Total by Verizon is a prepaid cell phone carrier.
It is owned and operated by Verizon and uses the Verizon network for coverage. It offers no-contract plans ranging from $30 for 5GB and going up to $60 for unlimited data. The top-tier plan also includes a free Disney+ subscription.
However, Total by Verizon’s plans are not worth it.
They are too expensive for the data they include.
For example, 5GB on Total by Verizon costs you $30 per month. You can get the same 5GB for just $15 from US Mobile. Another example is the 15GB plan from Total by Verizon for $40 per month. That is not worth it because you can get unlimited data for just $30 per month from Visible, another Verizon-owned brand.
It’s clear Verizon is up-charging Total by Verizon service.
Why?
Primarily because Total by Verizon an in-store brand. It is available at Walmart, Target, Dollar General, and more at over 50,000 other retail locations. Having dedicated representatives in-store to help customers choose plans, set up devices, and activate service costs Verizon additional money, so the plans are naturally more expensive.
Yes, Total by Verizon can save you some money over Verizon postpaid.
But savvy consumers will be able to enjoy additional savings with affordable plans from US Mobile and Visible that also use the Verizon network for coverage.
Total by Verizon is a prepaid cell phone service offered by Verizon.
However, it was originally a Tracfone brand called Total Wireless.
When Verizon acquired Tracfone, and they rebranded Total Wireless to Total by Verizon. They also updated the plans. The service now offers plans from $30 to $60 per month for single lines that include between 5GB and unlimited data.
Total by Verizon is designed to be an in-store brand.
It’s available at over 50,000 retail locations, including Walmarts, Targets, and Dollar General stores.
Customers can bring their own unlocked devices to Total by Verizon, or they can purchase a phone directly from Total by Verizon. It’s important to know that Total by Verizon currently does not support eSIM, so it won’t work with the iPhone 14 series of devices.
In-store representatives at Walmart and Target locations will be able to help customers pick a plan, activate their service, and get set up.
Being an in-store brand also means that Total by Verizon’s service plans are more expensive than what you can find from online-only brands, like US Mobile and Visible.
Total by Verizon is a prepaid cell phone service offered by Verizon.
However, it was originally a Tracfone brand called Total Wireless.
When Verizon acquired Tracfone, and they rebranded Total Wireless to Total by Verizon. They also updated the plans. The service now offers plans from $30 to $60 per month for single lines that include between 5GB and unlimited data.
Total by Verizon is designed to be an in-store brand.
It’s available at over 50,000 retail locations, including Walmarts, Targets, and Dollar General stores.
Customers can bring their own unlocked devices to Total by Verizon, or they can purchase a phone directly from Total by Verizon. It’s important to know that Total by Verizon currently does not support eSIM, so it won’t work with the iPhone 14 series of devices.
In-store representatives at Walmart and Target locations will be able to help customers pick a plan, activate their service, and get set up.
Being an in-store brand also means that Total by Verizon’s service plans are more expensive than what you can find from online-only brands, like US Mobile and Visible.
Total by Verizon offers four plans to choose from.
They are all pre-paid.
The top-tier plan is the $60 unlimited plan. It includes unlimited data with access to 5G Ultra Wideband. It includes 20GB of high-speed hotspot data. It includes unlimited talk and text to 69 countries.
And it includes a free Disney+ subscription.
Here’s the full breakdown:
Total by Verizon allows families to mix-and-match plans on the same account and still take advantage of the family discount.
Families can still save more money with plans from US Mobile and Visible though. US Mobile’s Unlimited Basic plan is $20 per line with four or more lines. And Visible’s unlimited plan is $30 per line regardless of how many lines you have.
Here’s the full breakdown of the family plans from Total by Verizon:
Total by Verizon allows families to mix-and-match plans on the same account and still take advantage of the family discount.
Families can still save more money with plans from US Mobile and Visible though. US Mobile’s Unlimited Basic plan is $20 per line with four or more lines. And Visible’s unlimited plan is $30 per line regardless of how many lines you have.
Here’s the full breakdown of the family plans from Total by Verizon:
Total by Verizon currently does not support smartwatch, tablet, or hotspot plans.
Total by Verizon currently does not support smartwatch, tablet, or hotspot plans.
You can save 5% off the cost of every Total by Verizon plan with auto-refill.
That will save you approximately $1.50 to $3 per month depending on the plan you get.
There are currently no referral programs or other discounts available.
