FreedomPop "Walmart" Free Plan (300 min / 1000 texts / 100 MB for $0/month) - Info & Discussion

[djphilosophy]

Discussion on the forum of this special FreedomPop plan started with this post in another thread back in November 2021. I decided to create this dedicated thread given that there's obviously enough interest and discussion about this specific product.

The SIM can only be purchased from Walmart at a cost of $9.98 plus extra taxes/fees, depending on your state. There are reports of people being able to activate a new or previously unused Red Pocket GSMT SIM card on this same FreedomPop plan by going to https://freedompop.com/activate. That SIM is $5 with free shipping direct from https://www.redpocket.com/ (make sure you select GSMT).

There is no monthly recurring fee for the basic level of service (add-ons are available). The billing cycle is 29 days.

Plan Info: 300 Minutes, 1000 Texts, 100 MB per month on T-Mobile's network -- $0/month

• A VoLTE-capable smartphone is required for use. The SIM will generally not work in a non-VoLTE device (exceptions are possible).
• The 100 MB data is hard capped.
• 5G is supported.
• Wi-Fi calling is supported (may require chatting to support to enable, minutes are still deducted).
• Free calls to Canada are included.
• The phone number is a proper "mobile" number (not a VOIP number) and so should work fine for things like banking 2-factor authentication.
• During activation, if you previously had FreedomPop service, you may need to register with a different email address if you get an error.

For automatic renewal of the free plan, a payment method must be kept on file (prepaid Visa / MasterCard gift cards apparently work, as do virtual cards of $1) and automatic payment must be enabled. Note that you may see monthly charges for 911 fees depending on your state, but it seems these billing charges aren't actually passed on to the payment method (your card is never actually charged).

Additional data packages can be added on (note that tax may be added to the amounts below):

• $2 for 100 MB good for 30 days
• $5 for 250 MB good for 30 days
• $15 for 1 GB good for 30 days

APN info:

APN name: FreedomPop (or whatever you want to name it)
APN: wholesale
MMSC: http://wholesale.mmsmvno.com/mms/wapenc
MMS Proxy: 216.155.165.50 :8080
MCC: 310
MNC: 240
APN Type: Default,mms,supl
APN Protocol: IPv4

[energyx]

I have had two lines active on this plan since January 2022. One was activated with a new number and the other was ported from Talkatone within minutes. I enabled auto renewal with spend amount limited virtual credit cards and have never been charged for anything.

Someone noted in the other thread that the Red Pocket GSMT SIM was also able to be activated on this plan (shows as an option during activation), YMMV. Those SIMs are $5 vs $9.98 and have free shipping.

Some states report taxes and/or fees (911, etc) as mentioned, but Ohio has been zero so far.

Very happy with this plan, no complaints for free.

[whacker]

I would imagine a T-Mobile device would need to be unlocked to work with this SIM.

[munkala]

I used to use Red Pocket 200/1000/200mb $30 annual cheapskate plan. Now I use this instead. Almost the same except with 100mb less data. No problem just buy a second Walmart sim or buy some bucket of data if you run out.

But when something is free, who knows when it will be revoked.

Sent from my SM-F916U1 using HoFo mobile app

[Boz1]

I would imagine a T-Mobile device would need to be unlocked to work with this SIM.

I'd like to see some feedback on this.

Is the T-Mobile network different than AT&T, where a brand new AT&T Prepaid phone, still locked to AT&T, will work on any AT&T MVNO?

[whacker]

To my understanding, yes different. In fact, devices between T-Mo and their wholly owned subsidiary Metro (by T-Mobile) must also be unlocked; they're not interoperable (with no consideration to older CDMA Metro devices) even though same bands, etc.. So the good guess is that a T-Mo device would need a SIM unlock for this service. But I thought I'd ask; one can always hope.

[millept]

I'm using mine with an email address that dates all the way back to the Sprint WiMax days of Freedompop. Even though the devices no longer worked, the accounts were still good for Friend data sharing. Before I activated the Walmart FP SIM, I logged on and cancelled the old account.

[Boz1]

To my understanding, yes different. In fact, devices between T-Mo and their wholly owned subsidiary Metro (by T-Mobile) must also be unlocked; they're not interoperable (with no consideration to older CDMA Metro devices) even though same bands, etc.. So the good guess is that a T-Mo device would need a SIM unlock for this service. But I thought I'd ask; one can always hope.

I'm not sure. But these links make it sound like a T-Mobile locked phone will work on a T-Mobile MVNO.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/...mobile_on_one/

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/...locked_phones/

https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/com...a_mvno_of_tmo/

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/...simple_mobile/

[whacker]

Unfortunately I can't visit anything reddit-related here where I work using the available Wi-Fi (public school), but I may have made this mistake before - lumping Metro in as an MVNO, when it is not one. So I think I'm prepared to concede that point. Which makes it good for me if I ever wanted another low/no cost line of service. I have a nice OnePlus phone I got a few months ago from T-Mobile that isn't active anywhere. I've got too many (paid for) PAYGO lines to make it worth participating in! So much service; so few calls!

[Boz1]

Awww...c'mon! What's one more active line, especially for $0/mo with a one-time cost of $9.98, or maybe even $5, per the above post by energyx!? Lol!

