Verizon remains the carrier with the most extensive coverage in the lower 48.
Currently postpaid plan options:
- Above Unlimited - For Smartphones, tablets and hotspots
- Beyond Unlimited - For smartphones, tablets and hotspots
- Go Unlimited - For smartphones
- The Verizon Plan - Tiered data plans for smartphones, tablets and hotspots
- Data Only Plans - For data only devices
For Our Comparative Pricing Grid:
Guide to Cellular Data Plan Pricing
Table of Contents
- Unlimited Plans
- Shared Data Plans (aka 'Tiered Data')
- General Postpaid Policies (Member Only)
- Discounts (Member Only)
- Analysis (Member Only)
- Purchasing Options
Unlimited Plans
Consumer Unlimited Data Plan
Verizon's current iteration of an unlimited plan, simply called 'Unlimited Plan' was introduced on August 23, 2017, and further adjusted in June of 2018. Verizon currently offers three tiers of unlimited plans - each with its own limitations to understand:
- Above Unlimited:
- 1 line - $95
- 2 lines - $90/line
- 3 lines - $70/line
- 4 lines - $60/line
- Hotspots/Tablets/Chromebooks - $20/line
- Beyond Unlimited:
- 1 line - $85
- 2 lines - $80/line
- 3 lines - $60/line
- 4 lines - $50/line
- Hotspots/Tablets/Chromebooks - $20/line
- Go Unlimited:
- 1 line - $75
- 2 lines - $65/line
- 3 lines - $50/line
- 4 lines - $40/line
- Hotspots/Tablets/Chromebooks - $20/line
Verizon also offers a 'Go Unlimited 55+' pricing discounts - currently only available to residents in select states.
Plan Policies:
- Carrier Networks Used: Verizon
- Carrier Relation: Direct
- Plan Types Available: Smartphone, Data Only
- Device Types Permitted: Phone, Smartphone, Tablet, Chromebook, Hotspot
- Hotspot / Tablet / Data Only Devices:
- Above Unlimited: Mobile hotspot devices (Jetpacks/MiFi), tablets, and Chromebooks can be added for $20/month each. However lines are capped at just 15GB of high speed mobile hotspot use, and are subject to network management after 15GB.
- Beyond Unlimited: Mobile hotspot devices (Jetpacks/MiFi), tablets, and Chromebooks can be added for $20/month each. However lines are capped at just 15GB of high speed mobile hotspot use, and are subject to network management after 15GB.
- Go Unlimited / Go Unlimited 55+ are not eligible for adding hotspot device lines.
- Hotspot / Tablet / Data Only Devices:
- Device Purchase Required: No, but can purchase a device
- Mobile Hotspot / Tethering Use:
- Above Unlimited: Smartphone lines on this plan include 20GB of high-speed mobile hotspot use in a month per line, and then speed for mobile hotspot is reduced to 600 kbps for the remainder of the month.
- A data boost of 5GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data can be purchased for $35 - and each line can have up to 20 data boosts (ie. up to 100GB) per billing cycle. This is a flexible, albeit pricey, way to add a bunch of data when needed sporadically.
- Mobile hotspot devices (Jetpacks/MiFi), tablets, and Chromebooks are capped at 15GB of high speed mobile hotspot use, and are subject to network management after 15GB.
- Beyond Unlimited: The plans include 15GB of high-speed mobile hotspot use in a month per line, and then speed for mobile hotspot is reduced to 600 kbps for the remainder of the month.
- A data boost of 5GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data can be purchased for $35 - and each line can have up to 20 data boosts (ie. up to 100GB) per billing cycle. This is a flexible, albeit pricey, way to add a bunch of data when needed sporadically.
- Mobile hotspot devices (Jetpacks/MiFi), tablets, and Chromebooks are capped at 15GB of high speed mobile hotspot use, and are subject to network management after 15GB.
- Go Unlimited / Go Unlimited 55+: All mobile hotspot use is at 600 kbps.
- Above Unlimited: Smartphone lines on this plan include 20GB of high-speed mobile hotspot use in a month per line, and then speed for mobile hotspot is reduced to 600 kbps for the remainder of the month.
- Throttling
- Above Unlimited: Full data speed on phone device, mobile hotspot via phone is throttled to 600 kbps after 20GB (throttled at 15GB for other devices).
- Beyond Unlimited: Full data speed on phone device, mobile hotspot - via any device - is throttled to 600 kbps after 15GB.
- Go Unlimited / Go Unlimited 55+: Full data speed on device, always subject to network management, mobile hotspot is always throttled to 600 kbps.
- Network Management:
- Above Unlimited: Lines on this plan are subject to network management after 75GB of usage in a month, per line.
- Beyond Unlimited: Lines on this plan are subject to network management after 22GB of usage in a month, per line.
