My Verizon Prepaid Review: This Simple Phone Service Has My Back

For all our mobile reviews, we give a rating based on four main criteria:

• Dollar value ↓
• Network coverage ↓
• Data performance ↓
• Customer service ↓

Then we average the scores to make an overall rating.

Like regular Verizon service, Verizon Prepaid gives customers access to the award-winning Verizon 5G and 4G LTE networks. But you pay less and in advance, making Verizon Prepaid ideal for folks with strained credit or a limited budget. Verizon Prepaid is also easy to pause—perfect for a temporary phone service.

Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect from a Verizon Prepaid cell phone plan:

• Hotspot data (with all but Talk & Text)
• Verizon network coverage
• AutoPay discounts
• Unlimited data with Unlimited and Unlimited Plus
• Included international coverage with Unlimited Plus

I had no issue with Verizon Prepaid’s data performance. Everything I tried—from making FaceTime calls to listening to podcasts—worked just as well with the 15 GB plan as with my fiber home internet service. The 15 GB plan’s projected download speed is between 20 and 148Mbps, but my phone sometimes exceeded that, getting into the 160Mbps range.

This plan includes only 15GB of data, and once you hit that limit, your speeds are massively throttled. For a homebody like me with a solid internet connection, 15GB is generous. But if you’re constantly streaming in the middle of nowhere, you may find yourself in need of a plan upgrade, especially since the Unlimited prepaid plans are never throttled (though they may be deprioritized at times of network congestion).

My customer service experience with Verizon Prepaid was messy, in a word. I was able to sign up online (score), but then … crickets. Verizon didn’t tell me what to do next or even what to expect. Two days later, I got a welcome email, but clicking the Let’s get you set up button only led me through a confusing account setup conga, where I jumped back and forth between my email and the Verizon app. And after all that, I still couldn’t figure out how to get the service working.

I eventually called Verizon’s customer service, where I learned some surprising things, such as that my prepaid plan was already activated (when? how?) and that my iPhone 17 doesn’t exist (according to the Verizon system). Eventually, I got the service set up, but it never showed up on the My Verizon app—making it difficult for me to manage my plan.

However, the customer reps were unfailingly polite, even when I laughed in frustrated hysterics at the absurdity of it all. They even called me back later to make sure everything had turned out well.

• 15GB of full-speed data
• 20–148 Mbps download speed
• $45.00 for the first month, then $35.00/mo. with AutoPay discount

Why I picked it: I don’t need unlimited data, and you may not either. I’d rather save $15+ a month by opting for a plan with a generous 15GB limit rather than pay out the nose for data I won’t use.

• Unlimited data plus 5GB of hotspot data
• 20–148 Mbps download speed
• $50.00/mo. with AutoPay discount

Why I picked it: If you need unlimited data and/or sometimes use a hotspot, this plan takes things to the next level. You can stream and surf on your smartphone all day long and use a hotspot on occasion, all for just $50 a month.

• Unlimited data (50GB premium) plus 25GB of premium hotspot data
• 35–148 Mbps download speed
• $60.00/mo. with AutoPay discount

Why I picked it: If you’re online all the time, try the Unlimited Plus Verizon Prepaid plan. It offers 50GB of premium 5G Ultra Wideband data for your phone and 25GB of premium 5G Ultra Wideband hotspot data. That makes your monthly premium data allotment more than my phone usually uses in a year!

Verizon Prepaid is more expensive than the other two big prepaid phone services (AT&T and T-Mobile). However, Verizon Prepaid offers a larger data allowance with its data starter plan, so you do get more for more money.

Verizon Prepaid also costs more than Visible, the Verizon-owned MVNO service—and all of Visible’s plans come with unlimited data, arguably making it a better deal. However, Verizon Prepaid is less expensive than regular Verizon service, so it’s perfect for Verizon fans on a budget.