Making a phone call isn’t complicated. You find a contact in your phone, and a tap or two later, your call is on its way.
So why are cellphone plans so complicated? You shouldn’t need an advanced degree to understand what you’re paying for — or how much it really costs.
With Visible Wireless, you don’t. For one flat rate, Visible offers an easy-to-understand package of unlimited mobile talk, text, and data from any device and phone number you choose. The only mystery is why it took so long for someone to come up with such a simple idea.
How Visible Stacks Up
Visible isn’t the only straightforward mobile talk, text, and data provider on the market right now. See how it stacks up to one of its best-known competitors, Mint Mobile.
| Visible | Mint Mobile | |
| Pricing per month | Starting at $25 | Starting at $15 |
| Talk and Text Allowance | Always unlimited | Always unlimited |
| Data Allowance | Always unlimited | Starting at 4 GB |
| Bring Your Own Device | Yes | Yes |
| Bring Your Own Number | Yes | Yes |
What to Know Before Signing Up
Visible is a prepaid phone service. It doesn’t offer contract plans. You pay for service by the month and can cancel at any time without penalty. And unlike competitors, Visible doesn’t require you to be part of a traditional family to get group pricing.
It offers plans that allow you to onboard your friends, family members, and even strangers to get group pricing with zero risk you’ll be stuck with someone else’s bill.
Visible uses Verizon’s network — specifically, Verizon’s 5G network, which is available in at least 2,700 cities around the United States.
You must have a 5G-compatible phone to use 5G data where available. Otherwise, your phone defaults to 4G LTE coverage.
You can bring any unlocked phone to your Visible plan, including the latest iPhone and Android devices, as long as it’s compatible with Visible’s network. Your previous service provider doesn’t matter — T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, or someone else — as long as your device is unlocked and compatible.
Visible Plans & Pricing
For smartphone and cellphone users, Visible has a single-line unlimited plan that features:
- Unlimited talk and text
- Unlimited 5G or 4G data, depending on geographic availability, with download speeds up to 200 Mbps (megabits per second) — fast enough for video streaming and videoconferencing
- Mobile hot spot with unlimited hot spot data and download speeds up to 5 Mbps
- Unlimited calling and texting to Canada and Mexico as well as Puerto Rico and other eligible U.S. territories
- Wi-Fi calling on compatible devices
- Scam protection for unwanted call blocking
This plan costs $25 for the first month, including taxes and fees. There’s no activation fee.
Visible Pricing After the First Month (Party Pay Option)
After the first month, the cost rises to $40 per month, including taxes and fees.
But you might not have to pay $40 per month. You can continue to pay as little as $25 per month for Visible service when you take advantage of Visible’s Party Pay feature.
To participate in Party Pay, you can join an existing group of two or more Visible members using an existing Visible customer party link — check Visible’s community forum or the VisiblePartyPay subreddit for leads.
You can also start your own party. Find your unique party link in your Visible account and send it to anyone you think might be interested in joining your party.
Your per-person monthly payment depends on your party size:
- Group of Two: $35 each
- Group of Three: $30 each
- Group of Four or More: $25 each
Party Pay pricing remains in effect indefinitely. If someone leaves a group of four or fewer people, pricing increases by $5 per month for all remaining members unless the party adds another member before the next due date.
All party members are responsible for their own monthly bills, so you’ll never have to worry about being on the hook for someone else’s share. However, when a party member is more than 48 hours late on their payment, Visible removes them from the group and everyone else’s cost increases accordingly.
Visible Apple Watch Plan
Visible also has an add-on plan for Apple Watch users.
For $5 per month, including taxes and fees, this plan offers unlimited data powered by Verizon. You must have an active Visible phone line and connect your Apple Watch via Number Share — this plan isn’t available as a standalone.
Unfortunately, as of now, Visible doesn’t have a plan for tablets like the iPad or Galaxy Pad — yet.
How to Activate Visible
Once you’ve confirmed your device compatibility and purchased your plan, you’re ready to activate.
Standard activation can take 24 hours or longer, depending on how quickly you can complete it on your end. Visible overnights you a SIM card, and you’re responsible for activating it once it arrives.
For faster activation, take advantage of Visible’s eSIM technology to start using the network in about 15 minutes without waiting for a physical card to arrive in the mail. Your phone must have an embedded SIM card for eSIM to work.
