AT&T prepaid plans get more data and bigger discounts

AT&T has tweaked its prepaid plans, making them slightly more attractive than before. Of note, users now have the option of an 8GB prepaid plan that costs $50/month, double or more the high-speed data you'll get from similarly priced plans elsewhere. As is common with prepaid plans, the carrier is making it attractive to set up auto pay by reducing the monthly fee in return.

Before now, AT&T customers had the option of a 6GB high-speed data plan for $45/month, five bucks cheaper for those using auto pay. The new 8GB plan is a great update from that, offering an extra two gigs of high-speed data for the same $40/month rate when auto pay is used. Signing up for auto pay is the key part of the new plan.

Customers who need more data can also sign up for a prepaid unlimited plan, which is now priced at $55/month with auto pay versus the $60/month customers paid before ($65/month without auto pay). Keep in mind, though, that the prepaid version of the unlimited plan isn't quite the same as the non-prepaid version; it has some limitations like lack of tethering.

Assuming you go with the 8GB plan instead of unlimited, any remaining high-speed data left over at the end of the month will rollover into the next month. If you want a less restrictive unlimited option, though, the $85/month unlimited plan has been slightly modified to include 10GB of tethered data instead of 6GB.

For families, a multi-line plan is also now cheaper, with lines #2 and #3 getting a $10/month discount and the next two, assuming they're used, getting a $20/month discount. All of these changes take effect starting today.