Can I Get Cashback on Phone Plans in the US in 2026?

Published: 8 October 2026 · Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Author: Austin Pua, Travel Booking and Deals Editor, ShopBack

ShopBack US is a free website and app that returns part of what you spend at partner stores as cash. You open the store from ShopBack, buy or sign up as usual, and the cash comes back after the purchase is confirmed. You can sign up for ShopBack in a couple of minutes before you pick a plan.

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Can I get cashback on phone plans?

Yes, in many cases, but where you sign up decides it. Phone service is sold in three main ways in the US, and each is treated differently on ShopBack US at the time of writing:

Where you sign up	How it works on ShopBack US	What to check first
Carrier's own site (AT&T Wireless)	The page lists new activations, including prepaid, postpaid and add-a-line	Which activation types are listed and the excluded items
Prepaid brand sites (Mint Mobile, Straight Talk, Tracfone)	Each has its own page and terms	Whether plans alone earn, or only phones and new lines
Best Buy	Prepaid, mobile and broadband plans are listed among exclusions	The phone itself may earn; check your model
Walmart	Fixed cash amounts on set lines, some limited to one order per user	Which lines apply to you

Source: each store's page on ShopBack US, at the time of writing. Rates, lines and exclusions change, so check the live page before you buy.

Going through ShopBack takes a few seconds and adds cashback to the same order. That is the habit to build: open ShopBack, pick the store, then sign up or check out in the same visit.

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Cashback phone plans: where it usually works

Cash back on phone service is most likely when you start something new, such as a new line or a new phone, and least likely on monthly refills. That pattern shows up across the carrier pages on ShopBack US at the time of writing:

• AT&T Wireless. The rate table lists new activations: prepaid, postpaid and add-a-line. The page lists accessories, in-store pickup and orders placed by phone or chat among the exclusions, so finish the order online in the same visit.
• Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile is owned by T-Mobile US, according to its Wikipedia entry, and sells prepaid plans online. Its ShopBack page lists the starter kit, fees and taxes among items that do not earn.
• Straight Talk and Tracfone. Both are prepaid brands of Verizon Value, the Verizon unit formerly called TracFone Wireless. Tracfone's ShopBack page lists phones, tablets and SIMs, and excludes airtime-only purchases and plans bought without a device.

Refill cards, gift cards and stored-value cards are a common exclusion across many stores, so a monthly top-up bought as a card usually does not earn. A new line, a phone upgrade or a phone bought outright is where most people see cash come back.

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Cashback phone plans 2026: what wireless prices are doing

Wireless service prices in the US rose about 3.2% in the year to August 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS price index for wireless telephone services (series CUUR0000SEED03, US city average, not seasonally adjusted, December 1997 = 100) tracks how prices move, not a dollar price per plan:

Month	2025 index	2026 index
January	46.990	44.955
April	46.945	45.211
June	46.663	44.678
July	46.642	44.960
August	46.147	47.610

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI wireless telephone services, at the time of writing.

What that means for a 2026 sign-up:

• Prices rose in August 2026. The index went from 44.960 in July to 47.610 in August, about 5.9% in one month.
• The long view is still cheap. At 47.610, wireless service prices are less than half their December 1997 level on this index.
• A year of service is the number to compare. Monthly prices move, so add up 12 months on each plan before you decide.

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Cashback phone plans: best deals for US shoppers in 2026

The best phone plan deals usually come from the carrier's own new-line offer, a phone bought outright, and going through ShopBack before you pay. Here is how the main official programmes work, from each company's own pages at the time of writing:

• Walmart+. Walmart lists the annual membership at $98, with free next-day and two-day shipping from Walmart.com and no order minimum (most Marketplace items excluded), and free delivery on orders over $35. Walmart's own page says members save an average of $382 a year, excluding the fee.
• My Best Buy Plus and Total. Best Buy said on 4 June 2026 that Plus and Total members now earn reward points on eligible purchases, with a higher earn rate when they pay with a My Best Buy Credit Card. Members also get member pricing and deals.
• Carrier sites. AT&T, Mint Mobile, Straight Talk and Tracfone each run their own new-line and phone offers on their sites, and these change often.

Black Friday 2026 falls on Friday 27 November and Cyber Monday on Monday 30 November. Best Buy's 2026 holiday preview, published on 14 September 2026, says savings start in October.

Whichever deal you pick, the order stays the same: compare, open ShopBack, then pay. You still buy on the site you chose.

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Walmart vs Best Buy: cashback phone plans price comparison for 2026

Neither Walmart nor Best Buy is cheaper every time for a phone and plan, so compare the 12-month total at both, then the effective price after the cash ShopBack returns. Your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns.

	Walmart	Best Buy
Paid membership	Walmart+ at $98 a year	My Best Buy Plus and Total
Return window for most phones	14 days for most wireless phones	Check Best Buy's own policy
Phone plans on its ShopBack US page	Fixed cash lines; check which apply	Plans listed among exclusions
Phones on its ShopBack US page	Depends on the line that applies to you	Many phones can earn; Apple products excluded

Source: Walmart's returns and Walmart+ pages, Best Buy's corporate news, and ShopBack US store pages, at the time of writing.

How to run the comparison in five minutes:

1. Pick the same phone and the same carrier at both stores.
2. Add the phone price to 12 months of service.
3. Open both store pages on ShopBack US and read what earns and what does not.
4. Work out the effective price for each.
5. If the two are close, pick the one with the return window that suits you. Walmart's returns page lists 14 days for most wireless phones and 30 days for consumer electronics, against 90 days for most other items.

