AT&T toys with premium service

AT&T is rolling out a new program called AT&T Plus to select markets in the United States. The company is evaluating the service to see whether or not customers would be willing to pay extra for exclusive benefits. So far, though, the level of benefits is rather paltry. Nevertheless, it is no doubt something that could bring in additional revenue, something AT&T has been trying to do ever since losing iPhone exclusivity.

So far, AT&T Plus has launched in a few big cities like Minneapolis and Houston. For these trial areas, the memership is free but it's assumed that AT&T would tack on a fee for Plus subscribers if it were to go nationwid. The perks of Plus are include having access to a dedicated customer service phone number and a 25% discount on all AT&T phone accessories, excluding anything branded by Apple.

In addition, members can add new lines of service with no activation fees for new devices. And finally, they receive a $10 Starbucks gift card upon joining the premium program. As for its expansion, The Verge quoted AT&T as saying, "Based on what our customers tell us, it may be something we look to roll out more widely in the future. It's an example of our ongoing efforts to deliver a great experience for our customers."

[via The Verge]