There is no traditional early termination fee for former UScellular customers in 2026 — the service-contract ETF is gone, and T-Mobile charges $0 to migrate. What can still cost you hundreds is your unpaid device installment balance (due immediately) plus any forfeited promotional credits, which Keep & Switch does not reimburse.
Here’s exactly what you owe, what T-Mobile pays back (up to $800 per line), and the one number most switchers never check before they cancel.
⚡ The short version: ETF = $0. Device loan = due in full (reimbursable up to $800). Forfeited promo credits = gone forever, not reimbursed. Check both numbers before you cancel.
What Happened to UScellular
T-Mobile’s acquisition of UScellular’s wireless operations closed on August 1, 2025, confirmed in T-Mobile’s own press release. Roughly 4 million UScellular customers are being moved onto T-Mobile’s network, and the UScellular brand is being retired.
For customers, that means two things. First, the old concept of a two-year service contract with a penalty for leaving early no longer applies. Second, your financial exposure shifted entirely to what you still owe on your phone — not on your service.
The “ETF” in 2026: What You Actually Owe
When people search “US Cellular early termination fee,” they’re usually bracing for a $200–$350 contract penalty. That fee doesn’t exist anymore. But three separate things can still hit your final bill. Here’s the breakdown:
Service-contract ETF — $0. UScellular eliminated traditional service contracts before the merger, and T-Mobile does not charge a penalty for migrating or leaving.
Device installment loan balance — due in full. If you financed your phone (an equipment installment plan), the remaining balance becomes payable immediately the moment you cancel. This is the biggest real cost for most people.
Forfeited promotional credits — unrecoverable. If you got a phone “free with monthly bill credits,” those credits stop the day you leave. You lose every credit you hadn’t yet received — and T-Mobile will not pay these back.
The device balance is the number Keep & Switch can reimburse. The forfeited credits are the trap nobody warns you about.
Your Real Costs and Recovery Options
Below are six common scenarios. “Device balance” is what you’d owe on your installment plan; “Keep & Switch” is what T-Mobile reimburses; “forfeited credits” is the amount you simply lose.
Checked: October 2026, from T-Mobile’s Keep & Switch terms and UScellular billing structure.
A plain device loan is nearly fully recoverable. A promo-credit phone is where the real loss hides — and the reimbursement cap is $800 per line, so a high balance leaves a gap too.
Worked Example: Forfeited Credits vs. Device Balance
This is what the top search results miss. They tell you about the device balance and stop. Let’s run the actual math on a promo phone.
Say you got a $1,000 phone “on us” as $1,000 in bill credits spread over 36 months — about $27.78 per month. You’ve been on the plan 16 months, so you’ve collected 16 credits (~$444). You have 20 months left.
• Credits still to come: 20 × $27.78 = $556 forfeited the day you leave.
• Device loan balance remaining: in most promo deals the device is financed too, so say $300 is still owed on the installment plan.
When you cancel, the $300 balance is due immediately. Keep & Switch can cover that $300. But the $556 in credits you were counting on to offset the phone cost? Gone, and not reimbursed.
The number that actually matters isn’t your device balance. It’s your unused promotional credits — which you can only see by checking your account before you cancel.
In this example, the “free” phone costs you $556 to walk away from.
How to Get Up to $800 Back: Keep & Switch Steps
If you’re switching to T-Mobile from another carrier (or finishing your UScellular migration), Keep & Switch reimburses your device balance — up to $800 per line — as a virtual prepaid Mastercard. Here’s how to claim it.
Step 1 — Pay off your old device balance or have proof of the final balance owed. You’ll need documentation showing the amount.
Step 2 — Activate a new line on a qualifying T-Mobile plan and keep your number (bring your own device or buy a new one).
Step 3 — Submit your claim at T-Mobile’s Keep & Switch portal within the required window — do this within 60 days of activation. Miss it and the offer is void.
Step 4 — Upload your final bill from the old carrier showing the device balance you paid.
Step 5 — Wait for the virtual Mastercard, typically issued in about 15 days after approval.
Step 6 — Spend the card before it expires. Prepaid Mastercards have an expiration date — check it the moment it arrives and use it, because expired balances are lost.
Full eligibility details and the submission portal are on T-Mobile’s Keep & Switch support page. If your old UScellular phone won’t run on T-Mobile’s network, ask about trade-in credit — recent T-Mobile promotions have offered up to $830 off a new phone for incompatible devices (verify the current offer in-store, as these change monthly). You may also want to compare wireless plans before you commit.
FAQ
Can I still “switch” to T-Mobile from UScellular for the reimbursement?
If you’re already being migrated as part of the merger, you’re moving to T-Mobile’s network automatically and there’s no device balance to reimburse from UScellular. Keep & Switch is designed for people coming from a different carrier with a device balance owed. Confirm your exact situation on the Keep & Switch page before assuming you qualify.
What if my phone won’t work on T-Mobile’s network?
Some older UScellular devices aren’t compatible with T-Mobile’s bands. You’ll need a new phone, but T-Mobile has offered trade-in and switch credits (recently up to $830) to offset the cost. Ask before you cancel so you don’t lose service in the gap.
What happens if I miss the 60-day window?
The reimbursement offer is void. There’s no retroactive claim — the virtual Mastercard is only issued if you submit within the stated window. Set a reminder the day you activate.
Do migration fees apply?
No. T-Mobile charges $0 to migrate former UScellular customers. There is no service-contract early termination fee. Your only real costs are your device installment balance and any forfeited promo credits.
Are the forfeited promo credits ever reimbursed?
No. Keep & Switch reimburses device loan balances, not promotional bill credits. Walk away with unused credits and that money is simply gone — which is why you should check your remaining credits before deciding.
How do I check what I actually owe?
Log into your account and look for two numbers: your equipment installment plan balance and your remaining promotional credits. The first is recoverable; the second is not.
Takeaway: There’s no ETF to fear — but check your device balance and your unused promo credits today, before the submission window closes.