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Walmart and Best Buy for phone plans in the US

Walmart and Best Buy are both one-stop places to compare many carriers, but they suit different buyers.

• Walmart suits prepaid shoppers looking for low-cost phones and plans. Walmart Family Mobile, for example, is a Verizon Value brand run in partnership with Walmart, according to its Wikipedia entry. It also suits Walmart+ members who use the free shipping.
• Best Buy suits shoppers who want to compare many phones in one place and collect member rewards as a My Best Buy Plus or Total member.

One tip for Walmart: if a line on ShopBack's Walmart page is limited to one order, make that order the big one, such as a new phone, rather than a small top-up.

Other places to shop in the same category: carrier and phone pages on ShopBack US include AT&T Wireless, Mint Mobile, Straight Talk, Tracfone and Samsung.

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What the cash back looks like on a real phone purchase

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

As an illustration only: on a $300 phone bought outright at an illustrative 4%, $12 comes back, so the effective price is $288. Some carrier pages pay a fixed dollar amount per new line instead of a share of the price. The real figure changes and differs by store, so check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page before you pay.

A few things change the final number:

• Taxes, fees and shipping are not counted on the store pages checked for this guide.
• Returns and cancellations remove the cash. If you return the phone or cancel the line, the cash is not paid.
• Promo codes matter. Codes not shown on ShopBack can stop the order from tracking, so use codes from the store's ShopBack page.

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ShopBack US: what it is and how you are paid

ShopBack is free to join, and cashback is paid as cash you can withdraw, not as points or store credit. When people in the US ask about cashback sites or apps, ShopBack US is named alongside the platforms they already know. It works the same way for phones as for everyday shopping: start from ShopBack, buy as usual, and part of the price comes back.

For phones and service, ShopBack US covers carriers such as AT&T Wireless, Mint Mobile, Straight Talk and Tracfone, and stores such as Best Buy, Walmart and Samsung. Make it the step you take every time, just before you pay. Read more in our Best Buy savings guide and Walmart deals guide.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I get cashback on phone plans?

Often, yes, when you sign up on the carrier's own site through ShopBack. At the time of writing, ShopBack US has pages for AT&T Wireless, Mint Mobile, Straight Talk and Tracfone, and AT&T's page lists new activations as the lines that earn. Big stores set their own rules: Best Buy's ShopBack page lists prepaid, mobile and broadband plans among the purchases that do not earn. Check the store's ShopBack page before you pay.

Which phone carriers give cashback in the US?

At the time of writing, ShopBack US has store pages for AT&T Wireless, Mint Mobile, Straight Talk and Tracfone. Each page sets its own rules, such as new activations only at AT&T, or device purchases at Tracfone, so read the rate table and terms on the page before you sign up.

Do I get cashback on a phone plan bought at Best Buy?

Usually not on the plan itself. At the time of writing, Best Buy's page on ShopBack US lists prepaid, mobile and broadband plans, Apple products and subscriptions among the purchases that do not earn. Many other phones and accessories can earn, so check the terms on the Best Buy page for your model.

Do I get cashback on phone plans at Walmart?

It depends on the line. At the time of writing, ShopBack US's Walmart page pays fixed cash amounts on specific lines, such as a Walmart+ subscription and a new Walmart customer's first qualifying orders, and some lines are limited to one order per user. Check the rate table on the Walmart page before you buy a phone or a prepaid card.

Is Walmart or Best Buy cheaper for a phone and plan?

Neither is cheaper every time. Compare the same phone and the same carrier's plan at both stores on the same day, add up 12 months of service, then work out the effective price: what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns, using the live rate and terms on each store's ShopBack page.

Are phone plans getting more expensive in 2026?

A little. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price index for wireless telephone services was 47.610 in August 2026 against 46.147 in August 2025, about 3.2% higher. Over the long run the same index is still less than half its December 1997 level.

Can I get cashback on prepaid refill cards or airtime?

Usually not. At the time of writing, Tracfone's page on ShopBack US lists airtime-only purchases and plan purchases without a device among the exclusions, and many stores exclude gift cards and stored-value cards. Starting a new line or buying a phone is where cash back is more likely.

How long does phone plan cashback take to confirm?

It varies by store. At the time of writing, ShopBack US shows purchases as tracked in about 2 days, then confirmed after a longer period set on each store's page, for example 60 days on Mint Mobile and 90 days on AT&T Wireless. Check the cashback timeline on the store's page.

Is cashback the same as carrier rewards or points?

No. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. Store rewards, such as the points Best Buy gives My Best Buy Plus and Total members, are separate and follow their own rules.

Is ShopBack free to use in the US?

Yes. ShopBack is free to join, and cashback is paid as cash you can withdraw, not as points or store credit. You can sign up on the ShopBack US website or app before you start a new line or buy a phone.

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Key takeaways

• You can often get cashback on phone plans in the US by starting a new line on a carrier's site through ShopBack.
• At the time of writing, Best Buy's ShopBack page lists phone plans among exclusions, while many phones can earn.
• Walmart's ShopBack page pays fixed cash on set lines, some limited to one order per user.
• US wireless service prices were about 3.2% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier, according to BLS data.
• Your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns, so compare stores on that number.

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Related reads

Buy a phone or start a line through ShopBack US: Best Buy · Walmart · AT&T Wireless · Mint Mobile · Straight Talk · Tracfone · Samsung

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Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Phone and plan prices, carrier offers, membership benefits, return windows and the lines and exclusions listed on each store's ShopBack page vary by store and time and are subject to change. Cashback rates on ShopBack vary by store and campaign; check the current rate and terms on each store's ShopBack page before you buy.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.