What Do You Actually Pay for AT&T Internet?

AT&T may charge up to $30 more in your second year than it does in your first 12 months, and you could be on the hook for installation and technician visit fees in certain circumstances.

The provider’s broadband labels show prices that are quite a bit higher than advertised prices because the advertised prices include the first-year discount and a $10 discount for autopay. AT&T keeps other fees and changes to a minimum, though.

That’s true whether you can get AT&T Fiber or AT&T Internet Air, and it’s pretty standard relative to billing practices from competing internet providers.

There are a few ways you can still end up paying more than you expect on your AT&T bill, so it makes sense to get all the details before you sign up. We’ll cover add-ons, installation fees, second-year pricing, and ways to get AT&T Internet for less.

What to expect as an AT&T customer

AT&T offers big discounts to customers for the first year, with bigger discounts on faster plans. If you go all out with a 1Gbps or 5Gbps plan, you may qualify for a promotional $30 monthly discount. On the slower Fiber Internet 300 and Fiber Internet 500 plans, and on AT&T Internet Air plans, you may see a $15 monthly discount.

Those discounts don’t always kick in right away, and they evaporate after your first year. Starting in month 13, expect to pay full price for your AT&T Fiber or AT&T internet service, minus discounts for bundling and using autopay.

Basic Wi-Fi networking equipment is included on all plans, but it’s easy to accidentally upgrade to All-Fi Pro during checkout if you aren’t careful. The upgrade gets you perks like Wi-Fi 7 technology, Wi-Fi extenders, and AT&T ActiveArmor® advanced internet security—all nice to have, but not required. If you see the offer during checkout but aren’t interested, look for the “Continue” button at the bottom right of the screen.

Your first AT&T bill

Your first AT&T bill is due after your first month of service, so there is no up-front cost. While it is convenient to get set up for free, you will not see an itemized statement immediately.

If you sign up for paperless billing and autopay, you won’t get anything in the mail. Instead, your payment will be deducted from your bank account automatically. To see an itemized statement, you’ll need to log into your AT&T account or check the AT&T app on your smartphone.

Most new AT&T customers get their installation and activation fees waived, but you could see a charge if you signed up for self-installation but ended up needing a technician to come by and help. You may also see state taxes and pass-through fees like a cost recovery fee, but AT&T doesn’t list these on its broadband labels. It lists a State Cost Recovery Charge on its official fee schedule, but doesn’t cite a dollar amount.

Your monthly AT&T bill

AT&T doesn’t roll taxes and pass-through fees into its pricing, but if you do have to pay them, they probably will amount to only a few dollars per month. Other than that, you pay just the service plan price.

AT&T doesn’t charge for standard internet equipment, and there are no data caps or contracts, so you don’t get charged for going over or quitting early.

AT&T All-Fi Pro is included for 5 GIG customers, but it costs $25 extra per month on other tiers. If you signed up for All-Fi Pro, you’ll see that on your bill.

Whichever plan you choose, may see discounts too. We’ll get to that in a moment.

Billing for AT&T Wireless

There are two ways to get bundling discounts from AT&T, but what you can get depends on when you sign up. For some customers, the discount shows up as a 20% price cut on the mobile bill.

New internet customers, though, get discounts on their home internet plan instead. The amount varies based on your internet speed. Here’s how it breaks down:

You might get separate bills for your AT&T Internet and AT&T Mobile service, but you can combine them by calling +1-800-288-2020.

AT&T Internet plans and prices

Here’s a look at standard prices for AT&T home internet. If your address is eligible for a promotional discount, you’ll see it during checkout.

Standard post-promotional pricing

How to save money on AT&T internet

There are three main ways to save on your AT&T internet bill. First, make sure you claim any perks on offer when you sign up. You might qualify for a gift card worth $200. These are usually sent out within a month of ordering, but only if you redeem within a certain window and reply to emails promptly. You have six months to use the money before it expires.

Second, sign up for autopay and paperless billing. You have to use either a bank account number or an AT&T Points Plus^® Card from Citi, but you’ll save $10 per month. If you sign up with a debit card instead, the discount drops to $5 per month. There’s no discount for signing up with a credit card.

Third, you can save by bundling your home internet plan with an AT&T mobile plan or choosing AT&TOneConnect, which gives you 1 Gig fiber plus unlimited wireless with AT&T 5G for a flat rate.

See all the latest deals from AT&T below.

Learn more about AT&T internet

There’s a good chance you can get either AT&T Fiber or AT&T Internet Air, no matter where you live.

We’ve compiled a list of resources that can help you decide whether it’s time to switch.

• Is New Customer Guarantee a Reason To Choose AT&T?
• AT&T vs. Optimum
• AT&T Fiber vs. T-Mobile Fiber
• AT&T vs. Frontier
• AT&T Internet Air vs. Xfinity
• AT&T vs. Optimum

FAQ about AT&T billing