Cricket Wireless terms update Dec 1, 2026: 60-day wait before small claims, mail-only dispute notice, how to reject

What changed

Cricket Wireless, AT&T's prepaid brand, is making the same dispute-resolution changes as its parent, one month later. Cricket's notice page says: "the updated Cricket Wireless Terms will apply to you starting on December 1, 2026," and "By using or paying for Cricket services on or after December 1, 2026, you are agreeing to the terms." The new terms are dated "Revised October 1, 2026"; the old ones ("Revised September 16, 2026") are at cricketwireless.com/legal-info/terms-previous-version. Cricket sent customers a text that reads: "effective 12/1/26 (or earlier if you change or obtain new service before then), we've updated the Cricket Wireless Terms and Conditions of Service, including dispute resolution and arbitration terms in sections 1.3 and 1.12." A customer posted it on October 2 (UTC), so texts went out around October 1. We compared the two versions line by line.

Change 1: small claims court now comes with a 60-day wait. The old terms said "you can choose to file your individual claim in small claims court or send us a Notice of Dispute, which is required before starting arbitration," and only arbitration had to wait: "Any arbitration proceeding cannot be commenced until after the Informal Resolution Period has ended." The new text: "Any arbitration or small claims court proceeding cannot begin until after the Informal Resolution Period has ended." You now have to send Cricket a signed Notice of Dispute and wait at least 60 days before filing in small claims.

Change 2: the Notice of Dispute is mail-only. The old terms let you send it by mail or courier "or, alternatively, submitted electronically by following the instructions at https://www.cricketwireless.com/legal-info/notice-of-dispute.html." That option is gone from the new terms, and the Notice of Dispute page now tells customers to "mail the completed form(s)" to Legal Department Notice of Dispute, Cricket, 208 S. Akard, Office #2900.13, Dallas, Texas 75202. (AT&T's own updated agreement still allows online filing.)

Change 3: Cricket gets more time to make the offer that decides whether it owes you $10,000. If you win in arbitration and beat Cricket's last written settlement offer, Cricket pays at least $10,000 plus double your lawyer's fees. The offer used to count only if made "before the arbitrator was selected"; now it counts if made "before the arbitration record closes."

Change 4: JAMS replaces the American Arbitration Association, and hearings move from "the county (or parish) of your billing address" to "a location reasonably convenient to you." Arbitration demands must now carry a signed "certification of compliance" with the notice step and "disclose any person or entity that is funding or has a financial stake" in the case. In mass claims (25 or more customers with coordinated lawyers), each side now picks 20 test cases instead of 25, and after two rounds either side can move a dispute to court, where a new Section 1.12 class-action and jury-trial waiver still applies.

What stays the same: Cricket still pays JAMS fees on claims of $75,000 or less that you start, if "there is no dispute that you have fully complied" with the notice step; you can still complain to the FCC or other agencies.

You can reject the arbitration changes and keep your line. Subsection 1.3.2.8 lets you reject "by sending us written notice via U.S. Mail within 30 days of the first notice of the change" to Legal Department – Revised Arbitration Opt-Out, Cricket, 208 S. Akard, Office #2900.13, Dallas, Texas 75202. Include "your name, address, phone number, account number, and a statement personally signed by you that you wish to reject the change to the arbitration provision." You then arbitrate under the prior version, which lets you go straight to small claims and allows the online Notice. The 30 days run from your first notice, so if Cricket's text reached you around October 1, mail it by October 31. Cricket's notice page offers this to existing customers who signed up for all their Cricket services before October 1, 2026. The only other choice is to cancel all Cricket service before December 1.

Coverage (checked October 25): one customer quoted the Cricket text on uscardforum. We found no news coverage. AT&T's identical November 1 change got a few small X posts.

What you can do: if you want to keep the old rules, mail a signed rejection letter now (sample wording, ours, not Cricket's: "I reject the changes to the arbitration provision in Section 1.3 of the Cricket Wireless Terms and Conditions of Service. Name, address, phone number, account number, signature, date."). Send it with a certificate of mailing or tracking and keep a copy. If you have a billing dispute you might take to small claims, mail the Notice of Dispute form now so the 60 days start.

Who it affects

Cricket Wireless customers, including Cricket Home Internet. Existing customers who signed up before October 1, 2026 are covered from December 1, 2026; anyone who got or changed Cricket service since October 1 and accepted the new terms is already on them.

Quick answers

When do Cricket's new terms take effect?

December 1, 2026, for existing customers who keep using or paying for Cricket service. If you got or changed Cricket service on or after October 1, 2026 and accepted the new terms, they already apply.

How do I reject Cricket's arbitration changes?

Mail a signed letter by U.S. Mail within 30 days of the first notice of the change to Legal Department – Revised Arbitration Opt-Out, Cricket, 208 S. Akard, Office #2900.13, Dallas, Texas 75202, with your name, address, phone number, account number and a statement that you reject the change to the arbitration provision. If Cricket's text reached you around October 1, mail it by October 31.

Can I still take Cricket to small claims court?

Yes, but you must first mail a signed Notice of Dispute and wait 60 days. The new terms say "Any arbitration or small claims court proceeding cannot begin until after the Informal Resolution Period has ended."

Can I file a Cricket Notice of Dispute online?

Not anymore. The old terms allowed it to be "submitted electronically"; the new terms and Cricket's Notice of Dispute page list mail or courier only.

Source

Detected on the Cricket Wireless terms page: https://www.cricketwireless.com/legal-info/termsupdate. Always check the source; this summary is not legal or financial advice.

Other sources:

• Cricket Wireless Terms and Conditions of Service (Revised October 1, 2026)
• Cricket Wireless Terms, previous version (Revised September 16, 2026)
• Cricket: How to Send us a Notice of Dispute

Provenance: detected in our Oct 25 snapshot of the Cricket Wireless terms page. Excerpts marked "Quoted from the documents" come from the sources linked above.