You’ve probably seen the ads or remember the glory days when Metro by T-Mobile (formerly MetroPCS) was the "king of the perks." For years, the value proposition was simple. You pay your monthly bill, and in exchange, you get unlimited data plus a full Amazon Prime membership on the house. It was a killer deal.
But things changed. Honestly, they changed a lot.
If you go looking for the Metro by T-Mobile Amazon Prime benefit today, you might be met with a "page not found" error or a customer service rep telling you it’s gone. It’s frustrating. People feel like they got bait-and-shifted. The reality is that the partnership between T-Mobile's prepaid arm and Amazon has undergone a massive restructuring that left a lot of long-time customers out in the cold while forcing others to cling to "grandfathered" plans like they're gold bars.
What Happened to the Metro by T-Mobile Amazon Prime Benefit?
Basically, Metro stopped offering Amazon Prime to new customers. It wasn't a quiet exit, but it wasn't exactly shouted from the rooftops either.
Back in the day, the $60 "VIP" unlimited plan was the go-to. It included 15GB of hotspot data, Google One storage, and that sweet, sweet Amazon Prime subscription that usually costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year. If you signed up during that era, you were winning. You were essentially getting a premium wireless plan for about $45 if you subtracted the cost of Prime.
Then came the rebrand to "Metro by T-Mobile" and eventually the launch of the "Heritage" plan status.
Currently, if you look at the Metro website, the top-tier plans focus on different perks. They’ve leaned heavily into T-Mobile Tuesdays (now T-Life) and occasionally offer things like VIX Premium or MLB.TV. But Prime? It has mostly vanished from the menu for anyone walking into a store today. This is a classic move in the telecom world. Carriers use high-value perks to grab market share, and once they hit their targets, they "optimize" the offerings to save on licensing costs.
The Grandfather Clause: Are You Safe?
Here is where it gets tricky. If you are already on a Metro plan that includes Amazon Prime, you are technically "grandfathered" in. This means as long as you do not change your plan, you keep the benefit.
I've seen people lose their Prime subscription because they wanted to "upgrade" to a newer plan for more hotspot data, only to realize too late that the new plan didn't support the Amazon perk. Once you move off that specific legacy $60 plan, it is gone forever. You can’t just call back and ask for it. The system literally won't let the agents add it back because the plan code is retired.
👉 See also: How Long Would It Take To Walk Around Pluto: The Frozen Reality
How to Actually Activate It (If You Still Have the Plan)
Maybe you’ve been paying for the $60 plan for months and never actually linked your accounts. You’re essentially leaving money on the table.
First, you have to realize that Metro doesn't just "know" your Amazon account. You have to bridge them. Usually, this involves a specific activation portal. You’ll get a text link after signing up, but if you missed it, you have to go to the Metro by T-Mobile website and find the "Promotions" or "Add-ons" section in your account dashboard.
- Log into your Metro account.
- Look for the "Manage Perks" section.
- Click on the Amazon Prime logo.
- You will be redirected to Amazon to log in or create an account.
- Once you see the "Success" screen, your billing is handled by T-Mobile.
If you already have a paid Amazon Prime account, this will take over the billing. You won't have to cancel your current Prime and start over; it should just pause your direct payments to Amazon and let Metro pick up the tab. Just make sure the email addresses match up or you’ll end up with two accounts and a headache.
Why Carriers are Walking Away from "Free" Prime
Why did they stop? Money. It's always money.
Amazon raised the price of Prime significantly over the last few years. When the partnership started, Prime was cheaper. As Amazon hiked the price to $139 annually, the margin for Metro by T-Mobile started to disappear. Think about it. If you pay $60 for a phone plan, and Metro has to pay Amazon roughly $12-$15 of that, plus pay for the actual cellular data you're using, plus store overhead... they aren't making much.
We are seeing this across the board.
- Verizon is moving toward "myPlan" where you pay $10 extra for perks.
- T-Mobile (Postpaid) has shifted "Netflix on Us" to the "with ads" version.
- Metro shifted focus to Google One because it's cheaper to bundle.
Prepaid customers are notoriously "churn-heavy." They switch carriers often. Spending a lot of money to give a prepaid customer a Prime membership doesn't make sense if that customer leaves in three months. Metro decided it was better to compete on price and "network reliability" rather than high-cost third-party subscriptions.
