Thinking about switching to Prepaid, researching details Prepaid vs Postpaid

I've always been a contract customer since coming from basic phone prepaid service in 2003, so I have never dealt with data and smartphones on Verizon prepaid before. (outside of reading and mostly understanding how the plans work) I remember there being much less support for prepaid 12 years ago. I would think that the service is the same, but the features and support might differ.

I am soon to be out of contract and on the Loyalty $60 2GB. I have my LG G2 and spare SIMs presently, so it would be a BYOD situation. I already do not receive any discounts, be they employer or other since I am not on More Everything. I am looking into this beforehand.

Prepaid advantages are that on autopay, 1 GB bonus data is offered. I don't even use the 2GB I have. Coverage area is identical as well.

$45 2 GB autopay

$60 3.5 GB autopay

$60 2 GB contract

I know I won't have all the extra features like visual voicemail, international texting, loyalty rewards program, cloud, hotspot, NFL mobile, all that is included with More Everything plans. I don't have those options now other than VVM and Cloud, but use neither. I figure those features are reasons as to why the More Everything is a bit higher.

Single Line is also not really on my radar given it's $60 and $75 price points (without Edge.)

Perhaps I am missing something if this is a bad move or not. There isn't a lot of chatter about prepaid on the forums. And, we all know few come to the forum to sing praise. I know contract service was fine for the most part, no issues with billing, overages, prolonged outages, etc... there are also nuances in support features as well to include increased wait times on the phone. I also know I can not get this plan back if I decide to return.

What will I be gaining or losing if I go to prepaid? Is the ~$15 saved ($60 vs $45) worth any losses? Is this idea I have that Contract service is viewed more highly than Prepaid just a stigma in my mind from old ways and former days?

Accepted answers

Snn5

UPDATE

I decided to go the Verizon Prepaid route.

It took me calling the porting dept. ( 888-844-7095) to get my phone at 100% working, because my Boost phone was still making and receiving calls and texts and using data the next day, but my Verizon phone would receive and send texts and use data, but could only call out, but not receive calls. (Make sure to have your Boost or other carrier account number and PIN, if any, available. Boost makes you call them to get your account number, and make sure to say, "For my records."

One can also check port status here: Transfer Your Phone Number - Switch to Verizon Wireless

Also see:

Customer Service - Prepaid

(888) 294-6804

or dial *611 from your mobile phone

Mon - Sun, 6 AM - 11 PM Local Time

The promo on Verizon Prepaid was for 1GB bonus data for signing up with Auto-pay and when porting a number in, the 2nd month is free.

What happened next:

After inquiring as to how to get the second month free while on auto-pay, I discovered that with AP enabled, the charge would be automatic on the next renewal date, for which I have set to 3 days before end of cycle, just to avoid any upsets, just in case. However, if the second month was free and the AP was charged, there would be a credit for one month. Yet, to avoid the charge I would have to disable AP, but that would take away my 1GB bonus data.

Where I am now:

What I found out, and this is both good and bad, is that somehow, my 1st month acted as my 2nd month, meaning my 1st month is free AND I already have the 1GB bonus data added. This means I have to disable AP BEFORE the end of the cycle, as close as possible, to avoid the charge and avoid losing my 1GB bonus, which will be lost the minute AP is disabled, but I am told there are no overages so anything over the 1GB that would have been left will not be charged.

Originally, I was told to let the auto-payment go through to keep my data and to request a refund for the 2nd month charge. Either way, one month would be free and the bonus data would be kept. We all know how it goes getting refunds, am I right? Nonetheless, I took a look at my account and noticed the last CC charge was listed as "cash" in the description of payment method, however, the charge is already posted on my CC account.

I suppose it's a wait-and-see type thing regarding next month as to how the charges work. I have never known Verizon to speed up the honoring of a promotion incentive by a month. I suppose I will know on the renewal date: either my phone will work meaning the credit stayed on the account and it will draw from the amount I already applied, or the free month will kick in and the first month will actually have been an actual paid month. Either way, the bill is paid. Hopefully.

