Cricket Wireless lapsers returned more often than Metro lapsers
Mutually exclusive January–August 2026 outcomes after established customers had no Cricket Wireless or Metro bills in July–December 2025
Share of lapsed customers
Source: YipitData U.S. debit/credit card panel. Cricket Wireless lapsers n=2,111; Metro lapsers n=2,231. Cash, retail-card, and off-panel carrier payments are not visible.
Chart data
| Series | Share of lapsed customers |
|---|---|
| Cricket — returned | 14.1% |
| Metro — returned | 11.5% |
| Cricket — visible rival | 13.5% |
| Metro — visible rival | 13.2% |
| Cricket — no visible carrier | 72.4% |
| Metro — no visible carrier | 75.3% |
How did visible competitive movement compare between Cricket Wireless and Metro?
The visible-rival rates were nearly identical: 13.5% of Cricket Wireless lapsers and 13.2% of Metro lapsers paid a tracked competitor. Cricket’s 2.6-point advantage appeared in return payments to the original carrier, not in a lower observed competitor rate.
Does no visible carrier payment mean the customer left wireless service?
No. Prepaid service is often funded with cash, retail refill cards, or a card outside the panel, while family and postpaid plans may be paid by another household member. The 72.4% and 75.3% shares are measurement states, not proof that customers stopped using wireless service.
How was a lapsed customer defined?
Customers first needed at least three monthly recurring bills from January–June 2025, then no bill from their original carrier—Cricket Wireless or Metro—from July–December 2025. Return and rival outcomes were observed strictly afterward, from January–August 2026, so the measured payments follow the lapse window.
Assumptions & Methodologies
We used YipitData’s U.S. debit/credit card panel through August 15, 2026. Established Cricket Wireless and Metro customers had at least three recurring bills in January–June 2025; lapsers had none in July–December 2025. Outcomes in January–August 2026 were mutually exclusive: returned to their original carrier, paid one of 11 tracked rivals, or had no visible carrier payment. Device purchases were excluded. Cash, retail refill, off-panel cards, family plans, and an indistinct AT&T prepaid merchant limit visibility, so missing payments do not prove category exit.