Comparing Visible to Cricket

	Visible	Cricket	Cricket (Plus)
Cost (1 device)	$25 – $40**	$55	$60
Cost (5 devices)	$125 (via Party)	$125	$160
Mobile Hotspot	Yes, Unlimited data, Max 5Mbps for 1 device	No	Yes, 15 GB total
Data Speeds	5G capped at 200Mbps	8 Mbps	No limit
Data Type	5G	LTE	5G
Coverage Map	Verizon	AT&T	AT&T
Apple Watch	Yes, $5/mo	No	No
Customer Service	Online chat, social media	Online chat, social media, toll-free	Online chat, social media, toll-free

Here are the links to the coverage maps for AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

Above is a general comparison between the two carriers.   I think that Visible is the better choice currently.

When signing up for new service, you’ll find there are many good promotions in place for switching over to Visible.   Even Verizon Wireless customers can take advantage of these promotions.

You can complete the signup using your mobile device or the Visible website.   If using your mobile device then I’d suggest downloading the Visible app first.   Download on Google Play or Apple App Store.

But, when you are going through the signup process, be SURE that you enter in this promotion code and you will receive your first month of service for only $5.00: 3tvGfF.   The capitalization must be exact.  And if you miss it during signup, there’s no way for them to correct it later.   You can also try to use this link if you are signing up using your computer, but I’ve found that it doesn’t copy the promo code properly when using the link on your phone.   Just enter it into the Promo code field to be sure during checkout!

If the promotion code has been applied properly, then you will see a summary that looks similar to this, with your first month being listed as $5.00:

My experience with Visible has been okay thus far, with excellent data speeds and coverage.   As with all carriers, there are some areas that are better than others in terms of coverage.

**Regarding the “Party Pay” feature that Visible has to allow you to bring your monthly cost down:  This is a unique offering where members are joined as a “Party” but they are not financially connected at all.  So each member pays their own bill, but by being a member of a group with 4 or more members, you receive the maximum discount that brings your service down to $25 per month.   If you don’t have friends or family that you can join with, then you can always join in this public Party Pay group from a Reddit group.

The great offers that Visible has currently is on the iPhone 13 phone line as well as the iPhone 12.   They are currently offering a $200.00 gift card when purchasing any of the iPhone 12/13 models.  Additionally, you will receive a free Apple HomePod smart speaker when purchasing one of these phones.

If you can’t afford a new iPhone, then there are plenty of other offers to take advantage of.   Just bringing your own device will get you a $100.00 gift card!    And Visible is also eSIM capable so you may be able to use your own device without waiting for a SIM card in the mail!    I’d recommend going with the physical SIM card, however, because the eSIM process is a little tricky at times.

Last, but not least:  Make 100% sure that your device is Carrier Unlocked.   You can check this on an iPhone by going to Settings > General > About, then look for the lock status as shown in the image below.     Unfortunately, on an Android device, generally speaking the only way to check and see if the phone is locked is to insert a SIM from another carrier.

If it is locked, then you have two options:
1) If you purchased the device from Cricket originally, then you should be able to get it unlocked quick and easy with these instructions.   Be sure to do this BEFORE you sign up for Visible!

2) If you purchased the device elsewhere, all carriers have different policies.   Generally speaking, as long as the device is paid off and isn’t flagged as being lost or stolen, then you shouldn’t have trouble getting it unlocked.   But if you don’t do this ahead of time, when you insert the Visible SIM into your phone — it will let you know that it’s not a valid SIM and it won’t function until the phone is unlocked.    Unlock commands are passed down from Apple’s secure activation servers.
Verizon: Auto-unlocks 60 days after activation
Sprint: You can request unlock via website if account is active, must call in otherwise.
T-Mobile: You must contact T-Mobile (Sprint) to request an unlock
AT&T: You can request an unlock via this online form.  They are pretty quick to respond.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
Other Carriers: If you bought your phone via another MVNO such as Straight Talk, Walmart Family Mobile, etc. then you’ll likely need to contact them directly.   Apple won’t be able to help you and will just direct you to the carrier.  As a last resort, you can use an online company such as sim-unlock.net where they have reasonably priced unlock services for almost all carriers and phones.

–Josh