Beginning today, Visible is extending its free 15-day trial program to eSIM-compatible Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices. More than 30 Android models are eligible for the offer.
Since January 2022, Visible has offered this free trial program – no credit card required – to people with iOS devices that are eSIM-compatible. Now they’re adding Android models from Samsung and Google to the mix.
Trial users receive a trial phone number, so they don’t need to disconnect from their current service provider. If they decide to make the switch after the trial, they can keep the trial number or port their existing number.
The trial program is an ongoing endeavor at Visible because as a digital-only carrier, they want to give people the chance to test it out before they make the commitment, said Jeremy Bolton, Visible’s managing director.
And it seems to be working. “The single biggest conversion day for us in this free trial is Day One,” he told Fierce.
Visible, which is one of Verizon’s prepaid brands, doesn’t disclose how many customers it serves. However, it does say that more than half of new Visible subscribers in 2023 came via eSIM.
When Visible was created in 2016, the plan was to take full advantage of eSIM. The instant gratification it provides is not something that can happen with a physical SIM, which requires the customer to go to a physical store or get a SIM shipped to them, Bolton noted. Visible isn’t sold in brick-and-mortar stores.
Unlike a lot of other wireless offers, Visible is not focused on family plans. It offers a $25/month single line plan, and while customers can add more lines, it’s not a requirement to get the best deal. That’s part what was behind its campaign calling out Metro by T-Mobile’s “nada yada yada” last month.
Bolton reiterated Visible’s commitment to the all-digital approach. Last year, when Visible heard complaints from customers about not getting proper customer service, the company could have started using live customer service reps, but it didn’t. If they had done that, it would mean they have failed, according to Bolton.
“What I want to do is create a very simple product that works every time,” he said. “We’ve made tremendous strides over the years, and that is the success by which Visible will be measured.”
There always will be people who have issues here and there, and customers can get answers by chatting live with a customer service rep online, he said. But the need for someone to talk with a rep on the phone is what they’re trying to eliminate.
The majority of Visible’s customers are in the 25-44 age range.
Bolton considers Visible to be “pretty much peerless.” There really is “no other facilities-based, digital-only wireless brand out there going after a very specific segment of the market like we are,” he said.
Asked about the current competitive environment, he said there’s a movement among consumers switching from prepaid to postpaid. “That dynamic alone creates a lot of intense rivalry and competition within the prepaid market. There is no doubt about that,” he said.
One of the things it’s doing to explain how Visible is different is a brand education series where it’s creating content with online influencer Marques Brownlee.
The fourth quarter traditionally is the busiest time of year for wireless carriers. For Visible, “we are going to be focused on talking about why we are different” and going after the segment that wants to save money, he said.