To add, Prepaid Chat support is far below the level of accessibility that inquiring new customers or post-paid plan customers receive. The Chat button is rarely red, and one can timeout their session before Chat is available. But, I guess I'm OK with that for what I pay. Also, you can count on *611 going straight to an outsourced rep. Calling the prepaid number (listed above) will get you to the people I was used to on post-paid. The menu is a bit finicky, and don't count on "0" getting you to a live person. Also, the My Verizon app works about the same as post-paid, but you have no access to the data-use widget. You have to log in each time to see the amount of data used so far that cycle. I did find that the phone's data use counter (a little higher) was fairly correct and matched Verizon's amount. Though, the My Verizon app for prepaid is updated regularly, so it says, but the info is not. One might also use a 3rd party data counter widget in the app store of their choice.

However, I am satisfied using my LG G2 with a seemingly perfect installation of 5.0.2 (for which I factory reset again just to start fresh) and my previous contract SIM worked fine on the network and I won't incur any overages, just an inability to call in roaming areas unless there is .20 cents per min worth of money on the account, but SMS/MMS will work, (so I was told) and data will still work as long as there is data left unused. Plus, that's what Hangouts Dialer with a Google Voice number is for.

Maybe someone else sees this thread and can benefit from this info if they are considering Prepaid with Verizon.

Thanks for all the input!

All comments

GZRX

I'll take a shot at this question as pertains to Verizon prepaid. The upside, you'll save near the equivalent of two six-packs of Heineken a month. The downside, you would now have a roaming area which is either not accessible or will be an additional cost on a per-use basis, not sure which. There is an interactive coverage map on the Verizon website that shows the areas.

Stigma?, I've spent years on Tracfone, Net10 and Page Plus prepaid services with low end or used phones on ATT or Verizon towers. Never felt the less for it and was happy to pocket the savings although tech support could be a real challenge and I did loose a couple of phone numbers along the way..

Snn5

Thanks for giving some input GZRX. :smileyhappy:

Researching the coverage map shows identical areas as postpaid. The prepaid roaming areas are the postpaid extended areas, which there aren't any within 5 hours from me.

That was my main concern that I failed to ask initially: roaming and fees. I don't understand how prepaid can incur a roaming charge...it's paid up front. I know I have heard of people being charged on the next months renewal for roaming min/text.

How did you come about losing your numbers?

Snn5

I have also noticed, here in the forums, that vzw reps will almost always refer a prepaid customer to the prepaid phone number rather than offer any other support. To me, this is one of the nuances of pre vs post support, much like the longer wait times and limited auto-menus when calling. As a forum user myself, I know there are other, usually more qualified individuals, who provide support peer to peer, so that isn't a huge concern and our response time here is usually fast enough to match that of a called-in inquiry, except in the cases of account information. I'm used to a set it and forget it type of action (except to watch the account activity in My Verizon) and never have to call in for any reason usually. I see a lot of folks having issues with autopay bonus data being applied as well as the 2nd month of service being honored. That has a lot to do with qualifications of the promo I know, and not everyone adheres to that, or thinks they do, but really haven't.

GZRX

As to roaming, it seems equitable to set a base rate for Verizon towers and bill individual customers for their use of roaming.

I lost a couple of phone numbers to port issues while using the Tracfone family because it was easier to notify the few contacts I had at that time of the number change rather than deal with America Movil (Tracfone) support which seems poorly trained and outsourced to individuals whose first language is not English which creates significant communication issues.

I've given some thought to jumping ship. After reading unending negative reports regarding returning phones to the Texas warehouse and subsequent contacts with Verizon, I early on dropped my phone insurance and gave up any consideration of up trading phones. I could jump ship today, pay the ETF and break even by end of contract date by paying $45 a month or less for a different service. Stuck on the fence for now.

Snn5

Unless you are in Texas, Kentucky, or Oklahoma, you have the same coverage where coverage exists as with postpaid. Those have the largest extended area which is prepaid roaming area. Yeah, I'm still on the fence here. I should look at it from a standpoint of money rather than service I think, given the service isn't that much different, but $15 a month can make a difference for me.