- Go Unlimited / Go Unlimited 55+: Lines on this plan are always subject to network management
- International Roaming:
- Above, Beyond & Go all include unlimited calling and texting in Mexico and Canada and 500MB/day of high-speed data per line. If more than 50% of your talk, text or data usage in a 60-day period is in Canada or Mexico, use of those services in those countries may be removed or limited.
- Travel Pass: unlimited calling and texting and 500MB/day of high-speed data per line (2G reduced speeds thereafter) in 130+ countries.
- Beyond includes 5 Travel Passes per month, allowing for 5 days of unlimited calling and texting and 500MB/day of high-speed data per line in 130+ countries.
- Travel Passes can be purchased for $10/day for Above & Go plans - and if you need additional Travel Passes for Beyond plan
- Domestic Roaming: Yes
- Plan Period: 30 days
- Data Roll Over: No
- Overage Charges: No
- Streaming:
- Apple Music: Unlike T-Mobile, which allows for those who want Netflix's premium 4K plan to pay the difference between it and the standard HD plan that it bundles, Verizon will not be subsidizing a subscription to Apple's $14.99 per month family plan for Apple Music. Lines will be provided with the base $9.99 subscription.
- Beyond Unlimited, Above Unlimited lines: Apple Music bundled with each line
- Go Unlimited / Go Unlimited 55+ lines: 6 months of Apple Music
- Video Optimization:
- Beyond Unlimited, Above Unlimited: Video on smartphones is reduced to 720p, and on tablets & tethered devices reduced to 1080p. For $10/mo per line, you can enable 4K video streaming.
- Go Unlimited / Go Unlimited 55+: Video on smartphones is reduced to DVD quality at 480p, and on tablets reduced to 720p.
- Apple Music: Unlike T-Mobile, which allows for those who want Netflix's premium 4K plan to pay the difference between it and the standard HD plan that it bundles, Verizon will not be subsidizing a subscription to Apple's $14.99 per month family plan for Apple Music. Lines will be provided with the base $9.99 subscription.
- Unlimited: Yes
- Lines Permitted Per Account: 10
- Single vs Multi-Line:
- Single Line: A single line can be a smartphone, Jetpack or tablet. You can add two hotspot/tablet lines for $20/line on top of a single line account.
- Multi-Line: Smartphone lines are priced at the additional line pricing. Up to 10 devices in total may be on a consumer account.
- Single vs Multi-Line:
Business Plans
Verizon offers an unlimited data business plan, however, at least one phone device must be on the plan (other lines can be data only devices). At $45/line, this plan is cheaper than Verizon's Beyond Unlimited plan. However, it comes with reduced hotspot limits.
- Phone and tablet devices get 10GB of full speed hotspot, then all hotspot data is slowed to 600kbps.
- Hotspot devices (Jetpacks) and notebooks get 10GB of full speed hotspot, the next 12GB (to 22) is throttled to 600kbps, then after 22GB you get unlimited hotspot data at 200kbps speeds.
All video is throttled to 480p.
Verizon Unlimited Data Only Plans
Verizon will activate a tablet or Jetpack as a single line of service on their Unlimited plans for $80/month ($75/month with auto pay). This plan is not advertised in the "plans" section of Verizon's website, but is listed as the default plan in the online store for data-only devices for new accounts. Additional data-only devices can be added to this plan for $20/month.
The plans includes:
- Unlimited on-device data (applicable to tablets only)
- 15GB of high-speed mobile hotspot use (throttled to 600kbps thereafter)
- Network management applies after 15GB of use
- HD (720p) streaming
- Unlimited 2G domestic roaming
- 512mb per day Canada/Mexico high speed roaming
- 5 International Travel Passes per month
Up until 2011, Verizon offered a truly unlimited smartphone data plan - even allowing for mobile hotspot use without throttling or network management. But, in 2011 - Verizon took the axe to allowing new customers to take advantage of unlimited plans, but grandfathered the plans in for existing customers (or those who successfully navigated the assumption of liability process).
From 2011 until 2017, the only plans Verizon directly offered new customers were capped data plans.
On July 7, 2016 Verizon introduced the 'New' Verizon Plan (which didn't have an unlimited option), but then in February 2017 Verizon revised this 'New' plan to introduce the Verizon Unlimited option - Verizon's first official unlimited offering since 2011.
In August 2017, Verizon revised their Unlimited options again. They rebranded their unlimited plans to Beyond Unlimited and Go Unlimited, and raised the price of the plan.
Most recently, in June 2018, Verizon added the Above Unlimited Plan tier to their current unlimited line up - and offered the ability to mix and match unlimited plans per line under one account.
- New Unlimited Plans aka "February Unlimited" - Originally launched in February 2017, Verizon's return to unlimited plans. The plans launched with only 10GB of high-speed mobile hotspot use, but were automatically upgraded to 15GB when Beyond Unlimited replaced the plan in August 2017. The February plan pricing was cheaper (particularly for multi-line accounts) and Verizon continues to honor the pricing for those who had it.
