Could T-Mobile and other big carriers be heading toward an online-only future?

It’s no secret that customer service has been slowly but surely declining as the big three carriers look to cut costs, but in-store support has arguably taken the sharpest hit. All three carriers have closed at least some of their locations and made moves to reduce their reliance on third-party stores, all while raising sales goals to nearly unachievable levels. The result has been widespread burnout and high turnover. It’s clear that carriers now view retail stores as an expensive legacy cost rather than a core part of their strategy. This raises the question: are we headed toward a future where the big three operate mostly, or even entirely, online?

While this might seem like a big leap at first, the groundwork is already in place for T-Mobile, and AT&T and Verizon could follow in the coming years. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at how the industry is shifting and whether an online-only future may be on the horizon.

The launch of its T-Life app earlier this year marked a turning point for T-Mobile, as the company works to consolidate its apps and services into one hub. Even the in-store experience now revolves around the app, making it difficult to visit a T-Mobile store without using it to interact with customer service, upgrade devices, and more.

It’s not just that customers are encouraged to use their phones; reps are pushed to train you to do everything yourself. T-Mobile has also made it easy to manage upgrades and other tasks directly through the app, eliminating the need to visit a store at all for many customers.

The message is clear: T-Mobile wants to cut costs by making retail a last resort. Internal policies reflect this, with rising sales targets and other pressures that have driven many employees to quit.

Verizon and AT&T have admittedly been much less aggressive on this front. As briefly alluded to earlier, they have closed some stores and raised sales goals, but neither has leaned as heavily on an online-first model. Both are introducing AI to reduce costs; however, Verizon is taking it further by baking its shopping recommendation tool into both in-store and online retail. At first glance, this might sound helpful, but if you are not careful, Big Red will add extras it thinks you need, all without clear consent.

T-Mobile and the other big carriers have not committed to an online-only future, but let’s assume they did. What would they gain? For starters, all three own thousands of stores that would no longer be needed. Closing them would save on rent, staffing, commissions, training, and administrative costs such as payroll processing.

Of course, there is potential harm. Physical stores remain one of the defining differences between prepaid and postpaid service. Eliminating them would be seen as another erosion of what makes postpaid unique, narrowing the gap with prepaid even further. The only way to offset this would be to pass savings on to customers in the form of lower pricing, but the odds of that are slim.

It is also worth remembering that a shrinking but significant portion of postpaid customers are not especially tech-savvy, particularly older demographics. These customers expect robust service, including in-person options.

For many of them, it is less about regularly needing a store and more about the peace of mind of knowing it is there. This group is often not confident with technology, and the idea of troubleshooting remotely can be overwhelming. Some customers have already voiced displeasure at T-Mobile’s online-heavy in-store approach, but removing stores entirely would be a bridge too far.

Such a move could also accelerate prepaid’s rise. Prepaid is already growing faster than ever in the US, and without carrier stores, that trend would likely speed up. Brands like Metro, Cricket, Consumer Cellular, and Total could capitalize by advertising that they still offer in-store support.

The impact would not stop there. It would also legitimize the online-only model of brands like Visible, Google Fi, and US Mobile. With even less distinction between prepaid and postpaid, customers would be more willing to try these lower-cost providers.

While it is clear that carriers are looking to cut costs, it is premature to say an online-only evolution is inevitable. At least in the short term, physical stores are more likely to shrink in scope than disappear. This will likely include ramping up closures across full-service corporate and third-party retailers, but it could also mean a reimagining of how the remaining stores operate.

T-Life is already central to T-Mobile’s in-store experience, but the model could go further. Carriers could shift to smaller, appointment-only stores where customers schedule through an app before visiting. This would require fewer staff and allow carriers to tightly manage visits. We could also see stores evolve into pickup kiosks. You would order online, agree to a price, and pick up your device in-store. If you need help with setup, you could book that at the same time. Those are just a few examples, of course.

As a customer, how does any of this impact you?

For now, little is changing, but it is clear that Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile will continue to cut wherever possible to increase profits. This could include the loss of stores, the retooling of perks, or more price hikes. The message is loud and clear: for most customers, the big three are only worth it if you are already locked into a solid plan. For new customers, it is increasingly wise to consider prepaid before jumping straight to postpaid.