If you have Verizon Prepaid...

comfortably_numb

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Nov 30, 2011
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Target is running a great deal on airtime cards. BOGO 10% off. And if you use your debit or credit Red Card, you get an additional 5% off

Ends March 6

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I was with Sprint for more than 10-years prior to switching-over to VERIZON PRE-PAID back in 2016. The missus and I both switched-over at the same time and have been largely happy with the service...with a couple caveats:

1. NO Visual Voicemail. This features (not available to prepaid customers) really irks me and I am so tired of having to dial *86 where Verizon gives customers very little space to save messages.

2. I use my phone a lot more than the missus and occasionally I have to USB tether for work purposes. Lately I've noticed that my connection is no longer very quick and, in fact, often I am only getting 200-300K speeds. Has Verizon started throttling prepaid folks who tether? I don't use it often, but I often Teams/WebEx/Zoom for business and it was nice to have a pinch. Now, it's often useless until I disable video.

We're getting ready to upgrade phones (Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy S8) to 5G models and I'm wondering if Verizon Prepaid is still a viable options because of the above. Also, I am wondering if Prepaid customers have the same 5G experience as subscription folks? If not, we need to consider alternatives to include those from our cable provider.

Cheers.
 
Huh? I have full visual voicemail on my iPhone 12. Must be an Android issue

Just learned it's only available on the iPhone. Bastards!

Yes, 10 GB mobile hotspot is a $5 add-on now on the unlimited plans.

I may have to pay the extra $5 if I need it occasionally for work. I may just have to go back to running EasyTether and hope it evades the Hotspot police.

Yes. For 5G UW it's an upcharge.

So, no difference in service in 5G service between the haves and have nots (the prepaids)? I remember when 4G was being rolled-out all my Verizon plan/subscriber friends seemed to have a LOT better speed and coverage than I did. Sure, I could get 40Mb after midnight...but 2G/3G speeds business hours. I was getting Kb while they were getting Mb. I've been with Verizon Prepaid too long to play these silly games again. Thanks!
 
So, no difference in service in 5G service between the haves and have nots (the prepaids)? I remember when 4G was being rolled-out all my Verizon plan/subscriber friends seemed to have a LOT better speed and coverage than I did. Sure, I could get 40Mb after midnight...but 2G/3G speeds business hours. I was getting Kb while they were getting Mb. I've been with Verizon Prepaid too long to play these silly games again. Thanks!
Verizon puts all their prepaid customers, as well as everyone accessing their network via MVNOs, on a lower priority tier than they do their Unlimited postpaid customers. I'm on Red Pocket, an MVNO where you can choose to be on any network and I chose the Verizon network. For the most part, my download speeds are fine (anywhere from 25 to 85 Mbps on my 4G-only Google Pixel 4a) but occasionally the connection is very slow, apparently when I'm trying to connect to an overloaded tower and I'm at the bottom of the pecking order. This has been a complaint of Verizon for the last year or so, that some of their towers just don't have enough capacity for all the traffic they're carrying now.

I'd suggest you try Red Pocket but there's no hotspot usage on the Verizon network through them. But I do get visual voicemail in the Google phone dialer app on my Pixel.
 
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So, no difference in service in 5G service between the haves and have nots (the prepaids)?

I haven't noticed any difference. VERY rarely if I'm in an extremely congested area with lots of people I'll get throttled back, but I can count on both hands the number of times that's happened. Then again, I live in a very rural area so I'm not in the city all the time.
 
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I've got my daughter on Prepaid Unlimited since her mother doesn't have internet at her house right now, and I'm still on the 15 GB plan. Total is $90/month. With the 5% Target Red Card discount, I'm paying $85.50 per month. I think that's a pretty good deal.
 
Just learned it's only available on the iPhone. Bastards!
Visual VM works fine on Android.....at least it does on my Pixel 4XL....so it is NOT just iPhones. ;)
I know one thing I have found out, is if you go into a local brick and motar store, you get different answers and they tell you, you can't have certain features. If you go on-line and do your business at their website it works fine.

For instance I got an email saying Hotspot is not available on PrePay. Great! I went to the store they said this is not true. I showed them the email....the looks it over a minute and says this is probably spam. So, I brought up the Verizon Wireless website, and showed him on there. He looks at that, and again says you can't just go to any website, there are a lot places advertising Verizon.
He is nervously take glances at his boss, whom is over hearing this. So, I turn to the Manager that, looked free to me now, and mentioned it too him. The boss, stammers I am busy right now maybe come back later.

I left, went home, just went through the website and in a few minutes hotspot worked and has for awhile now just fine.

I have no idea, but I am guessing these outlet stores get less commission if they allow certain things??? I don't know.
 
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