Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more.
PSA: Metro by T-Mobile charges $15 per phone swap (Update: Can now avoid charges)
August 24, 2025
Update, July 17, 2025 (04:10 PM ET):Metro by T-Mobile contacted us here atAndroid Authorityto 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:
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 ofother prepaid carrier options here.
Original Article, July 08, 2025 (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 withMetro by T-Mobile, as you’ll be charged $15 every time you swap (viaAndroid Police).
As far as we know, this $15 fee is something no other carrier has in place, not evenT-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 toAndroid Police, this policy has been in effect sinceMetroPCS became Metro by T-Mobile, but it was relatively easy to call customer support and get the charge(s) removed. Now, however,Android Policereports 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.
NEXT:Goodbye MetroPCS; Hello Metro by T-Mobile
Thank you for being part of our community. Read ourComment Policybefore posting.
