Estate planning as a T-Mobile account holder

T-Mobile is a wireless carrier whose estate-relevant asset is the wireless account itself — the phone number, the AutoPay billing relationship, and the T-Mobile Tuesdays perks attached to each active line — plus any outstanding device balances financed through an Equipment Installment Plan (EIP). T-Mobile Tuesdays delivers weekly free items, deals, and prize drawings through the T-Life app, but those perks are tied to an active qualifying line and are not transferable on their own. After a death, the account can either be closed or kept under a new owner (a survivor) through a Change of Responsibility that moves the line and number. Outstanding EIP device balances and the responsibility for them are handled as part of that process. T-Mobile Money — a separate online checking and savings account provided by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC — is a bank deposit account, not part of the wireless account, and is settled through the bank rather than this process.

T-Mobile offers a no-cost transfer of accounts to family members after the account holder's death.

accounts can be transferred to another person while the T-Mobile account holder is alive.

What happens at death

The wireless account and phone number can be transferred to a survivor through T-Mobile's Change of Responsibility (transfer of account or line ownership), or the account can be closed. T-Mobile documents a deceased-customer path on its "Cancel an account of a deceased family member" page, which gives two options: close the account, or continue service with the same mobile number and device. A death certificate is not required to start the process; T-Mobile asks for the account holder's name, mobile number, date of birth, and the last four digits of their Social Security number. For an ownership transfer, only the current owner can authorize it, and the person taking over must be at least 18 (21 in Puerto Rico), agree to a service agreement, and may need to pass a credit check and pay a deposit; the line must have been active for at least 90 days, and the transfer must be completed with the activations team within 30 days of authorization. The T-Mobile Tuesdays perks and other service promotions do not carry over: T-Mobile states that "Service promotions are not transferrable during a Change of Responsibility, not even for a deceased customer Change of Responsibility," so a survivor who takes over the line keeps the number but not the deceased's promotional pricing or perks. Any outstanding Equipment Installment Plan (EIP) device balance does not disappear — if the account is closed rather than continued, the remaining device balance becomes due on the final bill. T-Mobile also warns that transfers or cancellations permanently delete voicemails and greetings.