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Best Verizon Plans: How to Choose and Which Ones to Pick in 2024 – CNET [CNET]
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Eli Blumenthal Senior Editor
Eli Blumenthal is a senior editor at CNET with a particular focus on covering the latest in the ever-changing worlds of telecom, streaming and sports. He previously worked as a technology reporter at USA Today.
Expertise 5G, mobile networks, wireless carriers, phones, tablets, streaming devices, streaming platforms, mobile and console gaming,
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$65 per month for one line, $120 per month for four lines
Best Verizon plan for most people: Unlimited Welcome
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The upgrade pick for those who want faster 5G and hotspot data
Verizon Unlimited Plus
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Looking for a wireless plan from Verizon isn’t as simple as just going into a store or online and picking one out. Verizon, like all of the major US carriers, offers a wide variety of different options even under the promise of “unlimited” talk, text and data. It’s within that premise that things can quickly get messy.
After a variety of changes over the years, Verizon today has three main unlimited plans, all with similar names but with different offerings and prices: Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate. Welcome can be considered the base, Plus the middle and Ultimate the high-end.
So which plan should you choose? Let’s break it down.
Read more: Our Guide to the Best Cell Phone Plans
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Verizon’s updated plans have replaced the carrier’s previous Welcome Unlimited offer with… one named Unlimited Welcome. While the names are flipped, the core offer is still largely the same: Streaming perks like the Disney Bundle are not included by default with this plan, no hotspot data is provided and you can’t hop on Verizon’s fastest 5G networks (which it calls Ultra Wideband). Instead, it will be more in line (if not slightly better) than the 4G LTE experience you’ve had for years.
Upgrading your phone while on this plan also might preclude you from getting Verizon’s best device deals.
You do get Verizon’s network for $65 per month for one or $120 a month for four lines, assuming you have automatic payments and paper-free billing set up (if not, it’s an extra $10 per line, per month). If you do want perks like the Disney bundle or Apple One, you can add them at $10 per month, per perk.
For most people who just want the base service, Welcome is probably more than enough. If you do need faster speed or hotspot data you can move those lines up to Unlimited Plus while keeping the rest on this cheaper option (what the carrier calls “mix and match”). The Plus plan offers many of the same capabilities as Welcome, but with the bonus of 30GB of high-speed hotspot data, the ability to connect to Verizon’s fastest Ultra Wideband 5G networks and the comfort of knowing your data won’t be slowed in very busy areas (think packed stadiums or arenas).
If you switch to Verizon and bring your own phone, the carrier will give you $180 back over 36 months. This amounts to a $5 monthly savings and is why the carrier’s website may show you different pricing. Those looking to save even more can combine the Welcome plan with Verizon’s other discounts for teachers, nurses, military and first responders. We cover those discounts here.
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You don’t necessarily need to change plans when you upgrade your phone, but you may need to move plans if you want Verizon’s best deals.
Verizon has been reserving some of its best deals for those who are on its priciest plans. For example, its top iPhone 15 Pro deals generally require the priciest Unlimited Ultimate plan (and potentially for you to add a new line or switch from a different carrier).
Verizon has also been adding fees or raising rates on some of its older plans to encourage people to leave them for newer options.
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It is worth noting that these discounts are often for the whole account. If you have three lines and one of those users is a nurse or a teacher, your whole family can benefit from the savings.
Some of these discounts have caps on the amount of lines that can benefit, so make sure to check the details when signing up. You can also see our story here for more details on the discounts offered.
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Yes, Verizon offers a variety of discounts depending on your age, employer or profession. Nurses, teachers, military, first responders, college students and more can take advantage of various programs that could save you significant money on your bill. Florida residents can also save if they are over 55 years old.
It is worth noting that these discounts are often for the whole account. If you have three lines and one of those users is a nurse or a teacher, your whole family can benefit from the savings.
Some of these discounts have caps on the amount of lines that can benefit, so make sure to check the details when signing up. You can also see our story here for more details on the discounts offered.
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What about cable companies?
Xfinity Mobile, Cox Mobile and Spectrum Mobile all run on Verizon’s network and could be options depending on where you live.
To get the best rates, you will need to have an internet package from the respective provider. Expect the value to vary: Spectrum starts at $30 a month for unlimited, while Xfinity and Cox’s plans start at $45 a month for a single line. That rate drops to $30 per line per month for two or more lines at Xfinity and Spectrum (so two lines run $60 a month and four lines are $120 monthly). At Cox, you need to have four lines to get that $30 per line, per month rate.
The above is for the base unlimited plans. Xfinity and Spectrum also have different tiers of unlimited with more high-speed and hotspot data. All three cable companies also offer shared data plans.
As mentioned above these prices require you to have home service from these providers. If you cancel your cable service, expect the bill to jump.
If you cut the cord and ditch Xfinity’s home services, for example, each mobile line will cost an additional $25 per month per line. For a family of four, that will jack your monthly bill from $120 a month to $220.
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