Everyone loves to complain about their cell phone carrier.
Maybe they have terrible customer service, it costs too much, or they cant get 4G.
But rarely do we bother actually changing carriers because it always seems like a massive pain.
So first, figure out how much your ETF will be.
The easiest way to do this is to call up your carrier and ask them.
Deflect their offers and get your estimated ETF, but dont cancel your cell phone plan yet.
Next, see how much (if anything) your new carrier will reimburse you for that ETF.
Sprint: Sprint will pay off your entireold contract and phone payment with an American Express Reward Card.
Youll need to give Sprint both your old phone and sign up for a new contract.
T-Mobile: T-Mobilepays off your entire old contract and phone payments with a Visa Prepaid Card.
Youll need to turn in your old phone to T-Mobile to get this deal.
If your new carrier offers credits for trading in your old phone, its typically a pretty simple process.
Theyll port your phone number over, which will automatically initiate the cancellation process on your contract.
Within a couple of weeks, youll get a copy of your final bill from your old carrier.
Pay the bill, and make a copy of the statement.
Then, submit the statement, with the ETF clearly marked, to your new carrier.
Your new carrier will reimburse you the cost of the ETF, minus any extra taxes and fees.
Its not a big amount, but its still an additional cost you should be prepared for.
First and foremost, youll need to own your phone.
You also need to confirm your phone will work on your new web link.
In the U.S., T-Mobile and AT&T are both on the GSM web link.
Verizon and Sprint are on the CDMA connection.
All this is to say that its pretty likely youll need to get rid of your old phone.
So, before you make the switch, back up your data.
Illustration by Fruzsina Kuhari.
