Visible Phone Service: A Budget Carrier That Keeps Things Simple
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Managing Editor Saving money rocks, and one good way to cut monthly expenses is to reexamine your cell phone plan. If you’re considering switching carriers, Visible is a budget wireless service provider worth a look.
Bottom line upfront
Visible is owned by Verizon and runs on the established carrier’s extensive network. Plans offered are prepaid only so there’s no credit check, and you can bring your own compatible phone. Thanks to Verizon, coverage is broad across the U.S., but Visible customers, like those on other prepaid plans, are susceptible to lower data speeds during times of congestion. And customer service is solely available via online chat.
On the bright side, signing up is easy, and Visible is one of the only prepaid providers that lets you hook up an Apple Watch to cellular service.
» MORE: Best cheap cell phone plans
How to get started with Visible
Visible’s website is more user-friendly than Verizon’s, and the company keeps it simple with just three plans.
Customers choose from the Visible, Visible+ and Visible+ Pro plans, which come in at a reasonable $25, $35 and $45 per month, respectively. All plans offer unlimited data. The more expensive options tout a “premium network experience."
Visible’s three plans
Visible
- $25 per month (taxes and fees included).
- Access to faster 5G Ultra Wideband (where available and with a compatible phone).
- Unlimited mobile hotspot (speed capped at 5 Mbps).
- Unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada.
Visible+
- $35 per month (taxes and fees included).
- Access to faster 5G Ultra Wideband (where available and with a compatible phone).
- Unlimited mobile hotspot (speed capped at 10 Mbps).
- Unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada.
- One Global Pass day included per month.
Visible+ Pro
- $45 per month (taxes and fees included).
- Unlimited mobile hotspot (speed capped at 15 Mbps).
- Unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada.
- International calling to 85 countries.
- International texting to 200 countries.
- Two Global Pass days included per month.
Visible’s data speed
Deprioritization is the typical kicker when it comes to prepaid cell phone carriers and plans. It means the network owner — Verizon in this case — can reduce data speeds for prepaid customers during times of heavy cell phone traffic.
But the details on Visible’s website suggest customers on the $35 Visible+ plan and $45 Visible+ Pro plan are in the clear, with no data prioritization limits. Customers on the $25 plan won’t have the same luxury, as the company notes data may be temporarily slowed on the Visible plan when the 5G and 4G LTE network is congested.
Another important footnote: the data for mobile hotspot — the ability to use your phone as a wireless access point for other devices — is unlimited, but speeds are held to 5 Mbps for the Visible plan, 10 Mbps for Visible+ and 15 Mbps for Visible+ Pro.
Bring your own phone to Visible, or buy one
The best way to save on a device is to bring the one you already have (assuming it’s compatible with the network), but Visible will gladly sell you something new. The company offers popular models from Apple, Samsung and Google, and financing through Affirm. A few used iPhones were also available on Visible’s site at the time of this writing.
Is Visible phone service right for you?
On paper, Visible’s value is clear. Unlimited data and the reliability of Verizon’s network at just $25 a month is hard to ignore. But the possibility of slower data speeds at times on the $25 Visible plan might represent a risk for some. Others may find the all-online customer service approach inconvenient. That said, if you’re looking to cut the cost of your current cell phone service, you might want to give Visible a test run.
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