About fees & taxes

Learn about fees and taxes you will find on your T-Mobile bill.

Jump to a section below:

• 911 surcharge
• Account restoration Fee
• Activation Fee
• Early Termination Fee
• Late Fee
• Regulatory Programs Fee
• Universal Service Fund Fee
• Utility User Tax

911 surcharge

T-Mobile collects a monthly 911 surcharge on behalf of your local government. State legislation imposes the amount, and T-Mobile's compliance with these charges is a legal requirement. Depending on your local government, the surcharge is either a flat rate or a percentage of your transaction, and it's subject to change at any time.

You can find more information on your bill or receipt. You can also check your state's government websites to learn more about your local communication service taxes.

Account Restoration Fee

The account restoration fee is charged to your account if you restored your service after a non-payment service interruption. The fee $20 per fee per line. The restore fee is automatically charged to your account at the point of restore and will appear on your next month's bill. To avoid this fee, we recommend you sign up for EasyPay so you don't miss any payments.

Activation Fee

Activation fees are a thing of the past. Any new Simple Choice plan activation will be free of an activation fee. You will be charged an activation if you activate a classic plan or if you activate a line in Puerto Rico.

Early Termination Fee (ETF)

An Early Termination Fee (ETF) is charged to your account when you cancel service and end your service agreement with T-Mobile early. This fee is intended to provide reasonable compensation to T-Mobile for the losses it suffers when you do not remain a customer for the full term of your service agreement.

The Early Termination Fee is charged for each line canceled on the account. Taxes may apply, based on state and local laws. These taxes are correct and not a result of a billing issue.

The ETF amount can vary based on your service agreement type and the length of time left until your expiration date:

How to avoid an Early Termination Fee

If you regret the decision to cancel service with T-Mobile, we understand, and we’d love to have you back. Resume service with T-Mobile within 90 days of canceling, and we'll automatically credit the Early Termination Fee back to your account. If it doesn't appear on your first bill, don’t fret. It may take up to two billing cycles to appear.

You can do a change of responsibility to avoid the ETF. There are also special circumstances where T-Mobile will waive the Early Termination Fee. Contact T-Mobile Customer Service to learn more about ETF waivers.

Late Fee

Late fees are $5 or more (up to 1.5% of the balance) if the balance is not paid by the due date shown on your statement. You automatically receive a grace period (depending on which state you live in) after your due date before a late fee is determined.

The late fee grace period does not apply to partial account suspensions. Anytime your account is past due, suspension is a possibility. The balance that remains unpaid when the grace period ends is charged the late fee.

Regulatory Programs Fee

The Regulatory Programs Fee is a fee collected to help recover the costs associated with e911, number pooling, and number portability. The fee is $1.61 and is applied to all T-Mobile lines.

Universal Service Fund Fee

The Universal Service Fund is a fee applied to all accounts. This fee increases access to advanced telecommunications services to all consumers in rural areas at reasonable rates, and provides funding for federal programs. Like some other fees, the rate of the fee changes on a regular basis as determined by the Federal Communications Commission.

Utility User Tax

A Utility User Tax is charged by your city for the use of certain utilities, such as electricity, cable, and others. This tax is required by your local law, and is not imposed by T-Mobile. The rate of the tax and the use of its revenues are determined by your local agency.