T-Mobile Extends Equipment Payment Plans to 36 Months, Stirring Mixed Reactions-News-SeeMyPhone-Search for smartphones and cell phones

T-Mobile has officially extended its Equipment Installment Plans (EIP) for tablets and smartwatches from 24 months to 36 months. This shift, which went into effect just as the carrier launched its holiday promotions on Apple and Samsung products, is sparking conversations among customers about the advantages and drawbacks of longer payment terms.

T-Mobile Now Offers Longer Payment Terms on Select Devices

T-Mobile's new 36-month EIP options aim to make device payments more manageable over a longer period.

T-Mobile made the transition to 36-month installment plans primarily for tablets and watches, diverging from the previous 24-month term. The change appeared online shortly before the launch of enticing holiday deals on high-profile devices.

John Freier, President of T-Mobile Consumer Group, remarked in November 2025, "We noticed competitors adopting 36-month financing, which impacted upgrade and switching behavior in the market."

Assessing the Impact of Extended Payment Plans

T-Mobile's longer financing duration encourages customers to stretch payments but with a significant caveat: early payoff will result in losing the Recurring Device Credits (RDC), which are crucial bill credits tied to ongoing promotions. Consequently, most customers are likely to maintain their installments for the full term to retain these benefits.

Longer EIPs appear to be a strategic move by T-Mobile to retain customers and reduce churn.

The extended plans were initially visible on T-Mobile's site as early as June but only became publicly active recently, possibly to soften the blow amid holiday promotions. Earlier this month, T-Mobile publicly criticized rivals for using 36-month financing plans to suppress upgrades, indicating awareness of the tactic's retention effects.

While tablets and watches now follow the 36-month financing model, smartphones still predominantly have 24-month payment plans. This aligns with T-Mobile’s Experience More and Go5G Plus plans, which feature a "New in Two" upgrade guarantee, allowing customers to refresh devices every two years.

Customer Reactions to Longer Financing Periods

Recent polling with 39 votes revealed the following sentiments:

66.67% chose to no longer finance devices via T-Mobile.
15.38% appreciated having additional time to pay off devices.
17.95% remained indifferent to the change.

Balancing Customer Acquisition and Retention

T-Mobile is aggressively pursuing new customers, including those from AT&T and Verizon, leveraging features like rapid 15-minute switching through the T-Life app. Despite the company’s outward confidence about competition, extending installment plans to 36 months highlights a strategic effort to lock in existing subscribers.

Having recently surpassed Verizon as the largest U.S. carrier, T-Mobile appears bullish in adopting practices it previously criticized, such as longer financing terms designed to limit customer churn.