T-Mobile has long sought to differentiate itself from its competitors by offering customers various perks and freebies beyond just cell phone service. Now the company is taking it a step further with a new rewards program called “Magenta Status” – essentially giving certain customers VIP status.

Unveiled this week, Magenta Status provides extra discounts and benefits to T-Mobile subscribers, including deals on hotels, rental cars, concerts and movies. For example, members can get $5 movie tickets every month, 25% off select Live Nation event tickets, discounts on Hertz and Dollar rental cars, and 15% off stays at Hilton hotels.

Magenta Status members also receive automatic Hilton Honors Silver status for a year, normally something that requires 10 paid hotel nights or 5 stays to earn.

Importantly, these new perks are in addition to – not in place of – T-Mobile’s existing customer benefits like free Netflix, MLB.TV, Apple TV+ and its weekly “T-Mobile Tuesday” giveaways.

The new rewards program and its features will be managed through T-Mobile’s refreshed T-Mobile Tuesdays app, now rebranded as “T Life” – further reflecting the company’s desire to be seen as more than just a cell provider.

Only T-Mobile-branded customers are eligible for Magenta Status, meaning Metro by T-Mobile subscribers unfortunately can’t participate.

For T-Mobile, offering customers special rewards and VIP status is a way to build brand loyalty in an increasingly competitive wireless market now catching up in 5G coverage. With the major networks offering similar speeds and prices these days, perks and experiences beyond the core service become selling points.

Of course, the hope is also that customers will pay more to access these elevated rewards, much like paying for different airline status tiers. Offering exclusive treatment makes it easier to charge a premium.

Magenta Status becomes available to T-Mobile customers starting February 13th. And if the new program achieves its aims, subscribers will indeed start to see their cell phone company as something special rather than just a basic utility.