Verizon is a postpaid cell phone carrier known as an MNO.
MNO stands for mobile network operator.
Verizon is considered an MNO because they build and maintain their own cellular network. They are responsible for purchasing spectrum licenses, building or leasing cell towers, and developing the rest of the network infrastructure.
Verizon’s network is one of the best in the United States.
According to the FCC, Verizon’s LTE network covers 55% of the land area in the U.S. That ties Verizon with AT&T in terms of having the most overall coverage area. (AT&T’s LTE network also covers 55% of the U.S.).
Verizon’s 5G network is taking longer to roll out.
Only 12% of the United States currently has coverage from Verizon 5G.
Despite Verizon’s overall impressive coverage, it turns out that building a cellular network costs a lot.
To recoup their costs, Verizon charges expensive prices for their cell phone plans.
For most people, Verizon’s plans are not a good option.
It turns out that you can get the same Verizon coverage at a fraction of the price by going with a prepaid cell phone carrier.
Instead of coughing up $65 per month for Verizon’s Unlimited Welcome plan, single-line users could get Visible Base for under half that. Visible Base is just $25 per month:
How can Visible can be so much more affordable than Verizon?
The main reason is that Visible operates online only.
Visible does not need to pay for retail space, staff store employees, or deal with device trade-ins. Visible is also owned by Verizon, so unlike other MVNOs, Visible does not have to pay Verizon expensive rates to lease access to the Verizon network.
How does Verizon stack up against the rest of the competition?
If you are curious to find out, check out my article Are Verizon’s Unlimited Data Plans Worth It In 2023?
You can also use the compare plans tool to directly compare Verizon’s plans to any plans in our database.
My personal favorite plan on the Verizon network right now is the US Mobile Unlimited Essentials plan. The multi-line discount makes US Mobile Unlimited Essentials just $30 per line for three or more lines:
Verizon offers two cell phone plans to choose from: Unlimited Welcome and Unlimited Plus.
Unlimited Welcome is Verizon’s entry-level plan.
It costs $65 per month for a single line and includes 500GB of high-speed data before slowing your speeds down to 4Mbps. The data is deprioritized, which could mean slightly slower speeds during times when the network is congested. (Think during sports games, at concerts, in rush hour traffic, etc.). Unfortunately, the hotspot feature isn’t supported here. Also, video streams at 480p quality.
The Unlimited Plus plan is Verizon’s more premium offering.
It costs a bit more, starting at $80 per month for a single line, but it includes more premium features.
You get unlimited premium data, 30GB of hotspot data, up to 4K video streaming, and access to Verizon’s super fast 5G Ultra Wideband network. Unlike with Unlimited Welcome, you’ll never have your data speeds slowed down depending on how much data you use.
Both plans include free international texting and 2GB of high-speed data roaming per month in Canada and Mexico.
You can also purchase extra “perks” for your plan.
Each perk costs $10 per month. Verizon currently offers 9 perks to choose from: the Disney bundle, 100GB of hotspot data, Apple One, Apple Music Family, Walmart+, $15 of +play credit, three TravelPass days, and 2TB of Verizon cloud store.
You can compare Verizon’s two plans and see even more details below:
Verizon offers a $10 auto-pay and paper-free billing discount on all of their cell phone plans.
This $10/month discount has already been factored into the cost of the plans you see on BestPhonePlans.
Verizon also offers a secret referral program. You can earn up to $100 in prepaid debit cards for referring your friends and family members.
Military veterans, teachers, nurses, and students can also enjoy a discount on Verizon’s services. The discount depends on how many lines you have:
No discounts or referral programs are available at this time.
Yes, Verizon offers plans for families.
Families can save money with Verizon’s multi-line discounts.
You can also mix-and-match Verizon’s plans together so that each person gets the features they need.
See Verizon’s family plans and prices below:
You can add a smartwatch, tablet, or hotspot device to your Verizon account at any time.
Verizon calls these plans “connected device plans.”
You can add a smartwatch to your plan for $10/month. You can add a tablet plan starting at $20 per month. And you can add hotspot plans starting at $20/month.
Customers on Verizon Unlimited Plus are eligible for 50% off a connected device plan.
You can see all of Verizon’s connected device plans here:
The above data points come from the FCC.
Check Verizon coverage in your area by using Verizon's official coverage map.
You can also check coverage using third-party maps like CoverageMap.com.
You can test cellular performance in your area by using the SpeedSmart app and running a speed test.
The above information comes from the FCC.
You can check AT&T coverage in your area by using AT&T's official coverage map.
You can also check coverage by using 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.
The above information comes from the FCC.
Check T-Mobile coverage in your area by using T-Mobile's official coverage map.
You can also check T-Mobile coverage by using 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.
Verizon supports VoLTE, Wi-Fi calling, visual voicemail, mobile hotspot, video streaming at 720p, 5G access, eSIM, domestic roaming, and international texting.
Verizon also includes unlimited talk, text, and 2GB of free roaming in Canada and Mexico with both of their unlimited plans.
International roaming outside of Canada or Mexico is available at a rate of $10 for 3 days.
You can check your phone’s compatibility with Verizon by using Verizon’s IMEI checker.
Yes, Verizon offers add-ons for both international calling and data roaming.
There are three international calling add-ons you can purchase:
Verizon also offers two add-ons for international data roaming:
If you need coverage while abroad, typically you will save a lot of money by getting an international eSIM plan from another provider, like Airalo or US Mobile.
Verizon offers add-ons for international calling, international data roaming, phone insurance, and more.
Click to expand an add-on below to see more information about it and what cell phone plans it works with:
From Verizon's website:
- Unlimited calls to Canada and Mexico
- International calling to 220+ destinations starting at $0.05 per minute. (This is cheaper than the standard pay-per-minute rate, which starts at $0.49 per minute).
From Verizon’s website:
From Verizon’s website:
Verizon’s Monthly International Travel Plan is intended to be used for longer trips. It bundles a monthly allotment of minutes, texts, and MB of data that remains active on your account until you remove it.
The Monthly International Travel plan is $100 per month in addition to the cost of your regular Verizon plan. This plan works in 185+ compatible countries.
It includes the following features:
If you run out of minutes, texts, or data, Verizon will charge you the following overage rates:
Verizon’s Pay As You Go rates allow you to pay per minute, per text, and per MB of data that you use internationally.
You will only be charged international pay as you go rates if you choose to enable international service on your account, and you decide not to get Verizon’s TravelPass or Monthly International Plan.
If you do not enable international service, then you will not be charged the pay as you go rates.
Verizon’s pay as you go rates are as follows:
These rates may be reasonable for lighter international data users. However, they can be quite expensive for more moderate to heavy use. For example, using 1GB of cellular data costs $2,050 with Verizon’s pay as you go rate system.
Be mindful of Verizon’s pay as you go rates if you choose to enable international features and do not opt for either the daily TravelPass or Monthly International Travel Plan.
Verizon’s TravelPass is an add-on available for their postpaid plans that allows you to use your phone while traveling abroad.
The TravelPass includes the following features:
You can add a TravelPass to your Verizon plan by texting “travel” to 4004, or by following this link.
You can contact Verizon customer service by chatting with customer service on Verizon’s website or mobile app, by scheduling a callback, by calling Verizon, or by going to a physical Verizon store.
Verizon’s customer service contact information:
