Total by Verizon FAQs: 7 Things to Know Before You Sign Up

Total by Verizon is similar to Metro by T-Mobile as they can both be described as “siblings” to their network providers, Verizon and T-Mobile respectively. Total by Verizon has recently rebranded to back “Total Wireless” and is their no contract, no surprise fee phone plan(s) under the Verizon umbrella. You’ll find that many customers will flock to Total as an alternative to Verizon to save money as the cost of their phone plans run lower than Verizon’s postpaid plans. We wanted to take a look at Total by Verizon, (Total Wireless) today to help you decide whether or not this carrier is right for you, so let’s get started.

We plan to discuss the ins and outs of Total by Verizon and what they offer. Here’s what to expect:

• A quick summary of Total by Verizon
• Total Wireless’s coverage
• Their plans and prices
• Services and features provided
• Total by Verizon versus competition
• How you can get in contact with their customer service
• Review summary

⭐ We will call refer to the provider as “Total” throughout the article as to not confuse readers since the company has been recently renamed from Total by Verizon to Total Wireless ⭐

1. Total by Verizon: A Quick Summary to Answer Your FAQs

We’ve mentioned the name change a few times, so what’s the deal with all that? Well…

Originally Total by Verizon was just known as Total Wireless until it was rebranded by Verizon in 2022. Then a few months ago as of this year (2024) it was renamed back to Total Wireless as it was reported customers were confused by the name and how it related to Verizon- at least that’s the running theory according to some online. 

⭐ We will call refer to the provider as “Total” throughout the article as to not confuse readers since the company has been recently renamed from Total by Verizon to Total Wireless ⭐

Total is a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO. This means that they purchase service access wholesale from one of the three major networks that own infrastructure across the country – AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile – giving customers service at a much cheaper price. Total is a MVNO of Verizon. 

Total’s plans are a lot more “scaled-down” when compared to their parent company Verizon’s plans and while you might not get all the perks you’d get from a regular Verizon plan, you’re going to end up saving money which is always a plus.

A REALLY Tip: MVNO Edition

If you are unfamiliar with MVNO’s, you should know that they are more likely to subject users to data deprioritization and throttled speeds. 

• Data deprioritization is “the temporary slowing of data speeds for certain customers in order to give priority to other customers.” Which means that those who are direct customers of the “parent” company will get network priority when you’re in a high traffic area like a concert hall or sports stadium, or when there’s network congestion.

• Throttling is also more likely to occur with MVNOs and “the dramatic slowing of your data speeds to the point that it becomes almost unusable.” This will happen when you go over a certain number of gigabytes of data for the month, which is referred to as a “data cap.” You’ll see this number displayed somewhere on your carrier’s website. Your normal speeds will slow down until the start of your next billing cycle.

1. Total’s Coverage

Verizon has the most nation-wide 4G LTE coverage out of every wireless carrier in the country which is no small feat. Covering over 70% of the country, Verizon has had its footprints all over the map giving reliable coverage to even the most rural of areas when it comes to LTE. 

When it comes to 5G however, Verizon loses a few credibility points as they are lower in volume compared to T-Mobile and AT&T. Both T-Mobile and AT&T have more widespread 5G coverage than Verizon, but Verizon’s 5G speeds are definitely performing at a higher rate. They’ve gotten the highest marks in “5G Games Experience, 5G Voice App Experience, and 5G Video Experience,” which means that when you’re in 5G Verizon covered area you’ll get some pretty amazing performance power.

One feature you’ll find on most provider’s websites is a “Coverage” or “Coverage Map” tab, this shows off the network’s coverage all throughout the country and subsequent regions: 

And if you need any more data Ookla’s coverage map allows you to see where cellular towers are located and which company owns them. This coverage map provides information about coverage from 2G to 5G for several providers.

2. Total’s Plans and Prices

All Total plans offer hotspot access. 

Total offers three unlimited plans and each has unlimited talk and texting options. You get QCI tier 9 with their plans, which means your data is deprioritized, which you know means you’ll have slower connection speeds in high traffic areas like concerts venues and sports arenas due to increased network activity. Their plans include a 5% Autopay discount.

You can have up to 5 lines on one plan. If you purchase your phone from Total, your device will be locked for 60 days after activation. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. Just like with any other carrier, there are Pros and Cons with Total by Verizon, so it’s always good to read up before you sign up!

Base 5G Unlimited

This plan gets you a 5GB hotspot which is limited to one device.

Their Base 5G Unlimited plan comes with unlimited data,

Now we’ve dug into Total’s information and we have seemingly found no “data cap” in any of their plans. So it seems to be that you can use as much data as you want with this plan but are subject to data deprioritization.

The plan costs $40 per month for one line. There is no Auto Pay discount that comes with this plan. 

Total 5G Unlimited

This plan offers 12x faster unlimited data.

The Total 5G Unlimited plan offers their “12x faster unlimited data that never slows you down” however there are some stipulations according to their website it requires: “5G Ultra Wideband access and a capable device inside the 5G Ultra Wideband coverage area, and is available on select plans.”

This plan also seemingly has no data cap and comes with a 15GB hotspot limited to one device.

The plan costs $55 per month at full price, and $55 with Auto Pay.