You can save 5% off the cost of every Total by Verizon plan with auto-refill.
That will save you approximately $1.50 to $3 per month depending on the plan you get.
There are currently no referral programs or other discounts available.
No discounts or referral programs are available at this time.
How good is Total by Verizon coverage?
Total by Verizon coverage is about the same as Verizon Postpaid coverage.
Both give Total by Verizon and Verizon Postpaid give you coverage on Verizon’s LTE and 5G Nationwide networks. Some plans will also include access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, too. The 5G Ultra Wideband network delivers substantially faster speeds, lower pings, and overall better performance. Verizon aims to cover 200 million people with its 5G Ultra Wideband network by the end of the year.
There may be a minor difference between prepaid and postpaid coverage, though.
And that difference may be in the availability of domestic roaming.
Domestic roaming is where your phone will switch to a partner network for coverage in an area where the native network does not have service. For example, Verizon has roaming agreements with other network operators in small parts of:
In regards to domestic roaming, Verizon Prepaid includes:
I would expect Total by Verizon to include similar roaming options.
That said, the official terms and conditions say:
Although there are no additional charges for using the Service while roaming domestically, Total by Verizon does not guarantee your ability to roam nor the availability and/or the quality of Service. Domestic roaming may be discontinued or changed at any time without notice. Due to Carrier restrictions, Total by Verizon reserves the right to terminate the Service of any customer whose roaming usage exceeds 50% of their total usage in any three (3) Plan cycles within a twelve (12) month period. International roaming is available on select plans.
Here’s a coverage map and more information:
RootMetrics currently ranks Verizon as having the #1 best coverage and data speeds across the United States with an overall performance score of 96.0.
Verizon’s LTE bands are 2, 4, 5, 13, 46, 48, and 66.
Verizon’s 5G bands are n260 and n261.
The primary bands Verizon uses for coverage are marked in bold.
You want to make sure your phone has as many compatible bands as possible for the best coverage, data speeds, and performance on the Verizon network.
Check Verizon coverage in your area by using Verizon's official coverage map.
You can also use third-party maps like CoverageMap.com.
You can test cellular performance in your area by using the SpeedSmart app and running a speed test.
RootMetrics currently ranks AT&T as having the #2 best coverage and data speeds across the United States with an overall performance score of 95.6.
AT&T’s LTE bands are 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 17, 29, 30, and 66.
AT&T’s 5G bands are n5 and n260.
You want to make sure your phone has as many compatible bands as possible for the best coverage, data speeds, and performance on the AT&T network. The primary bands AT&T uses are marked in bold.
You can AT&T coverage in your area by using AT&T's official coverage map.
You can also use third-party maps like CoverageMap.com.
You can contribute to the CoverageMap.com project by downloading the SpeedSmart app and running a speed test while connected to a cellular network.
RootMetrics currently ranks T-Mobile as having the third best coverage and data speeds across the United States with an overall performance score of 90.3.
T-Mobile's LTE bands are 2, 4, 12, 25, 26, 41, 66, and 71.
T-Mobile's 5G bands are n41, n71, n260, and n261.
The primary bands T-Mobile uses are marked in bold.
You want to make sure your phone has as many compatible bands as possible for the best coverage, data speeds, and performance on the T-Mobile network.
Check T-Mobile coverage in your area by using T-Mobile's official coverage map.
You can also use third-party maps like CoverageMap.com.
You can contribute to the CoverageMap.com project by downloading the SpeedSmart app and running a speed test while connected to a cellular network.
Total by Verizon is a prepaid cell phone service offered by Verizon.
However, it was originally a Tracfone brand called Total Wireless.
When Verizon acquired Tracfone, and they rebranded Total Wireless to Total by Verizon. They also updated the plans. The service now offers plans from $30 to $60 per month for single lines that include between 5GB and unlimited data.
Total by Verizon is designed to be an in-store brand.
It’s available at over 50,000 retail locations, including Walmarts, Targets, and Dollar General stores.
Customers can bring their own unlocked devices to Total by Verizon, or they can purchase a phone directly from Total by Verizon. It’s important to know that Total by Verizon currently does not support eSIM, so it won’t work with the iPhone 14 series of devices.
In-store representatives at Walmart and Target locations will be able to help customers pick a plan, activate their service, and get set up.
Being an in-store brand also means that Total by Verizon’s service plans are more expensive than what you can find from online-only brands, like US Mobile and Visible.
