Overview
- AT&T will begin charging prepaid customers an "AT&T Administrative & Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee" of $2.63 per service payment starting June 22, 2026.
- The prepaid fee is lower than the carrier’s existing postpaid charge of $3.99 per line per month, which was increased late last year.
- AT&T says the fee is meant to recoup costs tied to connecting with other carriers, regulatory obligations and government-imposed fees and to support ongoing network work.
- For individual users the new charge adds about $31.56 per year, and the cost rises quickly for multi-line households, which could make prepaid plans noticeably more expensive over time.
- The move follows a broader industry trend of raising line-level and service fees and raises questions about how the prepaid fee will be applied for plans billed monthly, quarterly, or annually.