Total 5G+ Unlimited

This is their biggest plan and it gets you an Unlimited Hotspot limited to one device.

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Just like their Total 5G Unlimited plan, you get access to their “12x faster unlimited data that never slows you down” and there is seemingly no hard data cap. This plan also comes with Unlimited Hotspot usage limited to one device which has speeds up to 5 Mbps.

The plan costs $65 per month at full price, and $60 with Auto Pay.

3. Total’s Features

While this carrier offers pretty good deals for their customers, there are some differences in the features and benefits that may entice you to pick this one over another. If you’re a frequent traveler, talk to your international friends and family a lot, or are looking for a bit more “perk” with your plan then this section will break down all of that juicy info so you can know what you’re potentially gonna get: 

• Domestic Roaming Data

• Total does offer domestic roaming on their plans.

• Mexico & Canada Connection

• There is calling, texting, and roaming to Mexico and Canada with all Total Unlimited plans.

• International Connection

• The Total Base 5G Unlimited, Total 5G, and Total 5G+ plans come with calling to 85+ destinations and texting to 200+ destinations. The Total 5G and Total 5G+ plans come roaming in 15+ countries. Total 5G+ also comes with a $10 long distance credit to 120+ destinations. There is also an $10 Global Calling Card add-on you can purchase with any Total plan.

• Video Streaming Quality

• Video streams at up to 480p on Base 5G and Total 5G and 720p on the Total 5G+ plan.

• Streaming Services and Cloud Storage

• With the Total 5G Unlimited Plan you get “Disney+ No Ads for 6 months” and with the Total 5G+ you get a full Disney+ No Ads subscription. Total does not have any cloud storage benefits. 

• Device Financing

• If you buy a phone from Total, the carrier allows you to pay for your device in installments over time. 

• WiFi Calling

• Total offers WiFi calling, which allows you to send and receive phone calls over a WiFi connection rather than cellular reception.

• Spam Protection and Free Trial

• Total does not offer these features.

4. Total Versus Competition

It seems like everywhere you turn you run into a new cell phone provider wanting you amongst their customers. So it’s safe to say that like many others, Total has some competition from their own network providers and other MVNOs alike. Here are a few of their match-ups:

Total vs. Verizon

With Verizon’s postpaid plans you have the ability to add-on a lot of perks to your unlimited plans. They have many streaming services, AppleOne, a Walmart+ Subscription, cloud storage, and more available per plan, but they cost more. Verizon’s cheapest plan is $75 a month ($65 with Auto Pay) which is still more expensive than Total’s highest costing plan. The benefits of Verizon are that you aren’t subject to data deprioritization and you have optional add-ons, but the high costs may be a dealbreaker. We think Total wins out here.

Total vs. Boost Mobile

Boost Mobile is a MVNO that uses T-Mobile’s network to provide coverage to its customers, and T-Mobile’s 5G coverage is number one in the country. So you can expect some pretty solid 5G speeds for any MVNO under the T-Mobile umbrella. Their 4G LTE isn’t as widespread as Verizon but it’s by no means a dealbreaker. Like Total, Boost’s plans are subject to deprioritization. They also have advertised data caps:

For their least expensive plan at $25/month you get 30GB of premium data, then at $50/month you get 40GB of premium data, and their Unlimited Premium for $60/month gets you 50GB of premium data. Since there is seemingly no limit to Total’s data, it’s hard to directly compare the two here other than by price and Boost Mobile’s plans run cheaper than Total’s. Boost’s Infinite Access for iPhone and Infinite Access for Galaxy plans for $60 a month get you the latest iPhone and Galaxy every year so that’s a plus in their column.

Total vs. Visible

Visible Wireless is another MVNO on the Verizon tree and they offer two unlimited data plans, their Visible+ currently on sale for $35/mo and Visible Basic currently on sale for $20/mo. These each get you unlimited talk, text, and data with an unlimited mobile hotspot. The Visible+ plan gets you 50 GB of premium data which is data that never slows down. We think for the price and data cap(s) alone here Visible wins out as they both are on the Verizon network so coverage is the same.

5. Total’s Customer Service

Total offers stores across the country that you can visit, and you can find them with the store locator. Otherwise, you can contact their customer support over the phone at 1-866-663-3633 from 8 AM to 11:45 PM (EST) 7 days a week or via their online chat bot on the Total website.

6. Total: A Review Summary

For a MVNO Total offers a lot more than its competitors, you get international benefits, unlimited data with all of their plans, a Disney+ subscription, and the ability to get money off of your next phone purchase through all of their plans. Their prices are a bit higher than other MVNOs so if you are looking for a more budget-friendly option we recommend looking elsewhere, but if you are between a Total plan or a Verizon postpaid plan we think Total makes for a good money saver.

The Good:

• You get unlimited data with every Total plan.
• You’re on America’s biggest network.
• You get international benefits with every plan and money towards your next Smartphone.

The Bad:

• You will be subject to data deprioritization which means your data speeds could be inconsistent when you’re out in public not on wifi.

Want to compare other carriers?

Really.com helps users compare between features, coverage, price, reviews, and more!

We’ve taken a look and looked at Total Wireless Reviews before and covered even more about them through here on our REALLY Total by Verizon section.

And if you want to compare and contrast Total to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.