Non-awkward ways to invite others to your phone plan — and save big!
Keep it in the family: It’s what we do with our most intimate secrets, precious heirlooms, and tethered phone plans. While Grandmom’s diamond ring (or that crazy story about Aunt Pam) shouldn’t be passed along to just anybody, group phone plans have just become so much easier to share with just about anyone. That’s because Visible, a cell phone service provider backed by Verizon, has broken the mold on shared phone plans with its creation of the Party Pay plan.
Like with family phone plans, Visible’s Party Pay allows for major savings for all members of a group (think: paying as little as $25 per month for service). But unlike with traditional friends and family plans, Visible's plan doesn’t require users to divvy up minutes, texting, and data amongst the group; sort through shared payments; or even create a shared account. That means just about anyone can be invited to your Visible party, no matter how well or little you know someone. Plus, the more people you add to your Party Pay plan, the more money you (and they) save...up to four people, that is.
Ahead, find five ways to invite just about anyone to join your Visible Party Pay plan to save big money, all while keeping personal information private (or at least reserved for family members at Thanksgiving dinner).
After years of canceled plans, family reunions are back — and that means the inevitable awkward chats with that distant cousin whose name — and interests — you can’t quite ever remember. An easy way to strike up conversation that will have you relating in minutes? Commiserate about the economy, then offer a win. Though inflation may be at record highs, kick your family member a financial break by inviting them to join your Party Pay plan. As a member, your cousin can pay as low as $25 per month for service for plans that include four people or more — but you’ll never have to share account or billing information to bring them on board.
Hook up your work wife (with benefits usually reserved for the real thing)
You and your work wife share plenty: a favorite lunch order, a promise to cover for one another with the boss, and a shorthand for getting things done. But no matter how close you’ve become with your closest ally on the job, chances are you draw the line at sharing actual data plans. Keep the benefits flowing by giving a plus one on your phone plan. By getting in on the savings, your work buddy will get wireless service (and unlimited data) for $5 less than the base plan cost ($40 per month). Better yet, so will you. When Tina from HR and Joe from Finance happen to overhear all about your savings win at lunch, don't be shy to invite them to the party as well — that's $15 in savings per month per person!
Get on the good side of a frenemy
We all have at least one person in our lives that rides the rails between friend and enemy, depending on social contexts and situations. These are perhaps some of the trickiest relationships to navigate — and, oftentimes, hardest people to win over. Next time you find yourself questioning whether a frenemy is more friend or foe, kill ‘em with kindness by offering the chance to cut their phone bill by more than 50% — all without having to change numbers, pick up a new sim card (thanks to the brand’s eSIM technology), or even share a billing account. What if this frenemy is a total delinquent and forgets to pay their bill? Luckily, they get a grace period...before they are kicked off the plan, and other party members' monthly bills increase by $5. That is, until you find another frenemy to win over.
Help a frustrated stranger
Whether in the line at the club, delayed at an airport terminal, or stuck on a subway, we’ve all bonded with complete strangers over how planes always seem to need last-minute repairs and why cell service doesn’t work, respectively. We can’t do much about flight delays, but next time you find yourself commiserating about sketchy service, data limits, and other frustrating phone-related issues, provide a solution that makes your new friend (if only for a minute), so freaking happy they met you. After explaining how you get Verizon coverage at a fraction of the cost, hook them up with an invite to your Party plan. It doesn’t require they join your actual account, as each person is responsible for their own bill, which means they can not only reap the reward, but pay it forward to the next forlorn stranger. If a person leaves the party — no biggie; members' plan will just increase by $5 until they find another.
Bring your Luddite parents into the 21st century
Your parents already count on you for tech support when it comes to their smart speakers and TVs. But the truth is, they probably don’t even know to ask for help with their cell phone service (because they likely don’t know that paying an average of $75 per month for service is dated behavior). Usher them into 21st century cell service by inviting them to join your Party Pay plan. Explain that they’ll get great coverage; Wifi calling; unlimited data, talk and text; calling and texting to Canada and Mexico; even an unlimited mobile hot spot — all for as low as $25 a month on party plans with at least four people. They’ll be eternally grateful for the savings you pass on (just as soon as you explain what a mobile hot spot is and how to set it up, of course).