AT&T to raise prices on older unlimited plans by up to $20 starting this April
If you have been holding onto an older AT&T unlimited plan because it felt like a good deal, the deal is about to change.
The company is increasing prices by up to $20 a month for customers on legacy plans starting this April. And if you’re still on one of those “grandfathered” deals, you’re exactly who this is aimed at. Let’s unpack the increase and who it affects.
Plans affected by the new fee
The increase isn’t hitting everyone. It only affects customers on older unlimited plans that AT&T no longer sells. If you’re on one of those, keep in mind that single-line users will pay $10 more per month while multi-line accounts will see a $20 total monthly increase.
Specifically, these changes apply to plans activated before July 24, 2025, including options like Value Plus VL, Unlimited Starter SL, Unlimited Extra EL, and Unlimited Premium PL tiers.
AT&T says the move is about maintaining network quality and improving service. And you get something in return, technically, as the company is adding 20GB of extra hotspot data to affected plans.
The real play here
This isn’t just a random price hike. AT&T recently introduced a new lineup of “2.0” unlimited plans, and this shift makes those newer options look a lot more appealing.
The trick is: if older plans get more expensive, new plans start to look like better value. The company is not forcing you to switch, but you definitely feel the nudge to do so.
In general though, a price hike is happening across the board, as other carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile are adjusting pricing, launching new plans, and reshuffling features to stay competitive. Some are lowering prices to attract customers, while others are adding perks to justify higher costs.
Here are your options
If you are affected by the price hike, you can either stay put and pay the higher price or look into switching to one of AT&T’s newer plans.
There are also small ways to offset the cost, like enrolling in autopay or paperless billing, but those won’t cancel out the increase entirely.
Whether you stay put or switch tiers, keep an eye on your April bill—the 'grandfathered' era is officially getting more expensive.
Sources: TheStreet, The Sun, Economic Times