The "Contact Customer Service" Nightmare
If your Prime stops working, don't expect a quick fix.
The biggest complaint on forums like Reddit’s r/MetroPCS is the "verification loop." This is when Amazon says Metro hasn't paid, and Metro says the account is active. If this happens to you, the problem is usually a "token" mismatch. The digital handshake between the two companies' servers failed.
Sometimes, the only fix is to have a Metro representative "un-enroll" you from the perk and then "re-enroll" you. But be warned: if the rep is inexperienced, they might accidentally change your plan entirely. If they change your plan code to a modern one, your Prime is dead. Gone.
📖 Related: How to open the iPhone SIM card tray without breaking anything
Always tell them: "Do not change my rate plan. Only reset the SOC code for the Prime add-on." ## Are There Any Alternatives for Prepaid Prime?
If you missed the boat and you’re a new Metro customer, you're probably out of luck for a "free" version. However, there are other ways to skin the cat.
Cricket Wireless (AT&T’s prepaid brand) has been offering Max (formerly HBO Max) with their top-tier plans. It’s not Prime, but it’s a high-value streaming perk. Boost Infinite has experimented with different bundles too.
If you absolutely need Amazon Prime and you want it tied to your phone, you might have to look at postpaid options, though even there, the "free" versions are becoming rarer. Most people are better off just paying for the $25 Metro "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) plan and paying for Prime separately.
Do the math:
- Old Legacy Plan: $60 (Includes Prime)
- New Promo Plan: $25 (Plan only) + $15 (Prime) = $40.
In a weird way, the people who lost their "free" Prime but switched to a cheaper $25 or $30 monthly plan are actually saving more money in the long run. The "free" perk was always baked into the higher $60 sticker price.
💡 You might also like: Transfer Apple Watch to New iPhone: How to Keep Your Health Data From Vanishing
Common Misconceptions About the Deal
"I get Prime Video, not the shipping."
False. The Metro deal was always for the full Amazon Prime experience. This includes free two-day shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, and Prime Reading. If you only have access to Video, something is wrong with your account link.
"It works for the whole family."
Sort of. Prime allows you to share benefits via "Amazon Household," but the Metro activation is tied to the primary line on the account. You can't get four Prime accounts for four lines on a family plan. It’s one Prime membership per Metro account.
"It lasts forever."
Only as long as the plan exists. Carriers reserve the right to "retire" plans. While they usually let you keep them, they can eventually force a migration. We haven't seen a forced migration for Metro Prime users yet, but never say never.
Actionable Steps for Metro Users
If you are currently a Metro customer or looking to join, here is exactly what you should do right now to handle the Amazon Prime situation.
For Existing "Grandfathered" Customers
- Check your bill. Ensure you are still on the "Unlimited $60" legacy plan. If your bill drops to $55 or $65, your Prime might be at risk because that indicates a plan change.
- Audit your Amazon account. Go to "Your Account" > "Prime" on Amazon. It should say "Managed by Metro by T-Mobile." If it shows a credit card, you are being double-billed.
- Don't touch your plan. If you want a new phone or a new line, be extremely clear with the store rep that your plan must remain exactly the same.
For New Customers
- Don't hunt for the Prime deal. It’s not available for new sign-ups. Save your energy.
- Look for the $25/month BYOD deal. This is currently Metro's best value. Even after you pay for Prime yourself, you’re still only at $40/month.
- Check T-Mobile Tuesdays. Download the T-Life app. You won't get Prime, but you'll get free food, movie tickets, and cheap gas, which offsets the cost of a Prime sub anyway.
If Your Prime Link Breaks
- Clear your cookies. Often the activation link fails because of browser cache. Use an Incognito window to re-link your Metro and Amazon accounts.
- Call 611. Ask for "Technical Support," not "Billing." Tech support has better tools to re-sync the third-party API that connects the two services.
The era of "everything included" in prepaid is shrinking. Metro by T-Mobile's shift away from Amazon Prime is a symptom of a larger trend where carriers are becoming "dumb pipes" again, focusing on 5G speeds rather than giving away expensive shopping memberships. If you still have it, cherish it. If you don't, stop overpaying for a $60 plan just because you're chasing a "freebie" that might not even be there. Calculate your total monthly spend and move to a cheaper plan if the math doesn't add up anymore.