T-Mobile Visa® Review and Card Guide

The T-Mobile Visa® got a lot of hype from T-Mobile on launch, but when we dug into the details, we found a lot of the card’s promises come up hollow. And we even learned that the card’s “5% at T-Mobile” doesn’t apply to your T-Mobile monthly bill. So that left us wondering, “Why would anyone get this card?”

Our review of the T-Mobile Visa® Guide And Review

Cards and Points Rating: 1.0/5.0
Read more about our star ratings.

The T-Mobile Visa® was launched in typical T-Mobile fashion—with splashy marketing and the promise of “5% [rewards] at T-Mobile”. But when we dug into the details we found ourself struggling to think of anyone who would realistically benefit from having this card.

First, the rewards the card earns aren’t cash back—they’re points that can only be redeemed for purchases at T-Mobile. Okay, fair enough. The Verizon Visa card does the same thing, and for T-Mobile customers, a credit toward a monthly bill that you’re going to pay anyway is almost as good as cash.

But the rewards aren’t even that good. Only device and accessories that you buy outright from T-Mobile will earn 5% rewards. You’ll earn 2% rewards on all of your other purchases—including your monthly bill. But we’d imagine that most T-Mobile customers aren’t buying their devices outright. Many promotions require you to pay for your device through monthly charges to your phone bill, meaning you’d only earn 2% on those charges. And accessories? You can probably save more by buying them on Amazon (and you can get 5% cash back with your Amazon Prime Visa card on that purchase anyway.)

Finally, the card’s lack of any substantive benefits is a disappointment. Of course T-Mobile isn’t going to cannibalize its ability to up-sell a monthly cell phone protection plan by adding one to its branded credit card. But the card doesn’t even offer basic benefits like extended warranty and purchase protection. And, in our experience, steep discounts on hotels and car rentals are often based on rack rates or “standard” rates—and you can frequently get similar or better discounts elsewhere.

When you can get a 2% cash back card with no annual fee that offers actual cash back alongside a handful of benefits, it’s really hard to see a reason to get the T-Mobile Visa. And we’re sad about that. A decade ago, T-Mobile used to be a truly innovative company that found ways to deliver outsized value to its customers through promotions and service innovations. But it feels like, since John Legere left, T-Mobile has lost its mojo. We miss the old T-Mobile.

T-Mobile Visa® at a glance

The T-Mobile Visa® got a lot of hype on launch, but the card’s “5% at T-Mobile” doesn’t apply to your T-Mobile monthly bill and is awarded as points that can only be used toward T-Mobile purchases.

T-Mobile Visa® welcome offer

Offer: The card does not currently have a new cardmember welcome offer.

Learn how to apply.

To be eligible to apply for the T-Mobile Visa Card, you must be an active T-Mobile consumer postpaid wireless customer with at least one active line on an eligible smartphone plan.

Annual fee: $0

Alternatives: Cards to consider instead of the T-Mobile Visa®

In almost every case, you can find a better card to use than the T-Mobile Visa®. Here’s where to look for alternatives:

• For everyday purchases, a 2% cash back card with no annual fee is a better choice. You’ll get cash back that you can use anywhere—not just a discount on T-Mobile purchases. Plus, our top picks in this category have useful benefits like extended warranty.
• For paying your monthly cell phone bill, we like using cards that include cell phone protection. With T-Mobile, you’ll lose your auto-pay discount if you pay with a credit card, but on balance you’ll come out ahead when you consider that you earn rewards and don’t have to pay extra for your cell phone insurance.
• For cell phone accessories, shopping almost anywhere else other than your wireless carrier is going to get you a better price. And, whether you shop at Target, Walmart, Amazon or somewhere else, there’s a good chance that you can get a credit card that earns 5% rewards on top of that better price.

Video Review: The T-Mobile Visa

Here’s the video review that we published on YouTube.

Bottom line: The T-Mobile Visa is a flop

At the end of the day, the T-Mobile Visa® card is a product that really shouldn’t exist. It doesn’t have a compelling value proposition for any customer that we can think of and it is a substantively worse product than widely available alternatives.