Select and set up your Prepaid plan FAQs

We offer 3 types of discounts for Prepaid accounts:

• Auto Pay discount - for eligible mobile phone plans.
• Loyalty Discount - for eligible mobile phone plans.
• Multi-line discount - for each data or eligible mobile phone plan you add to an existing prepaid account.

Important: If you’re on an older Prepaid phone plan, you may have to change to a current Prepaid plan to qualify for discounts.

Here’s how the prepaid Auto Pay discount works for select prepaid plans:

• Auto Pay discount of up $10/mo on plans $45 & higher after the 1st month.
  • $5/mo discount on the $35 Talk & Text plan after the 1st month.
• Credit or debit card required.
• Additional loyalty discounts do not apply.

The Verizon Prepaid  loyalty discount is available for select prepaid plans priced at $45/month or higher:

• Renew your plan 3 times – Save $5/month (starting the 4th month).
• Renew your plan 9 times – Get an additional $5/month discount for savings of $10/month (starting the 10th month).
• Discount applies as long as your line is not disconnected.
• You may be able to keep your loyalty discount if you reactivate your account after it is temporarily suspended for a missed payment.
• Additional Auto Pay discounts do not apply.

Loyalty Discounts aren't available for the following plans:

• Prepaid plans priced below $45/month.
• Some older prepaid plans.
• Prepaid data plans.
  
• Prepaid connected smartwatch plans.

Good to know: With our current Prepaid plans, you can't combine Auto Pay discounts and Loyalty discounts.

Even if your old plan didn't qualify for a Loyalty Discount, we count those months of service toward a Loyalty Discount for your new plan.

When you switch to a new plan, you won't get the old plan's discounts or promotions. With our current plans, Auto Pay discounts and Loyalty discounts can't be combined.

View your plan, then see what our current plans provide.

Here’s how the prepaid multiline discount works for select Verizon Prepaid plans:

• Save $20/mo when you add any Verizon Prepaid Unlimited phone plan to your multiline account.
• First line on the account can be either a phone or data plan.
• Each additional Unlimited phone line receives a $20/mo discount.
• Each line is eligible for a loyalty or Auto Pay discount.
  • With our current prepaid plans, you can't combine Auto Pay discounts and loyalty discounts.

For select Verizon Data plans

• Save $30/mo when you add any Verizon Prepaid Data plan to your multiline account.
• First line on the account can be either a phone or a data plan.
• Each additional data line receives a $30/mo discount.
  • Additional Auto Pay and Loyalty discounts do not apply.

If you want to buy a new Prepaid phone, go to our Prepaid phones page to see what's available. Otherwise, visit a Verizon store or your local retailer.

Check our Bring Your Own Device page to see if you can use a phone you already have (including Apple® iPhone®).

Add a device to your existing prepaid account.

How you activate a device on a new Verizon Prepaid plan depends on whether you’re activating a physical SIM card or embedded, electronic SIM (eSIM):

• To activate eSIM-enabled devices on a new Verizon Prepaid account, use our Bring Your Own Device page.
• To activate a SIM card on a new Verizon Prepaid account:
  1. Turn on your new phone.
  2. Select New customer.
  3. Follow the on-screen prompts to connect your phone to your Verizon account.
  4. Make a call from your phone to complete the activation.

How to activate a SIM when you change devices on an existing prepaid line depends on the type of SIM:

• If you're changing to an eSIM-enabled device on an existing Verizon Prepaid line, you must speak to a Customer Service representative by calling 888-294-6804.
• If you're activating a different physical SIM card on an existing Verizon Prepaid line:
  1. Sign in to My Verizon and follow the Change Device on-screen instructions.
  2. To approve the changes:
     1. Enter the Online Authorization Code you receive on the mobile device  or the email address registered to your account.
  3. Turn on your device to complete activation.

Here’s how to activate a mobile device (eSIM or SIM card) on a newly-added prepaid line:

1. Use our Bring Your Own Device page.
2. Choose I'm with Verizon.
3. Follow the prompts.

Good to know: You must make a call, send a text or use data on your Prepaid phone within 60 days of adding funds to your account. If this doesn't happen, any funds you added to your account will be forfeited and your service will be disconnected.

Here's how to activate a BYOD device (eSIM or SIM card) when you switch to Verizon:

1. Use our Bring Your Own Device page.
2. Choose Join Verizon.
3. Follow the prompts.

You can also call 866-893-7723 for automated Verizon Prepaid SIM Card assistance.

Good to Know: You must make a call, send a text or use data on your Prepaid phone within 60 days of adding funds to your account. If this doesn't happen, any funds you added to your account will be forfeited and your service will be disconnected.

Prepaid data plans are available with no contract for:

• Tablets 
• Mobile hotspots 
• Network-capable computers and laptops

Yes, as long as it's compatible with the Verizon network. You can check compatibility of your device on our Bring your own device page.

If your current device isn't compatible, you can purchase a no contract mobile hotspot or no contract tablet online.

Go to our Bring your own device page to activate your compatible prepaid device.

How much data you need depends on what you do with your connected devices. Here are some examples (not your actual usage):

If you already have a Verizon Prepaid plan, see your usage details for actual numbers.

You can change your plan or add data using My Verizon.

Good to know: Data usage for mobile hotspot devices depends on how many devices are connected to it and what they're doing. Usage could be 30 GBs or more if 3 devices are streaming music or video.

If you’ve used all of your high-speed data for the month, we keep you connected at 2G speed (up to 128 Kbps) for the rest of your monthly bill cycle.

