For years now, T-Mobile has offered free budget phones for postpaid customers, as long as they trade in any working phone. It’s part of the company’s original 5G For All initiative, and while the phones are very low-end, free is free.
The only catch is you have to trade in a working phone. A small hurdle, but a hurdle nonetheless. Now, however, there’s a way to skip the trade all together, and just walk away with a free 5G phone.
According to internal sources, customers on postpaid plans can buy any of a select group of 5G devices on installment and get it for free with no trade-in or new line required. The catch: it’s only available at Walmart.
T-Mobile’s “store-in-store” program is where T-Mobile has kiosks or sales abilities within other stores. In this case, there’s a specific promotion that applies only to sales within Walmart stores.
The following devices are available:
- Motorola: Moto G 5G (2024)
- Moto G Stylus 5G (2024)
- Samsung: Galaxy A16 5G
- Galaxy A15 5G
- Galaxy A14 5G
- T-Mobile: REVVL 6x 5G
The devices aren’t exactly high-end, but if you’re in need of a new 5G phone and don’t have a penny to spare, this might be a good option.
The phone is “free” over 24 months of bill credits, as with most T-Mobile phone promos. Another thing to remember is you won’t be able to pay the phone off early unless you’re ok with losing the remainder of the credits. Any postpaid consumer plan that can finance devices is eligible, unless they’re special accounts (like lifeline, business accounts, etc).
There are risks to consider, though. Third-party stores are notorious for being problematic with accounts, and an in-store rep working at Walmart is even more risky. If you choose to claim the deal, be vigilant with your account.
There’s also the other option: buy directly through T-Mobile. You’ll need a valid trade-in device, but it’s a bit more reliable.
In addition, not all Walmart stores offer T-Mobile devices. To see if yours does, you can check this PDF (Thanks u/desterpot on Reddit).
The promotion is called “Walmart Smartphone ID250040” internally, if needed.
Act fast, because there’s no telling how long this offer will be available.
