Visible Review: Affordable Unlimited Data Plans
Summary
Visible Wireless offers unlimited data at more affordable prices than the biggest wireless providers. Its prices start at $25 monthly, versus $40 to $70 for a similar service. You can enjoy the benefits of a prepaid phone plan, which means you’re not bound to a contract and expensive cancellation fees
Pros
Cons
Visible Wireless is owned by Verizon and runs on the Verizon network. It offers two affordable plans, both with unlimited talk, text, and data, and you can save even more by paying annually.
To get started, you can trade in your current phone, buy a pre-owned phone from Verizon, or purchase a new phone. You can also finance phones through Affirm.
Visible can be a great choice for those who want to use the Verizon network without having to deal with the level of data deprioritization that other discount carriers might experience.
Because Visible is owned by Verizon, its customers often rank second in line when it comes to getting prioritized. Other carrier customers might find themselves bumped further down the list during high usage periods.
With Visible, you get Verizon coverage and quality, but at discount prices. As a Visible+ user, you’ll also get access to discounts on home internet and great international calling/texting benefits.
However, Visible is not the cheapest of the discount carriers. If price is your main concern and you’re not too worried about data deprioritization, you’ll find better deals with other discount carriers.
| Pricing | $15-$30 per month | $35 and up per month | $5 to $25 per month |
| Long Distance | Free calls to Canada/Mexico, free texts to 190+ countries | Additional costs for international usage. Some free usage for Unlimited Plus users | Free calls to over 60 countries |
| Family/Multi-Line Plan | Yes, with discounts for multiple lines | Yes, but no substantial discounts. | No. Separate setup and billing for each line |
| Learn More | Learn More | Learn More |
You can choose between two unlimited talk, text, and data plans with Visible: Visible and Visible+. Choose the latter to get the fastest available speeds and additional perks. Here’s a closer look at each plan.
The entry-level Visible Plan costs $25 per month (or $275 if you pay annually) and includes these perks:
If you live in a congested area or want more international talk and text features, consider the Visible+ plan for $45 monthly (or $395 if you pay annually). You can also get free data in Canada and Mexico.
In addition to the basic plan perks, other benefits include:
You can enjoy the quickest network speeds for the first 50GB each month. After that, Visible may begin throttling your data speeds for the rest of the month.
Limited Time Offer: Use code 35FOR6 to pay only $35 monthly for the first six months of service.
You can also bring your own Apple Watch or buy one from Visible and get unlimited wearable data for $5 monthly.
Visible partners with Affirm to offer buy now, pay later financing on Apple, Google, and Samsung devices. Unlike a traditional carrier, you don’t need to commit to a two-year contract. Devices are locked to Visible for the first 60 days, but you can switch to another carrier.
The following Visible programs can help you buy a cheap cell phone.
Visible’s Upgrade Plan is enticing if you upgrade your phone regularly. When you upgrade to a new device and finance the new phone with Affirm, Visible will pay off up to 50% of the remaining balance.
The 0% APR repayment terms last 12, 18, 24, or 36 months (down payment required). After paying off half of the balance, Visible sends you an upgrade offer by email. After financing a new device, you mail in your old one to Visible, and they pay off the remaining balance.
When you join Visible and buy a replacement device from its online store, you can receive a trade-in credit for your existing phone. This program is open to new users and eligible current members.
The prepaid carrier will send you an estimate for your current phone. You will mail it in using a prepaid shipping label to undergo a final inspection. You will receive a credit that offsets your purchase amount.
When you finance a phone purchase, the credit is returned to your payment method with a new phone or as a Mastercard gift card.
You can purchase refurbished iPhones at a discounted price and you can pay in full upfront or apply for Affirm financing. These devices probably won’t qualify for the trade-in or upgrade programs, but you can spend less money overall and still enjoy several years of life from your phone.
Note that pre-owned phones are not always available, but they will occasionally appear on the Visible store site, depending on product availability.
Pre-owned phones are deemed either Very Good or Excellent in condition.
5G data speeds are available nationwide as Visible uses Verizon’s excess capacity to offer voice, text, and data services at a lower cost. The default 5G frequency is the low-band spectrum comparable to, yet faster than, Verizon’s 4G LTE network and improves as the infrastructure expands.
Visible customers in many metro areas nationwide have access to the 5G Ultra Wideband speeds, Verizon’s fastest capacity and 10 times faster than 4G LTE. You need the premium Visible+ plan to receive the fastest speeds.
During non-congested periods, your service quality is competitive with a traditional – and more expensive – postpaid plan. However, data speeds can be significantly slower at peak periods as the higher-paying customers get first priority.
Like other unlimited data plans, videos play back in standard definition (SD) instead of high definition (HD) to preserve network bandwidth. This setting also prevents premium members from burning through their 50 GB of ultra-wideband data as quickly.