Good to Know: This "Always-On Data" is included with all monthly plans except Prepaid Unlimited plans.

You can change your plan or add data using My Verizon.

If you use all your high-speed data allowance on your plan, your data speed will be reduced to 3 Mbps on 5G Ultra Wideband and 600 Kbps on 5G / 4G LTE for the rest of the month.*

• You can't buy more high-speed data on a prepaid data plan.
• You can change your plan to one that includes more data.

The effect on your apps depends on how much data the app uses. Video and audio streaming may be impacted. Calls and texts won't be affected.

*Your data experience will be impacted, but you won't experience any reduction in speed while using Wi-Fi.

Mobile Hotspot* data is included in our current Prepaid Unlimited, Unlimited Plus and data** plans:

• $70 Unlimited Plus - 25 GB premium Mobile Hotspot
• $60 Unlimited - 5 GB Mobile Hotspot
• $45, 15 GB plan - Mobile Hotspot is taken from your plan allowance
• There's no Mobile Hotspot on our $35 Talk & Text plan

Compare plans to learn about Mobile Hotspot and other prepaid plan features.

Note: You must have a capable device to use Mobile Hotspot. All data used by devices connected to your Mobile Hotspot counts toward the high-speed data allowance of your prepaid plan.

*Mobile Hotspot access includes Unlimited 5G Ultra Wideband Mobile Hotspot when in a 5G Ultra Wideband location, plus 10 GB of 5G / 4G LTE data, then speeds up to 600 Kbps the remainder of the month. Your data experience and functionality of some data apps such as streaming video or audio may be impacted.
**Only after exceeding high-speed allowance, data speed reduced to 3 Mbps when on 5G Ultra Wideband and 600 Kbps when on 5G / 4G LTE for the rest of the month. Data experience will be impacted.

Verizon Cloud isn't included, but you can add Verizon Cloud in My Verizon through the manage add-ons.

Yes, you can call 411 from your prepaid phone. A live operator assists you when you request numbers, addresses and information.

Calls to 411 Search are $2.99/call. If you don't have unlimited minutes, you'll also be charged airtime. You must have a balance on your account to cover the cost of the call.

You can use HD Voice on your prepaid device if it's compatible with HD Voice. The HD Voice feature will automatically be turned on when you activate a compatible phone on your prepaid account.

For more information, refer to our HD Voice FAQs.

Yes, you can use your prepaid phone to make international calls while you are in the US.

For pricing and dialing instructions go to our Prepaid International Calling page.

If you call other countries often, we offer:

• Global Choice -Get unlimited calls to 1country/month and discounted rates to 220+ countries
• Select Prepaid smartphone plans that include calls to Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the US Virgin Islands
• Prepaid International Calling plans that you can add to your Prepaid plan for a set monthly fee

International networks change frequently, so certain locations may not be available at all times. Pricing is subject to change without notice. Unlimited night/weekend minutes don't apply to international calls.

Yes, you can use your prepaid phone for calling, texting and data in many international locations. For details, visit our Prepaid International Travel FAQs.

TravelPass® is automatically added to your line. TravelPass lets you take your talk, text and data allowances with you while traveling to many countries. Learn more in our Prepaid TravelPass FAQs.

Note: TravelPass isn't available for prepaid data plans.

If you own* a compatible Apple® or Android smartwatch, you can choose either:

• Unlimited Prepaid standalone smartwatch plan* - Our Prepaid "standalone" smartwatch plan gives your watch a unique mobile number and direct connection to the Verizon network:
  • $10/line per month** + plus taxes and fees
  • Unlimited 5G Nationwide / 4G LTE Data (15 GB High Speed data)
  • Unlimited talk & text
• Number Share Prepaid* smartwatch plan - This monthly service shares your smartphone's plan and number with 1 compatible smartwatch.
  • $10/line** per month + plus taxes and fees
  • Unlimited 5G Nationwide / 4G LTE Data (15 GB High Speed data)
  • Unlimited talk & text
• To use Number Share, your phone and watch:
  • Must be on the same prepaid account.
  • Must have the same OS (e.g., Apple iOS®, Android).
  • Learn more with our Number Share FAQs.

Good to Know:

• Smartwatches bought from Verizon on a device payment agreement aren't eligible to get prepaid service.
• Prepaid accounts are limited to 10 mobile lines (including smartphones, basic phones, tablets and Mobile Hotspots) and 30 total lines (including phone lines and connected smartwatch lines).
• Apple Watch® Series 3 works with Number Share. This smartwatch isn't eligible for the Unlimited standalone plan.

*If you buy a smartwatch outright (in full) from Verizon or bring one from another retailer, you can choose a prepaid plan or a standard monthly plan for your smartwatch. If you buy a smartwatch from Verizon on a device payment agreement, you can only get a standard monthly plan for your smartwatch.
**Prepaid smartwatch plans don't qualify for Loyalty, Auto Pay, or multiline discounts.

You can get your smartwatch* connected to Verizon Prepaid through the smartwatch app on your phone or at our Bring Your Own Device page.

You'll be asked to:

1. Select either the Unlimited Prepaid plan or the Number Share Prepaid plan.
2. Follow the prompts to set up service for your new smartwatch.

You can Contact Us or visit a Verizon retail store for support.

*If you buy a smartwatch outright (in full) from Verizon or bring one from another retailer, you can choose a Prepaid plan or a standard monthly plan for your smartwatch. If you buy a smartwatch from Verizon on a device payment agreement, you can only get a standard monthly plan for your smartwatch.