Jump to:
- Verizon prepaid plans at a glance
- Current Verizon prepaid plans
- Total by Verizon plans
- Verizon Prepaid plans: FAQ
For those who value freedom and value, the best Verizon prepaid plans could just be a great way to cover both bases at one of the nation's favorite carriers. On the whole, these plans do away with that lengthy postpaid contract while still offering access to that speedy 5G network with some of the best coverage in the country. They are, in general, also much cheaper than the traditional postpaid options at Verizon. That said, how do the Verizon prepaid plans stack up against the competition? Right here you'll find a full breakdown of this service as well as our advice on bagging the lowest cell phone bills possible.
Verizon prepaid plans: jump links
1.Verizon prepaid plans at a glance
2.Current Verizon prepaid plans
3.What Verizon prepaid plans include
4.Verizon prepaid pricing explained
5.What other carriers are there?
As a rule of thumb, going prepaid means you'll know exactly what you're paying upfront each month while also forgoing those lengthy annual contracts. Unlike the other Verizon wireless plans, Verizon prepaid plans are generally pretty affordable, but of course you don't get quite as many benefits and perks and they tend to be pretty stripped-down overall.
Just below you'll see a full roundup of this month's Verizon prepaid plan prices, features, as well as a few other good options from our main best prepaid phone plans guide to check out. We'll also cover the lowest rates possible with this service with a detailed explanation, although fair warning - like , Verizon's plans tend to be a little pricier than those offered by the smaller independent companies.
So, before we get into the current Verizon prepaid plan lineup, here's a quick overview of the service as a whole, and why you should consider (or potentially avoid) going for a prepaid cell phone plan with this carrier.
Verizon prepaid plans at a glance
Why go Verizon Prepaid?
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Flexibility
Unlike the traditional 'postpaid' unlimited data plans, the Verizon prepaid plans don't require you to be signed up for a lengthy 24-month contract. While you will indeed get the cheapest rates if you stick it out, in general, that means you won't incur any unwanted bills or barriers should you want to switch up your phone plan down the line.
Affordability
Verizon prepaid plans are generally much cheaper than the carrier's unlimited data plans despite not having long service contracts. As the name suggests, you'll also be billed at the beginning of the month with these prepaid plans, as opposed to at the end with the unlimited data plans.
Loyalty discounts
Verizon prepaid plans offer discounts of up to $15 a month for customers who stick it out with the service for the long run. While offsetting some of that prepaid flexibility, this discount does on the whole make Verizon's prepaid offerings a lot more competitively priced than they initially seem.
Why avoid Verizon Prepaid?
Fewer perks
While lower in price, Verizon prepaid plans don't offer anywhere near the same kind of creature comforts as the carrier's unlimited data plans. You won't, for example, get things like free streaming service subscriptions, or even prioritized data speeds on the 5G network. If those things are really important to you then it could be worth spending more to get the carrier's more premium service plans.
No handset deals
At any one time, the best Verizon deals on the carrier's service are generally exclusively offered to customers on postpaid unlimited data plans. In a nutshell, that means while you pay more for your plan overall, you'll generally get access to a ton of effective ways to bag the best Verizon phones for a reduced cost. Trade-in rebates, upgrades, and even buy-one get-one free promotions are common so it's always worth factoring that into your decision as you could potentially save big on a new flagship. Of course, if you have an unlocked device ready to bring over, then Verizon prepaid plans are probably more bang for the buck.
Current Verizon prepaid plans
Cheap Verizon prepaid plans
Verizon's most affordable prepaid plans can come in at around half the price of the traditional post-paid unlimited plans at the carrier but feature strict caps on data usage. Subsequently, if you're data hungry they might not be the best option, although prices are indeed very competitive after you've been signed up for a while thanks to Verizon's loyalty-based discount scheme.
Verizon Prepaid: 15GB plan for $50-35/month
The cheapest Verizon prepaid plan is the carrier's 15GB plan, which starts at $50 per month with an autopay setup, dropping to $35. Previously, there was a 5GB plan tier underneath this one but Verizon has discontinued that for 2023, presumedly because 5GB doesn't go far these days. 15GB does, however, and this should be enough if you want to stream music, browse the web, and occasionally watch videos.
