Metro to T-Mobile Affordable Connectivity Program FAQs

What is the Affordable Connectivity Program?

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a federal government program that provides a discount on monthly high-speed internet service bills for qualifying low-income households. ACP launched at Metro by T-Mobile on January 27, 2022.

What do I get with the ACP benefit?

If your household is eligible, you can receive: 

  • Up to a $30/month discount on your qualifying rate plans service (up to a $75/month discount if your household is on qualifying Tribal lands)
  • Only one monthly service discount is allowed per household.

Having trouble enrolling for ACP?

There may be an issue verifying your eligibility for the Affordable Connectivity Program. Please click ACP Enrollment Denial Error Troubleshooting for more information.

What rate plans at Metro by T-Mobile qualify for the ACP benefit? What do they include?

All Metro by T-Mobile rate plans with smartphone data qualify for the ACP benefit. That means you can get free unlimited calling and texting, free 5GB of high-speed smartphone data and Scam Shield with free Scam ID, free Scam Block, and free Caller ID from Metro by T-Mobile. Here’s other plans you can get when you qualify for the ACP $30 monthly discount, all with 5G access included* on America’s largest 5G network and free Scam ID, free Scam Block, and free Caller ID with Scam Shield:

  • For just $10/month, get unlimited talk and text with 10GB high-speed smartphone data.
  • For just $20/month, get unlimited talk, text, and high-speed smartphone data, 5GB of high-speed hotspot data and 100GB of Google One cloud storage.
  • For just $30/month, get Metro by T-Mobile's top plan with unlimited talk, text and high-speed smartphone data; 15GB of high-speed hotspot data and 100GB Google One cloud storage and unlimited texting to 210+ countries and destinations.

Who is eligible?

Applicants must demonstrate eligibility, including:   
A household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:

  • Has an income that is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines;
  • Participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline;
  • Participates in Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;
  • Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022 school year;
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year; or
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income program

How do I know if I qualify?

The National Verifier will determine your eligibility. Click here to see if you are eligible. Please contact the National Verifier if you have any questions concerning your eligibility. 

When you receive notice that you are qualified for this offer, you’re eligible until at least the end of your current billing cycle or 12/31/21, whichever comes first. Featured device pricing and eligibility may change after that date.

What is a “household” for the ACP benefit program?

A “household” is defined as any individual or group of individuals, related or unrelated, who live together at the same address and who contribute to and share the household income and expenses. 

  • An adult is any person eighteen years or older. 
  • If an adult has no or minimal income, and lives with someone who provides financial support to them, both people shall be considered part of the same household. 
  • Children under the age of eighteen living with their parents or guardians are part of the same household as their parents or guardians. 

What plans are eligible for the ACP at T-Mobile?

All Metro by T-Mobile rate plans with smartphone data qualify for the ACP benefit. If you have questions about your rate plan eligibility, please visit a store or call Customer Care.

How do I apply for the ACP benefit? 

To apply for the ACP benefit, you should:

  • Go to ACPbenefit.org, fill out the application form and receive your approval from the National Verifier. 
  • Join Metro by T-Mobile and choose from the largest selection of free 5G phones in prepaid.
  • Visit My Account on metrobyt-mobile.com and fill out the application form for the ACP benefit or stop by your nearby Metro by T-Mobile store.
  • You will receive a text message letting you know whether you have been successfully enrolled in ACP with Metro by T-Mobile.

How will I know if I have successfully enrolled?

You will receive an SMS from Metro by T-Mobile stating that your enrollment has been approved, and your ACP discount will be applied to your account within 1-2 billing cycles. Once your ACP discount has been applied to your account, you will receive confirmation from Metro by T-Mobile via text.

I received a text message that I was denied ACP. Why did I receive this message? 

There are 2 reasons you could be denied:

  1. Mismatch in personal information entered into National Verifier (NV): you will need to update your NV information to match what is on your Metro by T-Mobile account, then resubmit a new Metro by T-Mobile ACP Enrollment form.
  2. Ineligible Rate Plan: Your current rate plan is not eligible for the ACP credit, and you will need to go into a store or call Customer Care at 1-888-8metro8 to address.

Will I keep the ACP credit forever?

The ACP credit will be in place until the federal government funds for the program are depleted (and not renewed), conditions of your eligibility change, or your service with Metro by T-Mobile ends.

What if I am on a plan that is less than the $30 benefit? How does that work?

The ACP program is designed to cover the standard cost of home internet or mobile internet access service. At Metro by T-Mobile, if your monthly plan price is $30 or less per month ($75 in qualifying tribal areas), you will receive up to a $30 discount.

Can I change my phone number after the ACP discount code has been applied to my account?

You can change your number and still retain the discount. There are processes in place to verify if a phone number changes. 

