Total Wireless Promo is Latest Indicator Verizon Wants to Own Prepaid Market at $25 Price Point

For the second time in two weeks, Total Wireless has released a very competitive offer. BYOD customers can now get the Verizon-owned prepaid brand’s Total 5G Unlimited data plan for $25/month, taxes and fees included. This is the same plan Total Wireless is offering to customers switching at least two lines from any T-Mobile-owned brand (with the possible exception of Ultra Mobile) for $15/line.

The Total 5G unlimited plan offers several key features:

• Unlimited talk, text & premium priority data
• 10GB international roaming data in 15+ countries
• Roaming in Canada & Mexico
• 15GB hotspot data (only one device can connect at a time to it)
• Six months of a free Disney+ subscription

By offering this $25/month plan alongside others from its prepaid brands, Verizon is making it clear that it aims to dominate the prepaid market at this price point. However, with four different Verizon prepaid brands now offering unlimited plans at $25/month, there’s a risk of brand cannibalization.

For instance, Verizon’s Straight Talk brand is running the same $25 BYOD offer, marketed as StraightSavings. This promotion is available at Walmart stores and online through Straight Talk and Walmart

Additionally, Verizon Prepaid is offering 50% off unlimited plans for one year but subscribers must prepay for their first 3 months of service in advance. This multi-carrier exclusive deal will also get subscribers an unlimited plan for $25/month.

Visible by Verizon’s starter unlimited data plan is also priced at $25/month. Visible by Verizon is an online-only prepaid brand with no retail store presence.

Are There Too Many Verizon Prepaid Brand $25/Month Unlimited Plan Offers?

Verizon appears to be pursuing different strategies for each brand, but I see some potential conflict. Let’s look at how Verizon is trying to differentiate its prepaid brand offers and where it may fall short.

The StraightSavings offer is one that Verizon is putting the most effort into. It’s the only one that’s available in a major national retail store exposing it to significant foot traffic. Straight Talk is also airing radio and TV ads to raise awareness of the offer. At the time of this writing, it’s not doing the same thing for the Total Wireless or Verizon Prepaid promos. There have been no TV ads and I have not heard of radio ads airing for either brand. Verizon Prepaid’s offer seems to lack any significant marketing effort, aside from social media posts by dealers and a few in-store banners. I’ve received emails from people interested in this plan who tried contacting Verizon corporate stores, only to find that the staff were unaware of its existence. Based on this, one could argue that Verizon is effectively keeping these offers targeted to specific audiences

However, when we look at Visible, things get a little more interesting.

Visible has a history of running TV ads that advertise its $25 unlimited phone plan. This “Set to Travel” TV ad has aired over 2k times since June.

This increases the risk of overlap between Visible and Straight Talk, as both are being marketed through TV ads that may reach the same audience. There’s also a risk of cannibalization among all brands, except Verizon Prepaid, from consumers who prefer to shop online and find the offers organically. Some subscribers may wish to switch from one Verizon prepaid brand to another.

While Verizon aims to dominate the prepaid market at the $25 price point, overlapping promotions across its brands could lead to internal competition, risking audience confusion and diluting the effectiveness of its brand strategies.