- Should you keep it? If you have this plan, and are happy with 15GB hotspot data, there's no reason to upgrade to Beyond Unlimited and pay more for the same thing. If you need more hotspot data regularly or higher network management caps, the Above Unlimited plan may be worth considering.
- gUDP / Legacy Unlimited Data Plans - Up until 2011, Verizon offered a truly unlimited smartphone data plan - even allowing for mobile hotspot use without throttling or network management. They continue to honor grandfathering for true legacy customers, but high usage customers who are out of contract are regularly getting termination letters and those who obtained newly spawned lines via data brokers are regularly getting terminated.
- Should you keep it?: If you still have this plan, it is worth holding on to it for as long as it lasts For as long as Verizon will continue to honor these plans, they are considered gold.
- For in depth information on these plans: Grandfathered/Legacy Unlimited Data Plans.
"The New Verizon Plan"
Verizon offers tiered data plans, where data can be shared amongst multiple devices. You pick your data bucket, and then each device you add is charged a $20 line access fee. Verizon currently offers the following tiers:
- Small - 2GB - $35
- Medium - 4GB - $50
- 5GB - 5GB - $55
- Large - 8GB - $70
Plan Policies
- Carrier Networks Used: Verizon
- Carrier Relation: Direct
- Plan Types Available: Smartphone (include unlimited talk/text)
- Device Types Permitted: Smartphone, hotspot, tablet
- Device Purchase Required: No, but can purchase a device
- Mobile Hotspot Use: All tiered Verizon plans include mobile hotspot use of all data
- Throttling: All data is at full speed
- Network Management: Tiered plans are not subject to Network Management
- International Roaming: Not included, but adding a 'Travel Pass' is an option which allows you to use your plan around the world. In Mexico & Canada the cost is $5 per 24-hours on tiered data plans and in other countries it is $10 per 24 hours.
- Domestic Roaming: Verizon imposes no limits on domestic roaming for calls or data when you are off their network, making Verizon's coverage map seem even larger than it already is.
- Plan Period: 30 days
- Data Roll Over: The Verizon S, M & L plans include 'Carry Over Data'. If you don't use all of your allotted data in your current billing period, it rolls over to be used the next month. You cannot build up a data balance - unused data expires after just one month.
- Overage Charges: Yes
- Safety Mode & Data Boost: Verizon's tiered data plans include the ability to turn on 'Safety Mode' to eliminate the risk of surprise overage charges for using too much data. With Safety Mode enabled, data will simply be slowed down for the remainder of the month to 2G-speed (128 kbps) once the high-speed data is used up. If you do need more fast data, you can manually purchase a "Data Boost" for $15/GB as needed.
- PopData: For those on tiered data plans, Verizon allows the purchase of 30 minutes ($2) or 60 minutes ($3) sessions of unlimited "PopData" when needed. This is an interesting option for those needing to handle a bulk upload (posting to YouTube), but for most people this is just a gimmick.
- Streaming: No streaming services are provided.
- Video Throttling: As of August 23, 2017, Verizon tiered plans (including legacy tiered data plans) are subject to 720p video resolution caps on smartphones and 1080p on tablets & tethered devices. For $10/month you can override this on 4K compatible devices.
- Unlimited: No
- Lines permitted per account: 1
- Verizon raised prices somewhat when it rolled out the New Verizon plan, so some RVers have been holding on to this generation of plan.
- Do be aware that these older plans lack Safety Mode to avoid overage charges, and have no Carryover Data.
Hotspots, Tablets and Connected Devices
Verizon also has data-only device shared data plans that start at 2GB for $20/month (plus device access fees) up to 100GB for $710/month. Data overages are charged at $15/GB.
Connected Car
Verizon is the connected car provider for Toyota and Lexus vehicles. There are only tiered data options. A car can be added to an existing qualifying plan for $10/month or customers can purchase a dedicated tiered connected car data plan at 2GB, 4GB or 8GB buckets plus a $10/month access fee and taxes and fees.
Nissan and Infiniti vehicles use Autonet Mobile - a third party provider that uses Verizon's network. Nissan/Infinity charge separately for Wi-Fi data and telematics services/apps, and the options can get quite expensive. For data, there are only two options available - 1GB and 5GB.
The Rest of this Review is:
Member Only Content
We are thrilled & honored to be primarily member & reader funded - allowing us to present unbiased content. The in-depth review section of this product listing is part of the premium membership benefits of joining. Members can also leave their own reviews on products.
If you're a member, please log in above to read the in-depth review for this product and/or leave your own review. If you've not joined yet, learn more about membership at:
Purchasing Options
Verizon Postpaid Plan Ratings
-
Overall Ratings
Quick Take
If keeping connected is important to you in your travels, this is probably the network to have service on. And if you're only going to have one carrier, this is the one that will give you the widest coverage in the US.