Verizon is a major U.S. cellular carrier.
For those who want a flexible plan or are not eligible for a postpaid account, Verizon's direct prepaid accounts are available for both smartphones and data-only devices.
Verizon Prepaid Plans
Verizon currently offers prepaid plans for both phones and tablets/hotspots. This guide covers Verizon Prepaid phone plans. For info on Jetpack/Tablet plans:
Verizon Prepaid Jetpack/Tablet Plans Guide
Phone Plans
- Unlimited 5G Ultra Wideband: $70 (*$60)
- Unlimited: $60 (*$50) (+$5/month for Mobile Hotspot)
- 15GB: $45 (*$35)
- 5GB: $35 (*$25)
(All prices include $5 discount for auto-pay. *'d prices include additional Loyalty Discount)
Phone Plan Specs
- Carrier Networks Used: Verizon
- Carrier Relationship: Direct, prepaid
- Plan Types Available: Phone
- Device Types Permitted: Phones
- Unlimited: Yes
- High-Speed Mobile Hotspot Use:
- $65 Unlimited Phone Plan has the option to add 10GB high-speed mobile hotspot data for $5/month. After 10GB is used, mobile hotspot speeds are slowed to 600Kbps.
- $75 Ultra Wideband Unlimited Plan offers unlimited mobile hotspot data when on Ultra Wideband network and 10GB of highspeed mobile hotspot when on Nationwide 5G or 4G/LTE followed by unlimited 600 kbps speed mobile hotspot.
- On all capped data plans, all data can be used as mobile hotspot data.
- Throttling:
- $75 Ultra Wideband Phone Plan: None on device. To 600 kbps if 10GB added mobile hotspot data is used on 4G/LTE or 5G Nationwide networks.
- $65 Unlimited Phone Plan: None on device. To 600 kbps if 10GB added mobile hotspot data is used.
- Capped Plans: Yes, after high-speed data bucket allowance, speeds are slowed to 2G/128kbps.
- Network Management: Yes - always, for all plans when on the 4G/LTE or 5G Nationwide networks. None when on Ultra Wideband network.
- Video Streaming Resolution: 480p when on 4G/LTE or 5G Nationwide networks. Full HD when on Ultra Wideband network.
- 5G Access: All plans have access to 4G/LTE and 5G nationwide networks. Unlimited Ultra Wideband Plan has access to 5G Ultra Wideband network.
- Device Purchase Required: No, but can purchase a device
- Plan Period: 30 days
- International Roaming:
- Unlimited phone plan includes 0.5GB of data usage per day in Canada / Mexico.
- TravelPass is available for prepaid plans - for $5 a day per line, customers can use their plan data in Canada and Mexico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. For $10/day per line, plan data can be used in 30+ other destinations.
- Domestic Roaming: Some - but not full. Verizon prepaid utilizes most of Verizon postpaid domestic roaming for calls or data when you are off their network domestically. To view the disparities, see Verizon's map comparisons here. There are no additional charges for domestic roaming when it is supported - but you may see slowed data speeds (3G/2G speeds).
- Data Roll Over: No
- Overage Charges: No
- Discounts Available:
- Autopay discount of $5/month
- Loyalty Discount: Offered on plans over $40/month, this discount reduces plan pricing by $5 after the 3rd month of service, and another $5 after the 9th month of service.
- Family discounts are not available on Verizon Prepaid phone plans offered after 6/24/2020.
- Lines permitted per account:
- 10 lines are allowed per account.
- Additional lines after the first are eligible for up to a $20/month discount depending on device and plan.
- A family plan allows for the ability to mix-and-match line types on a single account - including Jetpack / Tablet lines.
- Extras: None
News, Videos, & Status
Videos
New Prepaid Unlimited 5G UWB Phone Plan
Verizon Prepaid Changes: Loyalty Discounts and New Unlimited Phone Plans
News Stories
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Finding the right plans for your needs is no easy task - quite simply mobile travelers using cellular data as their primary way online is not how most carriers have designed their plans. Many of us want plans that provide copious amounts of data.
Understanding the different plan terms (like network management, throttling, hotspot data, video resolution) is key to determining if a plan will meet your needs or not. You also need plans that are suitable for use in the device you want to use them in - such as smartphone, mobile hotspot device or cellular embedded router.
To learn more about shopping for dataplans, check out these key guides:
Here's a video going over the 'limits' on so-called 'unlimited' data plans:
But a data plan alone will not keep you online. For more education on assembling a cellular centric mobile internet setup, head on over to our collection of guides to help with selecting gear and your signal enhancing strategy:
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