Visible Wireless Unlimited Mobile Plan Review

Visible’s phone plan is a steal of a deal and comes highly recommended—but is it really as good as it sounds? Let’s take a look.

Keep in mind that Visible is not the same thing as getting the Get More Unlimited plan from Verizon, or even the Start Unlimited. Visible is a prepaid plan and therefore doesn't have the priority data you’d expect with a Verizon plan.

As with any prepaid plan, Visible data can be deprioritized in congested areas. That means watching your connection speed drop. Also, service is exclusively on the 4G LTE network. That means your data speeds won’t ever hit 5G speeds (no matter how fast the Verizon network is in your area), and streaming video will be DVD quality only (480p). Also keep in mind that, if you live in a rural area where 3G is the only way to get service, you might not get a signal at all.

That said, Visible wireless is a powerful cellular plan suitable for most (if not all) Americans who want to save money and cut their wireless bills in half. It offers your typical mobile phone plan with unlimited talk and text on the Verizon network. Plus, VIsible offers unlimited hotspot data (which is very hard to find), although usage is restricted to one device at a time.

Visible’s one and only plan is $40 per month. New customers will get the first month for $25. After that, they’ll be billed at $40 per month.

As for value, $40 a month for unlimited calling on the Verizon network should make a Visible customer a happy one. Plus, 

It’s possible to get $5–$15 off per month if you sign up on Party Pay, which is Visible’s answer to a multi-line discount.

You can get the $40 per month unlimited Visible mobile plan for $25 per month if you sign up with Party Pay, and you don’t have to pay as a group to get the discount.

If you are wondering how you can get Visible wireless with unlimited hotspotting for just $25 per month, here are the deets.

1. Sign up for Visible with your existing (unlocked) phone or order a new one. Here’s the Visible sign up page.
2. Create your Visible account.
3. Sit tight. Enjoy the first month for $25 (sign-on bonus).
4. Join a Visible party with 3 other people.
5. Start saving on your next Visible bill.

Yes, Visible also has a referral plan (which earns you money off your next month’s bill), and a $100–$150 Visa gift card incentive for folks who bring an existing number and buy a new phone.

Party Pay is Visible’s free-thinking answer to multiple line discounts. You can sign up with your BFF, your mom, your neighbor next door, another misunderstood student in your sculpture class . . . you get the picture. You can even sign up with some randos you meet at church, at a coffee shop, or on a VisiblePartyPay Reddit group. But we recommend sticking with Visible’s official party-finding forum.

If you’re streaming on Visible (either on your phone or hotspotting to a TV or other device), be aware that your video content will be streamed in DVD quality or lower. Visible doesn’t support HD or UHD quality streaming, so just be prepared to see a few fuzzy spots from time to time.

Don’t like low-quality streaming? You can always get satellite TV, cable, or use a TV antenna to get local TV stations for free.

Visible customer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via chat.

You know what that mean, though. Visible has an always-available chatbot accessible through its website that's great for low-level concerns, quick clarifications, or even account issues. You can also access Visible customer service through Twitter or Facebook Messenger.

But for special cases, tricky questions, or just the comfort of a human voice, you may want to speak on the phone directly to a human being, and some Visible customers complain it can be difficult to reach an actual person outside of chat. If you run into this, just know that you'll have to enter a chat first and request to speak to the Care team on the phone.

This chat-first approach is par for the course with most companies these days, but we still understand some Visible customers' frustration.

Visible service mostly runs through its Visible app, available on both IOS and Android.

On IOS, the Visible app has 4.4 out of 5.0 stars, so you can feel comfortable with its technical ability. The Google Play store's version weighs in slightly less at 4.1 out of 5.0 stars, but honestly, any app rated 4.0 stars or more in this industry is a really good sign. 

Visible's main competitors are other MVNOs like Cricket Wireless and Mint Mobile.

Cricket Wireless and Mint Mobile share similar pros and cons to Visible: low prices, no contracts, and access to unlimited data. But of course, all three MVNOs also share the same cons of deprioritized data (even if it is unlimited, it doesn't help as much if your phone's chugging with slow data speed) and slower speeds than the providers that own their networks.

That all said, Visible outstrips Cricket Wireless simply because Visible runs on Verizon's network, which is more reliable and expansive than AT&T (the company that owns Cricket Wireless's network infrastructure). Visible and Mint Mobile meet on more even terms, since Mint Mobile uses the T-Mobile network, which is now the biggest in the country.

But which one really takes top slot will depend on where you live. Just because T-Mobile is the biggest network doesn't mean if doesn't have large holes in the mid-west where Verizon may have coverage, and vice versa.

All in all, we'd recommend Visible as a valuable competitor against any other MVNO, but the winner depends on your needs and location.

Visible is one of the freshest takes on prepaid wireless we’ve seen in a good minute. As long as you go into it with your eyes open to certain limitations (like the lack of 5G service), you can save a bundle with Visible. The closest prepaid plan to Visible is Mint, which offers rockstar pricing but without the unlimited hotspot data.

So, our best recommendation is to use Visible like you would any other cellular plan. Use it for talk, text, Google Maps, travel, email, research, social media, and hotspotting around town or while traveling. But we recommend you watch the game at home in UHD with satellite TV, cable, or a TV antenna.

Visible uses the Verizon network.

Yes, you can get a $5, $20, or $15 per month discount on Visible if you are on Party Pay with one to three (or more) people. For more details, check out our section above.

No, you don’t have to be related to people in your Visible Party Pay Group. You don’t even have to be friends with people in your group—Visible invites people to join Party Pay groups on the Visible forum.

No, you do not pay with other people in your party. Billing is on an individual basis. The only reason for joining a Party Pay plan is to get a discount.

No, your fellow Party Pay group members will not have personally identifying information about you. You do not have to share personal information with anyone on your plan or even know where they live or their cell number.

The only thing your Party Pay group members will know about you is a first name you give them (which could be a nickname or made up name). You will not be notified if a Party Pay group member does not pay their bill, is late with their payment, or cancels service, and vice versa.

Depending on how many people are in your Party Pay group, you can save $5, $10, or $15 per month off your $40 per month wireless bill by signing up for Party Pay.

Visible has a flat rate for service, which includes fees, taxes, and other charges typically added onto a cell phone bill.