What happens to my service after the ACP Program ends?

The automatic ACP credit will be removed from your account, and your rate plan will continue at full price. If you changed rate plans to take advantage of the ACP credit, you will not be placed back on the original plan.

I have home internet AND my cell phone has internet – do I get a discount on both?

No, the FCC stipulates that the ACP discount can only be applied to one service for each eligible household. If eligible, you may apply for the ACP credit to your Metro by T-Mobile rate plan, but you could also not apply for an ACP credit to your home internet provider. Eligible households are entitled to a one ACP benefit only.

Can I keep the ACP credit if I switch to a different Metro by T-Mobile rate plan?

Only certain Metro by T-Mobile plans are eligible for the ACP discount. If you move from one eligible plan to another eligible plan, the ACP discount will still apply. Please contact Customer Care on 1-888-8metro8 before switching plans to ensure that the benefit will apply to your new plan. 

Can I change my phone number and keep the ACP credit?

You may change your phone number and maintain the ACP discount for which you are eligible. Metro by T-Mobile will need to associate your new phone number with your ACP discount, which may delay application of the ACP discount to your new phone number for a brief period.

I have prepaid service with Metro by T-Mobile – how do I get my ACP credit since it is pay in advance?

Once the benefit has been applied to your prepaid account, the cost of your plan will be reduced via the ACP discount just as if you had paid. 

I want to switch from [AT&T, VERIZON, ETC], and I have an ACP credit, can I bring my discount with me?

Yes, you can transfer your ACP benefit to Metro by T-Mobile! When you fill out your information with Metro by T-Mobile, make sure you check the box to transfer your ACP benefit to Metro.
 
I qualified for ACP and have been receiving discounts but was just notified that I am no longer eligible. Why?

Changes in your financial circumstances may impact on your eligibility for ACP. If Metro by T-Mobile learns that you no longer qualify for ACP as mandated by the FCC, Metro by T-Mobile will notify you and remove your ACP discount.

Are business accounts eligible for the ACP discount?

 Business accounts are not eligible for ACP except for certain small business accounts where:

  • You are personally liable for your small business account, such as where you provided a personal guarantee of the account; and
  • The small business account plan is eligible under the ACP program.

A member of my household is eligible for ACP and on my account, but does not live with me, can we apply ACP to my account?

If a member of your household qualifies for ACP and is on your account, they must reside at your same address to apply the ACP discount to your account. Only one ACP discount is allowed per account.

I was told my information did not match with NV, how am I supposed to update it?

If you have been approved for ACP through the National Verifier but received confirmation that you had mismatched information, please check your Metro by T-Mobile billing information, and go back to the National Verifier to update and match. If you require changes to your Metro by T-Mobile account due to incorrect information, please contact Customer Care to update your account. Please ensure that the information you provide to Metro by T-Mobile is accurate and matches exactly what you provided to the National Verifier.

Who on my account is going to get the notifications?

The primary account holder will receive all notifications associated with the ACP program. If no primary account holder is established on the account, the billing party responsible will receive the notifications.

Why do I have to wait for my next bill to get the discount? Shouldn’t I get it now since I qualify now?

Metro by T-Mobile will apply the discount to your account as quickly as possible, but application of the discount in Metro by T-Mobile’s systems may cause a short delay.

How long will it take for me to hear back from the NV whether I am qualified?

The National Verifier determines your eligibility for ACP and approval times may vary. Demand on the National Verifier may also cause delays in your approval.

I recently lost my job, I previously did not qualify, and I think I do now, can I resubmit?

Yes, you can check with the National Verifier to see if you are eligible for ACP.

I am currently in EBB with Metro by T-Mobile. When I transition to ACP, is my monthly bill going to increase?

The benefit amount for non-tribal is lower for the ACP program than the EBB program. If you are concerned about a possible increase to your bill after transitioning to ACP, please contact customer care at 1-888-8metro8. There may be another rate plan that will work better for you with a lower monthly cost.

What happens if I do not use my phone?

Under FCC rules, you must use your Metro by T-Mobile service at least once every 45 days to keep your account active. If no activity is registered on your account after 30 days, you will enter a 15 day cure period before the Affordable Connectivity Program discount is removed and you are de-enrolled from the Affordable Connectivity Program. To maintain the Affordable Connectivity Program discount, simply place or receive a call, send a text, or use your mobile data (off a Wi-Fi network) each month. If your Affordable Connectivity Program discount is removed due to inactivity, you may reapply at any time by visiting metro-tmo.com/ACP.

Need help resolving an issue with the ACP?

If you have concerns about the enrollment process or the quality of the ACP service Metro by T-Mobile is providing, you may call our Care team at 1-888-8Metro8. You may also file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Consumer Complaint Center, at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us or by calling 888-CALL-FCC (888-225-5322).