Visible by Verizon and Mint Mobile have launched aggressive promotions targeting subscribers on their respective parent networks. On August 22, T-Mobile’s prepaid brand, Mint Mobile, launched a “4 lines free” offer targeting AT&T and Verizon customers, as well as their associated MVNOs. The offer also targets their respective carrier-owned prepaid brands including Visible by Verizon.
On August 23, Verizon responded with a new offer for Visible by Verizon. The offer gives customers who switch to Visible from T-Mobile Postpaid a $15/month unlimited data plan with a 5-year price lock guarantee. A press release from Verizon, specifically states its offer is in response to Mint Mobile’s recent promotional campaign.
Verizon has been offering a price lock guarantee with several of its brands as a way for Verizon to both retain customers and hit back at a partially failed and misleading T-Mobile campaign.
In May of 2022, T-Mobile announced a price lock on its postpaid plans, promising its customers it would never raise the rates of their plans as long as stayed on their plan. A similar promise was made in 2017 to customers on its plans designed for seniors. However, the price lock guarantee now seems to be falling apart.
T-Mobile’s Shaky Price Lock Promise
Senior plan subscribers have been busy filing complaints to the FCC as T-Mobile recently decided to raise their rates. And to start the year T-Mobile revised the meaning of its “Price Lock” guarantee. The carrier still claims its price lock guarantees “that only you can change what you pay –and we mean it!” However, their explanation of price lock continues with “To show just how serious we are, if we were to make a price change and you decide to leave, just let us know within 60 days and we’ll cover the cost of your final month’s recurring service charges.” In the eyes of this publication and many others, this isn’t remotely close to a price lock. A price lock should mean your rates won’t change, not T-Mobile will pay for your last month of service if they decide to raise your rate and you want to leave. T-Mobile got into trouble with the National Advertising Program in July for its misleading price lock claim.
Verizon’s Strategy: Price Lock Guarantees
Last year, Verizon Wireless announced a 3-year price lock when it revamped its wireless plans. In late 2022, Verizon’s 5G Home Internet plans got a limited-time offer of a 10-year price lock, that has since been changed to 2-4 years. When Verizon rebranded Total by Verizon back to Total Wireless in July, it instituted a 5-year price lock guarantee. And now Visible has a 5-year price lock guarantee for consumers who subscribe to its $15/month unlimited plan promotional offering. So “price lock” is something Verizon is heavily emphasizing to prospective customers among many of its brands.
Visible’s $15/Month Unlimited Plan With Price Lock
Visible by Verizon’s $15/month unlimited plan with taxes and fees included, is one of the most competitively priced single-line offers available on the market today. It provides unlimited talk, text, and high-speed data with a hotspot capped at 5 Mbps, alongside international calling to Mexico and Canada. However, this plan is data deprioritized during periods of network congestion and does not include access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra-Wideband network.
Mint Mobile 4-Lines Free
Mint Mobile’s offer is also aggressive, giving new subscribers up to four lines free when they pay for their first line and port-in up to four other lines from an eligible provider. However, Mint’s free line offer is only for 3-months of service, after which customers must pay the regular rate for whichever plan they are subscribed to. Mint currently has all of its phone plans priced at $15/month for three months for new lines, including a plan with 40GB of high-speed data.
Competing Strategies for Prepaid Market Growth
The back-to-back launches of these promotions highlight an intense competition for prepaid customers between Verizon and T-Mobile’s sub-brands. Visible’s strategy leverages a straightforward, long-term pricing model, appealing to customers tired of introductory rates that expire and lead to higher bills. In contrast, Mint Mobile is targeting value-conscious families and groups who can benefit from stacking promotions in the short term, though with an eventual shift to higher rates.
Both Visible and Mint Mobile offers are online exclusive.