Intro price:$50/mo |After 4-mo: $40/mo |After 10-mo:$35/mo
Verizon unlimited data plans
If you want all the data, all the time, then you'll want to go for an unlimited data plan. These plans give you full use of those 5G data speeds and include unlimited calls and texts to and from Mexico and Canada.
Verizon Prepaid: Unlimited plan for $65-50/month
If data is what you're all about and the freedom of not thinking about limits is what you want, then this is the plan for you. This lower-priced option of the two choices doesn't include mobile hotspot use ($5/mo extra), but does include completely unlimited standard 5G connectivity for around $20 cheaper than the postpaid plans at Verizon.
Intro price:$60/mo |After 4-mo:$55/mo |After 10-mo:$50/mo
Verizon Prepaid: Unlimited plan for $75-60/month
The second of the two unlimited data prepaid plans at Verizon includes mobile hotspotting and full access to the Ultra-Wideband 5G network - a separate prioritized network that gives you the best data speeds available on the carrier. Note - the Ultra-Wideband network isn't that widely available outside of the major cities just yet, and you'll be falling back to the standard 5G network where it's not available.
Intro price:$70/mo |After 4-mo:$65/mo |After 10-mo:$60/mo
TechRadar recommen...
Visible Wireless: prepaid plans from $25 per month
In addition to Verizon's own prepaid plans, you may want to consider checking out Visible Wireless. This subsidiary carrier of Verizon specializes in superb cost-effective unlimited data plans for as little as $25 per month. Compared to Verizon, there are no contracts or term requirements to get the cheapest rate possible so it's well worth considering. Note, however, that you may be subject to deprioritization on Visible if your local area is busy but this can depend from location to location.
Check out our Visible Wireless plans guide for more detailed information on this carrier.
What Verizon prepaid plans include
Verizon prepaid plans make the data allowance the main metrics for you to look at when deciding on the option to pick. That said, there are plenty more features included with these plans that are worth bearing in mind as you make your decisions. For clarity, here's a quick rundown of what you can expect to get from each prepaid plan, starting with the limited-data options:
- Unlimited talk and text
- Roaming in Mexico and Canada (except 5GB plan)
- Mobile hotspot support
- 5G LTE connectivity
- Autopay discounts
And, here's what the Verizon prepaid unlimited plans have to offer:
- Autopay discounts
- Unlimited talk, text and data
- Roaming in Mexico and Canada
- Slowed speeds during network congestion (DVD quality streaming)
- Unlimited texting to over 200 other countries
- 5G LTE connectivity
- 5G Ultra-Wideband access (on the more expensive plan)
Total by Verizon plans
Verizon has recently launched a subsidiary prepaid brand that runs alongside it's own offerings called Total by Verizon. It's another option to consider, especially if you're looking to sign up multiple lines at once as Total has some really fantastic discounts for two or more lines at once.
All Total by Verizon plans come with unlimited talk and text. The data is also technically unlimited but will cap out at 2G speeds after you hit a certain data cap. Like with other Verizon plans, you can also mix and match lines at different tiers to really tailor your plan overall and get the best value possible.
Total 5GB plan: $30 per month
Total's prepaid plans start with its basic 5GB plan, which is capped at a base-rate of $30 per month regardless of how many lines you add in. This particular plan is a good option if you're a light user who only needs a bit of data allowance as you'll still get unlimited texts and minutes for calling. Note that 5GB of high-speed data isn't a lot, but it'll suffice for those who simply check their emails, stream music, or watch the occasional video from their device.
Total 15GB plan: starting at $40 per month
The next tier of prepaid plan from Total is its 15GB plan, which is the first in the line-up to feature a multi-line saving. At a base 1-line level, the 15GB data plan is a fair bit pricier than the basic 5GB plan but it's going to be a decent choice for the average user as it's enough to stream plenty of music and video - granted you're watching at standard definition.