Snn5

Just discovered AT&T has 1.5GB with roll over. I know how RO data works, so that doesn't bother me, but the coverage is MUCH better and it's the same price at $45. Only drawback is that I don't have an AT&T phone. BUT, they at least have unlimited but throttled data after the high-speed cap at or below 128kbps. Another angle to consider now.

Snn5

Well, guess I will sit back and decide another time. Doesn't look like there's much interest in the prepaid threads enough to warrant continued conversation here. Surprised more people, especially long time community members didn't have at least some input; opinion, fact or otherwise. Thanks again for your input.

Momma23dogs

ATT GoPhone has some of the same issues with service. They do get 2nd class citizen treatment.

THe GoPhone coverage maps have been criticized for being very inaccurate.

AS I mentioned in a different post, I was happy enough with ATT postpaid and would go back.

as for the phone. I picked up some of my phones on eBay at good prices. The G2 has been superseded twice, so I would think a mint used G2 might go at a reasonable price.

MAybe be if your saving with service, you can spring for a good phone? Just a thought.

I Look at it as a no lose situation if you have a Verizon phone You can try prepaid for a month. If it's not good, switch to post paid or hop carriers.

Snn5

Yeah, ATT and their MNVOs like Cricket have some fairly optimistic coverage maps. The ATT info was a passing fancy in my comparisons. The money saved on service would go to recoup the cost of a good phone and render the savings moot. The G2 still commands $150-200+ on most reputable sites and even the carriers still want $300-450+ for a new on, slightly less for a refurb. The G2 is very viable given it's update plans to 5.1.1. As most of you know, I have had almost Zero issues with my phone, even post 5.0.2.

Momma23dogs

I Don't suppose it has the right LTE bands for ATT?

Snn5

That's if the chart on Droid Life is correct.

Momma23dogs

if your G2 has bands 2, 4, 5, 17 it would work fine on ATT for LTE.

Snn5

UPDATE

I decided to go the Verizon Prepaid route.

One can also check port status here: Transfer Your Phone Number - Switch to Verizon Wireless

Also see:

Customer Service - Prepaid

(888) 294-6804

or dial *611 from your mobile phone

Mon - Sun, 6 AM - 11 PM Local Time

The promo on Verizon Prepaid was for 1GB bonus data for signing up with Auto-pay and when porting a number in, the 2nd month is free.

What happened next:

Where I am now:

Maybe someone else sees this thread and can benefit from this info if they are considering Prepaid with Verizon.

Thanks for all the input!

Momma23dogs

That is way too much work...

Snn5

What part was too much work? The effort to understand or the effort to explain?

Momma23dogs

that and budgeting data at all.....

i Am all for research before, then I just want to sit back and let it rip.

Snn5

Well, I could just let it all ride and go for the month's refund.

And, budgeting data isn't a huge deal for me. Either 32MB or 64MB a day. With my data off all the time it isn't hard to stay in that range. Verizon/Alltel taught me well on how to manage data/minutes limits. Started learning these habits back in 100 min for $30 Prepaid days where your phone was off till 9PM M-F, free weekends and you had 3 min of use a day and that was reserved for planned calls or emergencies. Couldn't even check voicemail till 9pm. And, without Caller ID, all you knew was that "CALL" was calling, so that was a gamble in itself.

MiiHere

I remember free nights and weekends. 9:01 pm until 5:59am. Sometimes if I'd call before 9pm, it would count the whole call as peak hours.

Snn5

Edit:

After being told that Mobile Hotspot was NOT incluided with Prepaid Plans, I happened to be searching through My Verizon Mobile and came across MHS being listed as an included feature. I activated the feature and it worked. However, use caution and limit the number of devices that can connect to 1, I can select channel and 2.4 or 5 ghz and don't allow connected devices to share info between each other.

Momma23dogs

I Didn't realize it was excluded as long as you are paying for data.

Snn5

MHS is typically a feature included with More Everything and postpaid plans, excluding Loyalty lines, perhaps even Individual/Single lines.