But I know where you're coming from. I currently have 3 GV #s and 1 TextNow # on my primary Pixel 3a XL with a data only SIM, 2 Tracfone Moto G Pure phones with active lines waiting for unlock on 9/18/22, a Moto E4 with a FP Walmart free plan, and a LG Phoenix 2 with a FreeUp free plan! Not to mention a handful of other phones with no active SIM card...

[andyk88]

About the "different email address", FreedomPop had pre-populated https://www.freedompop.com (https://premium.freedompop.com) with old e-mail addresses from https://my.freedompop.com. Your username is set as your e-mail and you cannot change your username.

. . . if you have e-mail addresses that have never been used on https://my.freedompop.com, I suggest creating new accounts on https://premium.freedompop.com so you can have, e.g., username=abc and [email protected].

I could not get two OnePlus Nord N200 phones (T-Mobile locked) to work as is.
https://www.howardforums.com/showthr...3#post17220623

The ICCID of my T-Mobile SIM cards starts with 8901260.
The ICCID of my GSMT SIM card starts with 8901240.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/...mment/h0i2177/

T-Mobile has several MNCs. Not all MVNOs use T-Mobile’s main MNC. That could cause problems using a locked phone.

I suggest using T-Mobile's own checker to see if a phone is compatible:
https://www.t-mobile.com/resources/bring-your-own-phone


I documented the APN settings that I manually entered, as well as what my LG phones received. I don't know what the settings should be officially.
https://www.howardforums.com/showthr...3#post17220623


Before the 100MB actually runs out, the website may show "Your data has run out" and tell you to add credit in red. Simply ignore the warning in red.
https://www.howardforums.com/showthr...m-Voice/page63


Thanks munkala for testing using up the 100MB. Besides being hard capped for data (which also means no overage, no auto-plan change, no auto-top up), afterward calls still work.
https://www.howardforums.com/showthr...9#post17211709
https://www.howardforums.com/showthr...3#post17214513


People talked about the Red Pocket GSMT SIM here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/freedompop/...ated_gsmt_sim/

[Rick880]

Discussion on the forum of this special FreedomPop plan started with this post in another thread back in November 2021. I decided to create this dedicated thread given that there's obviously enough interest and discussion about this specific product.

The SIM can only be purchased from Walmart at a cost of $9.98 plus extra taxes/fees, depending on your state.

There is no monthly recurring fee for the basic level of service (add-ons are available). The billing cycle is 29 days.

Plan Info: 300 Minutes, 1000 Texts, 100 MB per month on T-Mobile's network -- $0/month

• A VoLTE-capable smartphone is required for use. The SIM will generally not work in a non-VoLTE device (exceptions are possible).
• The 100 MB data is hard capped.
• 5G is supported.
• Wi-Fi calling is supported (may require chatting to support to enable, minutes are still deducted).
• Free calls to Canada are included.
• The phone number is a proper "mobile" number (not a VOIP number) and so should work fine for things like banking 2-factor authentication.
• During activation, if you previously had FreedomPop service, you may need to register with a different email address if you get an error.

For automatic renewal of the free plan, a payment method must be kept on file (prepaid Visa / MasterCard gift cards apparently work, as do virtual cards of $1) and automatic payment must be enabled. Note that you may see monthly charges for 911 fees depending on your state, but it seems these billing charges aren't actually passed on to the payment method (your card is never actually charged).

Additional data packages can be added on (note that tax may be added to the amounts below):

• $2 for 100 MB good for 30 days
• $5 for 250 MB good for 30 days
• $15 for 1 GB good for 30 days

APN info:

APN name: FreedomPop (or whatever you want to name it)
APN: wholesale
MMSC: http://wholesale.mmsmvno.com/mms/wapenc
MMS Proxy: 216.155.165.50 :8080
MCC: 310
MNC: 240
APN Type: Default,mms,supl
APN Protocol: IPv4

Thanks for creating this new thread for the Walmart exclusive free plan SIM card. I had to read like 10 pages of the other thread last week to get the summary information here. God job!

[Rick880]

Someone noted in the other thread that the Red Pocket GSMT SIM was also able to be activated on this plan (shows as an option during activation), YMMV. Those SIMs are $5 vs $9.98 and have free shipping.

I saw this Red Pocket SIM Kit Starter Kit at my neighborhood Target store and wonder if it is the same Red Pocket GSMT SIM card mentioned here:

[robbyrobby]

To my understanding, yes different. In fact, devices between T-Mo and their wholly owned subsidiary Metro (by T-Mobile) must also be unlocked; they're not interoperable (with no consideration to older CDMA Metro devices) even though same bands, etc.. So the good guess is that a T-Mo device would need a SIM unlock for this service. But I thought I'd ask; one can always hope.

Metro phones have an additional layer of locking and can not be used on T-Mobile or MVNO's but Magenta T-Mobile phones can be used on Metro or any T-Mobile MVNO without being unlocked in most cases. The only exception I am aware of is that some SKU's of T-Mobile prepaid phones sold in retail packages must go on T-Mobile prepaid for a period of time before working elsewhere and that include T-Mobile postpaid.

The situation with ATT/Cricket is similar with Cricket phones needing to be unlocked to work on any other brand but not ATT branded phones.

This is all tied to limiting free phone promotions on no commitment prepaid brands being acquired for resale.

[Boz1]

I saw this Red Pocket SIM Kit Starter Kit at my neighborhood Target store and wonder if it is the same Red Pocket GSMT SIM card mentioned here:

This one for $9.99? https://www.target.com/p/red-pocket-...t/-/A-80414081