1 line:$40/mo |2 lines:$37.50/mo |3 lines: $36.67/mo | 4 lines:$36.25/mo |5 lines:$40/mo
Total Unlimited plan: starting at $50 per month
Total's line-up of prepaid plans includes two unlimited data tiers, the first of which is the 'standard' unlimited plan. With this tier, you'll get completely unlimited 5G data, 10GB of mobile hotspot allowance, and free international calling to five countries of your choice. Overall, this is going to be a good option for those looking for a sensible unlimited plan that doesn't go completely overboard on the extras.
1 line:$50/mo |2 lines:$42.50/mo |3 lines:$40/mo | 4 lines:$37.50/mo |5 lines:$37/mo
Total Unlimited+ plan: starting at $60 per month
Finally, Total's list of prepaid plans concludes with the Unlimited Plus plan, which is currently the priciest and most feature-laden in the line-up. Like the basic unlimited plan, this one includes fully unlimited 5G data but pushes the mobile hotspot allowance up to 20GB and adds free international calling to 69 countries. This plan is arguably a little overboard on the extras for a prepaid option but a solid multi-line discount can make it a good option for some.
1 line:$60/mo |2 lines:$47.50/mo |3 lines:$43.33/mo | 4 lines:$41.25/mo |5 lines:$40/mo
What Total prepaid plans include
- Unlimited talk and text
- Up to 15GB of high-speed 5G data
- Up to 5GB or 15GB hotspot allowance
- Unlimited 2G data afterwards
- 5% autofil discount
- Talk and text to Mexico and Canada
What Total unlimited plans include
- Unlimited talk and text
- Unlimited 5G Data
- 5% autofil discount
- International Talk and text to up to 69 countries
- Six months of Disney+
Verizon Prepaid plans: FAQ
How can I save as much money as possible?
Verizon prepaid plans operate around a fairly unique loyalty scheme that will cut down your monthly fees based on how long you've been with the service. In short, you'll pay an introductory price up until month four, then receive your full discounted monthly rate at month ten. You can also further reduce your bill by $5 a month if you make use of the auto-pay feature, which will bill your account each month without prompt until you cancel.
Combining the loyalty discount and auto-pay feature will give you the lowest monthly rate possible for Verizon prepaid plans. Unfortunately, there's no way to skip to a lower monthly rate, so you will be tied in for a while before you can get your maximum savings.
What are the alternatives to Verizon prepaid plans?
Verizon might be the best for US coverage and offer impressive 5G speeds, but that doesn't necessarily make it the ideal choice for you. Let's take a look at some competing options.
Visible Wireless is a subsidiary of Verizon that specializes in incredibly competitively priced unlimited data plans. For just $25 per month, you can get the basic Visible Wireless plan including completely unlimited data, talk, and text. The only downside with Visible is the lack of extra perks and deprioritization, although the premium Visible Plus plan for $40 per month can help with the latter. If you're looking for outright bang for the buck, we'd recommend checking out Visible (see our Visible Wireless plans guide for more information).
Mint Mobile is great for multi-month prepaid plans. For just $15/month you can get a basic 5GB data plan at Mint that includes unlimited talk and text. For $30 a month you can bump that plan up to an unlimited data plan that will only cap-out of 5G speeds after 35GB of usage. It is, however, worth noting that you need to pay for a full year of service at Mint upfront to bag the cheapest overall rates.
Data fans could look to the likes of Metro by T-Mobile where you can get an unlimited data plan with 5G connectivity and 5GB of hotspot data for just $50 a month without being forced to pay upfront for multi-month. That $50 is also inclusive of taxes and fees, so you know exactly what you'll be paying. Yes, Verizon's basic unlimited plan does drop to $50 but not until month ten, and that doesn't include the mobile hotspot access.
Still undecided? Check out our best prepaid plans guide for more.
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Alex Whitelock
Deals Editor
Alex is TechRadar's deals editor, specializing in getting our readers the bang bang for the buck on the tech that we know and love. He's a dab hand at covering retailer events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day having over seven years of e-commerce experience at Future PLC; including bylines at our sister sites T3 and GamesRadar. Alex's expertise touches on most areas of TechRadar but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer. Outside of work, you'll find him indulging his love for street and travel photography, at home working on music, or down at the local climbing gym.
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