot 
• $15 monthly credit for +play subscriptions like Netflix, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Max, Paramount+, and Master Class 
• Additional 2TB of cloud storage 
• 3 TravelPass days 

T-Mobile: The Perk-Maker

T-Mobile was one of the first major cell phone carriers to start bundling extras, like free Netflix, into their plans.

The current crop of T-Mobile plans carry on this tradition, but the extras go well beyond Netflix. The T-Mobile Experience More plan, for example, features unlimited texting and 5GB/month of data in 215 countries and destinations. The carrier’s more expensive Experience More includes 15GB of data in these same countries, plus free in-flight texting and WiFi on eligible flights.

It’s worth noting that T-Mobile’s plans skew more expensive than some of the other major carrier plans to account for these extras. 

AT&T: Fewer Perks, Simpler Plans

Among the major carriers, AT&T offers the fewest perks. Fortunately, the carrier passes this savings on in the form of slightly lower-priced plans than the other major carrier competition. 

That’s not to say that AT&T’s plans are totally without extras: AT&T’s premium unlimited plans (Unlimited Extra EL and Unlimited Premium PL) feature Mexico and Canada privileges, and texting to 200 countries. Unlimited Premium PL even features calling to 19 Latin American countries. 

Xfinity Mobile: Lower Price, Minimal Extra Perks

Xfinity Mobile is more of a budget-minded carrier, doing away with lots of extras in favor of (much) lower priced plans than the competition while running on the Verizon network. 

Xfinity Mobile’s most high-end plan, Premium Unlimited, lacks streaming media perks or massive hotspot data allotments of major carrier unlimited plans. However, the plan does include 30GB of high-speed hotspot data and unlimited talk, text, and data to Mexico and Canada. Also, going with Xfinity Mobile gives you access to the company's nationwide network of WiFi hotspots, one of the company's key selling points.

Streaming Perks

It used to be that all three major carriers packaged streaming subscriptions into their plans, but that’s not the case anymore. These days, T-Mobile is the only one who does this, with Netflix and Hulu. Verizon enables its customers to buy them separately at a discounted price (via myPlan), and AT&T has jettisoned them altogether. 

International Perks

If you’re someone who leaves the country regularly, you probably know how expensive using your phone plan abroad can get.

The major carriers have gotten hip to this, and now offer some great international perks. Almost every carrier on the market includes Mexico and Canada privileges with their unlimited plans, and many go beyond this to offer calling, texting, and sometimes data in countries further afield. 

Hotspot Data

While hotspot data may not be considered a cell phone plan perk in the traditional sense—it’s more like another plan feature—it’s worth mentioning here anyway, since it can be a major selling point for folks who need a WiFi signal while they’re on the go.

All three major carriers have upped their mobile hotspot data allowances in recent years, and this arms race only benefits consumers.

Final Thoughts

Cell phone plan perks differ widely depending on the carrier. T-Mobile tends to include the most built-in extras, such as streaming subscriptions and broader international data access, though its plans are often priced a bit higher to account for them. Verizon takes a more flexible approach, letting customers add streaming services, cloud storage, and other benefits through its myPlan system. AT&T keeps things simpler, offering fewer perks but slightly lower plan prices in return. Meanwhile, Xfinity Mobile focuses primarily on affordability, providing basic international access and core features while skipping most premium extras.