Verizon’s prepaid goes global: Simple Mobile & Total Wireless add real roaming and keep the price locks

Verizon just turned up the heat in prepaid international. Simple Mobile adds bigger country lists and a true “World+” tier with 140+ roaming countries, while Total Wireless folds in roaming to 30+ countries, bigger hotspot buckets (including unlimited on the top plan), and keeps its five-year price guarantee with taxes/fees included. My take: if you travel or call abroad this is the strongest mainstream carrier-owned prepaid international play right now, but value depends on how often you actually roam or place international calls.

What Verizon actually announced

• Two Verizon Value brands – Simple Mobile and Total Wireless – are rolling out enhanced international features aimed at travelers and families calling overseas.
• Launch date for the new lineups: August 28, 2025.
• Verizon frames it around rising U.S. travel to Asia-Pacific and continued demand for Mexico/Canada/UK – i.e., this is a roaming + calling story, not just bigger GBs.

Simple Mobile: the plan grid and what’s new

• $25: 15GB high-speed data, unlimited global texting, unlimited calling to 100+ countries.
• $30: 20GB high-speed data, unlimited calling to 125+ countries.
• $40: 30GB high-speed data, unlimited calling to 125+ countries.
• $50 “Unlimited World”: Unlimited data/talk/text, unlimited calling to 200+ countries.
• $60 “Unlimited World+”: Adds access to 5G Ultra Wideband plus international roaming in 140+ countries (on top of unlimited calling to 200+ countries).

Total Wireless: refocused unlimited with roaming + hotspot

• Total Base 5G Unlimited ($40): 5GB hotspot, roaming in Canada/Mexico, unlimited international calling to 85+ countries, unlimited international texting to 200+ countries.
• Total 5G Unlimited ($55): 15GB hotspot, roaming in 30+ countries, unlimited calling to 180 countries, unlimited texting to 200+ countries, 6 months of Disney+ included.
• Total 5G+ Unlimited ($65): Unlimited hotspot, roaming in 30+ countries, unlimited calling to 180 countries, unlimited texting to 200+ countries, Disney+ included and a $10 international calling credit.
• Price promise: Five-year price guarantee continues here – and taxes/fees are included in the sticker price.

Why this matters to consumers

• Real roaming on prepaid, not just “call from the U.S.”: Simple Mobile’s World+ and Total’s 30+ country roaming mean you can land abroad and keep data/voice/text without hunting for a local SIM. That’s still rare among big carrier-owned prepaid brands.
• Country coverage that matches real travel patterns: Mexico/Canada are covered, but the expansion nods to APAC and broader destinations – useful if your trips go beyond the usual tourist trio.
• Hotspot that scales with needs: From 5GB to unlimited on Total’s top plan, tethering finally looks usable for work trips – no more 3G-only “unlimited” fine print.
• Budget certainty: A five-year rate lock (with taxes/fees baked in on Total Wireless) protects you from quiet price creep – something prepaid buyers have been burned by.

Who benefits – and who won’t

• Frequent travelers & cross-border families: If you roam a few times a year or place regular international calls, these tiers can beat juggling eSIMs and calling cards.
• Occasional travelers: The value is situational. If you take one short trip every two years, a pay-as-you-go eSIM abroad might still be cheaper.
• Heavy hotspot users: Total 5G+’s unlimited hotspot is the standout; if you don’t need that, the mid-tier 15GB is a good compromise.

Things to watch in the fine print

• Roaming footprints vary: Simple Mobile’s World+ cites 140+ countries; Total Wireless cites 30+. Make sure your destination is covered before you buy.
• “Unlimited” data norms apply: Expect standard network management and video quality policies; check plan pages for any speed management abroad.
• Benefits timing: Perks like Disney+ (on select Total plans) are included but subject to activation windows and eligibility rules.

Availability & where to get it

• Both brands’ enhanced plans hit August 28, 2025, online, at national retail, and through dealers.
• Simple Mobile aligns to Verizon’s network when activated; Total Wireless runs on Verizon with taxes/fees included and a five-year price lock.

My quick take

• Carrier-owned prepaid has been slow to make roaming painless. This is a meaningful step: fewer compromises, clearer country lists, and better hotspot. If you actually use the international features, the math checks out. If you don’t, cheaper domestic-only MVNOs still win.