Additionally, Visible’s mobile hotspot speeds are restricted to 5 Mbps for all users. This is comparable to 4G LTE speeds and isn’t the fastest for mobile hotspots, but you don’t have monthly data caps like other prepaid carriers.
I chatted with Robert Chase on Twitter/X about his experiences and he now saves $40 a month after switching from AT&T. He was previously paying $90/mo for two lines and now pays $50 all in for the same.
The only con is one we listed below – potentially slow data speeds in high traffic areas or peak times. “2nd tier data means if I’m in a really busy area (sporting event or our home beach island on spring break week) the data is spotty. Voice service is fine on Verizon towers.”
A small price to pay to save $480 a year!
You can purchase cell phone insurance on new phones and devices you buy through Visible. Visible Protect plans range from $3 to $10 per month.
Insurance benefits include:
You must sign up for Visible Protect at the time of purchase. Fees are included on your monthly billing statement. These protection plans are available in all states except for New York.
Both Visible plans include unlimited talk and text within the US. In addition, you’ll qualify for unlimited free talk and text to Canada and Mexico while you’re in the US as well.
Visible+ plan users get additional talk (500 minutes per month) to 30+ other countries and unlimited text to over 200 countries while in the US.
Visible has an attractive referral program. Every time you refer a person who signs up for Visible, both you and your referral will get $20 off your next month’s bill.
Note that your friend must use your Bring A Friend referral code when they sign up. You can also bank up to 12 $20 credits at a time.
All banked credits will automatically apply toward your next bill.
Visible also offers a 15-day free trial to new Visible customers. If you have an unlocked and compatible phone, you can sign up for the trial and get a temporary phone number to use during the trial.
You’ll get access to unlimited talk, text, data and hotspot during your trial period so that you can compare Visible to your current carrier.
Mint Mobile offers unlimited data plans starting at $15 monthly when you pay for 3 months of service upfront. The monthly rate changes based on the amount of data you will use each month, though the unlimited plan costs just $30 per month.
You can also find frequent introductory deals when you visit the Mint Mobile site and sign up as a new customer.
Mint Mobile uses the T-Mobile 5G network, which is highly available but not necessarily more reliable than Verizon. Coverage quality depends on your local area. Other notable Mint Mobile benefits include up to 10 GB of mobile hotspot data, free calling to Mexico and Canada, plus free texting to over 190 countries.
It’s important to read the fine print with Mint Mobile; you may be paying higher or lower monthly prices based on how far ahead you prepay. The lowest prices are typically offered to those who pay 12 months in advance.
Here’s our full review of Mint Mobile.
Verizon Wireless, with a postpaid contract, offers faster and more reliable data speeds in congested areas and during the day’s busiest hours. You will pay more for an unlimited plan, but you might be able to find employer or multi-line discounts and phone purchase deals to spend less.
Verizon plans in general are much more expensive than Visible and other discount carriers. For example, Verizon offers:
Though the plans are more expensive, you won’t have to deal with data speed deprioritization. You’ll also get HD streaming with any plan, as well as other features. Make a list of your desired features to determine if Verizon is right for you.
Tello offers mix-and-match plans starting for as little as $5 per month. The discount carriers offers its “Unlimited Everything” plan for $25 per month. Valuable benefits include free calls to over 60 countries and unlimited mobile hotspots. You can choose a fixed data plan and potentially pay less when you don’t need unlimited data.
This mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) uses the T-Mobile network, which is how it can offer many features at rock-bottom prices. You pay month-to-month for ultimate flexibility.
There are no technical family plans offered at Tello. You just need to purchase each line separately, and deal with separate billing as well.
Here’s our full review of Tello.
Is it worth it to switch from Verizon to Visible?
Visible can be just as reliable as Verizon most of the time across the country. However, many who have tried both report that Verizon is more reliable and delivers quicker speeds in congested cities and busy periods when the network practices data de-prioritization. You may choose Visible+ ($45/month) instead of the basic Visible plan ($25/month) as you get faster internet speeds.
Is Visible really owned by Verizon?
Yes, Verizon has owned Visible since it launched in 2018. However, Visible’s headquarters are in Denver, whereas Verizon is based in New York City.
What are Visible’s customer service options?
Live chat and email support is available 24/7. You can also reach out to their social media channels.
They do not offer Phone-based support or in-person store support.
Does Visible have hidden fees?
Visible’s all-in price is $25 or $45, which includes fees and taxes. There are no hidden fees. As each plan has unlimited data, you won’t have to purchase add-on data packages if you exhaust your monthly allowance.
Visible offers two great phone plans that come with unlimited data and run on the Verizon network.
If you love the Verizon network but don’t want to pay Verizon plan costs, Visible could be a good choice for you.
While its plans are more costly than other discount carriers, Visible benefits, including unlimited high speed data, offer a great balance in terms of price and features.
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