Verizon's prepaid strategy reboot and the battle ahead
At the start of April, Verizon launched new prepaid plans, including the $45/month Visible+ Pro and an updated $35/month Visible+ plan. These are aimed at boosting Verizon's Q2 performance, but the battle for a bigger market share is far from over.
David Kim, Verizon Value's Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), is the man who oversees Verizon's prepaid brands, including Visible and Total Wireless. Before this, Kim held roles at T-Mobile, Sprint, Dish, and Boost Mobile.
He started in wireless retail as a high school student selling phones at a Radio Shack in Tucson, Arizona. Back then, switching carriers meant getting a new phone number, a major barrier that doesn't exist today. But Kim says those early lessons still matter.
He joined Verizon about a year ago, drawn by the opportunity to lead a large brand portfolio with wide retail distribution, including partnerships with Walmart. At the time, Verizon's prepaid business was underperforming. But things began to shift when Nancy Clark became President of Verizon Value and brought in a new leadership team that included Kim.
Kim says several internal changes helped fuel the turnaround. Leadership convinced Verizon to invest in the right staff and tech. They also researched customer frustrations, particularly data throttling. In response, plans like Total Wireless now offer premium network access without slowdowns.
On devices, Kim's team is working with manufacturers to keep phones affordable, acknowledging that many prepaid users rely on their phones as their main connection to the internet.
Verizon is also expanding its retail footprint for Total Wireless, opening hundreds of stores. Research showed many customers thought Total by Verizon was just a plan, not a separate service. The rebranding to Total Wireless aimed to fix that. Kim calls it Verizon's "fighter brand" positioned against competitors like Metro and Boost:
He still visits stores to observe how sales reps interact with customers. He believes the customer experience at the point of sale remains critical, even as technology evolves. I, too, believe that customer experience is paramount and so far, AI bots are not competent enough to deliver what we as customers need and want – but a diligent sales rep can absolutely deliver on that front!
David Kim, Verizon Value's Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), is the man who oversees Verizon's prepaid brands, including Visible and Total Wireless. Before this, Kim held roles at T-Mobile, Sprint, Dish, and Boost Mobile.
He joined Verizon about a year ago, drawn by the opportunity to lead a large brand portfolio with wide retail distribution, including partnerships with Walmart. At the time, Verizon's prepaid business was underperforming. But things began to shift when Nancy Clark became President of Verizon Value and brought in a new leadership team that included Kim.
By the end of 2024, Verizon reported positive net additions in prepaid customers, excluding SafeLink, for the first time since acquiring TracFone. However, competition remains strong, and the company has acknowledged increased pressure from rivals. Verizon expects prepaid revenue to grow in the second half of 2025.
Kim says several internal changes helped fuel the turnaround. Leadership convinced Verizon to invest in the right staff and tech. They also researched customer frustrations, particularly data throttling. In response, plans like Total Wireless now offer premium network access without slowdowns.
On devices, Kim's team is working with manufacturers to keep phones affordable, acknowledging that many prepaid users rely on their phones as their main connection to the internet.
Verizon is also expanding its retail footprint for Total Wireless, opening hundreds of stores. Research showed many customers thought Total by Verizon was just a plan, not a separate service. The rebranding to Total Wireless aimed to fix that. Kim calls it Verizon's "fighter brand" positioned against competitors like Metro and Boost:
Total Wireless is what I like to call kind of our fighter brand. It’s a brand that’s situated to compete against Cricket, Metro and Boost. That’s really the spirit behind that brand.
– David Kim for Fierce Networ, April 2025
He still visits stores to observe how sales reps interact with customers. He believes the customer experience at the point of sale remains critical, even as technology evolves. I, too, believe that customer experience is paramount and so far, AI bots are not competent enough to deliver what we as customers need and want – but a diligent sales rep can absolutely deliver on that front!
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