Key Features of Visible
Visible is a straightforward mobile carrier if there ever were one, but that doesn’t mean some of its features don’t deserve special mention.
Call & Text Performance
Visible utilizes Verizon’s cellular network, which covers 99% of the U.S. population. Call and text performance is broadly comparable to that experienced by actual Verizon customers.
Data Speeds
Visible’s mobile data speeds top out at 200 Mbps, which is plenty fast for watching video and other high-bandwidth applications. Mobile hot spot download speeds top out at 5 Mbps, which is fast enough for standard internet browsing and work-at-home functions.
Customer Service
Visible has excellent customer support. If you can’t find what you need in the extensive help database on Visible’s website, you can reach a Visible customer service rep via live chat, Facebook Messenger, or Twitter.
15-Day Free Trial
As a new Visible customer, you can take advantage of a 15-day free trial before you’re on the hook for your first monthly payment.
Visible makes all features and capabilities available during the trial period. You can cancel at any time without further obligation.
Referral Bonus (Bring a Friend)
Get a $20 credit every time you successfully refer a new customer to Visible using the unique referral code in your account. Your friend gets a $20 credit too.
Online Store
Need a new phone? Shop Visible’s online store for the latest devices, including phones from Samsung, Motorola, Apple, and Google. Bring your own number to get a Visible gift card, and shop pre-owned to save even more.
Is Visible Legit?
Yes, Visible is legit. It’s a low-cost prepaid phone provider powered by Verizon’s nationwide network, which covers about 99% of the U.S. population and counting.
If you worry that Visible is a scam because you haven’t heard of it, remember that Visible has a fraction of the advertising budget of big-name carriers like AT&T and Verizon. It invests a lot of the money it could spend on getting the word out into excellent service and very reasonable pricing.
Advantages of Visible
There’s a lot to like about Visible, from simple all-in pricing to a super-fast activation with eSIM technology. These are the highlights.
- All-In Pricing With No Add-On Fees. With Visible, your monthly bill is never a mystery. Whatever your final pricing per month, that’s the flat fee you pay — with no add-on fees, no hidden fees, and no activation fees.
- Unlimited Data by Default. Visible offers unlimited high-speed data by default, which is unusual for such a low-price plan. You don’t need to watch your data usage, as is the case at many other prepaid wireless providers.
- No Annual Contract. Visible doesn’t believe in contracts. You pay by the month, and you’re free to cancel your service at any time.
- Taxes and Fees Included in Plan Pricing. Your Visible phone bill always includes applicable taxes and fees. Whether you pay $25 or $40 per month, that’s your final price — not $25 or $40 plus a few dollars and change.
- Bring Your Own Phone and Number. You can bring your own device and your own existing phone number to your Visible plan if you wish. If you don’t want to bring your own device, Visible has a nice lineup of new and pre-owned phones to buy online.
- 15-Day Risk-Free Trial. You can use Visible risk-free for up to 15 days without paying a dime for the service. If you’re not satisfied, just cancel and pay nothing out of pocket.
- Fast Activation With eSIM Technology. If you have a compatible phone, you can use eSIM technology to activate your Visible plan in about 15 minutes — no need to wait for a physical SIM card to arrive in the mail.
Disadvantages of Visible
Though it’s better than most, Visible isn’t perfect — no mobile provider is. Its notable drawbacks include.
- Price Jumps After the First Month Without Party Pay. Every new Visible user pays $25 for the first month of service. After that, the monthly price jumps to $40 unless you join Party Pay. If you don’t have an extensive social or professional network, that’s easier said than done.
- No Plans for Tablets. Visible doesn’t (yet) offer any calling or data plans for iPads and other tablet devices. But that’s only a drawback if you want to be able to use a 4G or 5G network to make calls, send texts, or access the internet from your tablet.
Final Word
Visible Wireless is a straightforward mobile carrier that uses Verizon’s nationwide network to deliver reliable talk, text, and data without limits or long-term contracts. Built for singles, it bills every user individually, even when they’re part of a larger Party Pay group, making it a low-risk way to save money with group discounts.
If you’re sick of endless cellphone contracts and don’t need to bring your family along for the ride, it’s difficult to do better than Visible — even the top discount cell plan providers can’t compare.