On July 12, 2022, Verizon debuted its new wireless plan called “Welcome Unlimited.” This new plan is mainly aimed at people who want to be on a Verizon unlimited data plan but are on a budget. As of now, this is Verizon’s cheapest unlimited data plan on their post-pay network. If you’re searching for this plan, you’re probably wondering if this is the right plan for you.
Since most cell phone carriers are deceitful when advertising their plans, you probably want to know more about this specific plan from another angle other than what comes out of Verizon’s marketing department. Because of this, I will give you a full explanation of the good and bad things about the new Verizon Welcome Unlimited plan.
What’s good about Verizon Welcome Unlimited
As its name suggests, the most important thing about this plan is that it offers “unlimited” 5G data. Another good thing about this plan is that it’s cheaper than Verizon’s previous cheapest post-paid unlimited data plan, the 5G Start unlimited data plan.
If you switch to this plan, Verizon is currently offering a $240 Verizon gift card per line when you bring your own device to this plan. This promo can be used in up to 4 lines ($960 in gift cards) under the same account.
So in short, you’ll get:
- “Unlimited” 5G data
- $30/line after the fourth line
- $240 Verizon e-gift card
The bad things about Verizon Welcome Unlimited Plan
Now that you know what’s included in Verizon’s new Welcome Unlimited plan, you should know why it is not worth switching to this plan or getting this plan in the first place. Here are a few reasons why Welcome Unlimited is not a good plan for many users:
- No Ultrawide band 5G connectivity (slowest Verizon 5G)
- No Personal Hotspot
- No entertainment perks (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, etc)
- SD (480p) video streaming
- Automatic deprioritized data if on a congested tower
- No Mix & Match
- Not fully $30/line
- No 50 percent discount on Verizon 5G Home Internet
Here’s what Verizon doesn’t want you to know about the new Welcome Unlimited plan:
Verizon Welcome Unlimited: No Ultrawide band 5G
Like the 5G Start Unlimited, the new Welcome Unlimited plan does not offer Verizon 5G Ultrawide band connectivity. Instead, this plan is limited to just Verizon 5G Nationwide, the slowest version of 5G connectivity Verizon offers.
Does the Welcome Unlimited plan throttle data?
Unfortunately, another thing Verizon does not want you to know about this plan is that your mobile data will be deprioritized. This means that if you’re in an area with too many other Verizon customers, your data will be reduced to 2G speeds if the nearest tower is congested.
No perks on the Verizon Welcome Unlimited plan
Unlike the other unlimited data plans, this plan does not offer entertainment perks such as Disney+, Hulu/ESPN+, or Apple Arcade. At least for $5 more with the Start Unlimited plan, you get 5GB of premium data and six months of Disney+, Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass, and Apple Music.
The Welcome Unlimited is not $25
In its promotion, Verizon highlights the price of $25 and the word unlimited data many times. This is to get your attention and to make you believe that you can get any amount of unlimited data lines for just $25.
This is not really the truth. The reality is that in order to get each line for just $25, you’ll need to have a total of three lines under one account. You cannot just get one line for $25. On top of that, you’ll need to add auto-pay to get a $5 discount, which brings the price of four lines to $25 per line.
| Lines | Price/Line | Total Price w Auto Pay Discount |
| 1 | $60 | $60 |
| 2 | $50 | $100 |
| 3 | $35 | $105 |
| 4 | $25 | $100 |
| 5 | $20 | $100 |
Is the Welcome Unlimited plan worth it?
With the assumption that you would like to remain on Verizon’s network, the Welcome Unlimited plan is not worth it. The two major reasons are that this plan is no longer the cheapest and it offers fewer features and perks.
For example, this plan is followed by the 5G Start which is basically the same price with more advantages.
Welcome Unlimited
Just the basics.
- No personal hotspot
- No entertainment perks
- All lines must be on the same plan
5G Start
Connect on the go.
- 5GB of personal hotspot
- Six months of free Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass, and Disney+
- Can mix and match each line
If you expand your search to other carriers, this plan is even less worth it. An example of this would be T-Mobile’s Essentials 4 Line Offer. This plan cost $5 less for four lines and offers more essential advantages such as 50GB of premium data. Additionally, it gives you unlimited 3G mobile hotspot data.