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Visible will let you upgrade your phone before you've even paid it off

You will only need to pay off 50% of your current phone before you can get a new one.
By
April 30, 2021
A Samsung Galaxy S9 on some grass with the Visible logo on the display.
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
  • A new Visible upgrade plan allows you to trade in your current phone for a new one, even if the current one still isn’t paid off.
  • The program works for most phones Visible offers, but you must use its Affirm service to get the early upgrade.
  • The new policy takes effect on May 3, 2021.

Visible is a straightforward Millennial-friendly wireless carrier. There are no physical stores, there’s only one plan, and it costs half as much as plans from parent company Verizon. These details alone are enough to make it worth looking into if you’re ready to switch it up.

However, the company just made things even sweeter. Starting on May 3, 2021, a new Visible upgrade program will allow you to trade in your current phone for a new one — even before you’ve paid off the current phone.

Related: Visible buyer’s guide: a truly unlimited data plan, now with 5G

T-Mobile, Samsung, and other companies have offered similar programs. Basically, you first need to buy a phone on an installment plan. Once you reach a certain threshold of on-time payments, you can then upgrade to a new phone without needing to pay off the rest of the old phone. This allows you to always have the latest and greatest device.

How the Visible upgrade plan works

  1. Purchase an eligible device from Visible on installment through its Affirm program. This includes all available Samsung, Google, and Apple devices, as well as specific Motorola, OnePlus, and ZTE devices.
  2. Pay off at least 50% of the Affirm loan. At this point, you can upgrade to a newer-generation phone of the same make for no additional upgrade fee.
  3. Return the old phone to Visible’s partner Assurant within 14 days of receiving your new device. At that point, Visible will pay off the remaining loan balance for that device.

Here’s a real-world example of how it could work for you:

  • You buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 through Visible using the Affirm program. You pay $33 each month for the phone.
  • You make on-time payments for that phone each month for one year, keeping Visible service active on the phone for the entire year.
  • At that point, you’ve paid $396 for the phone, which is 50% of its total cost. You can now upgrade to a Samsung Galaxy S22 using the same Affirm program.
  • You receive your Galaxy S22. You ship back your Galaxy S21 and continue making your monthly payments for your new phone.
  • Rinse and repeat for the Galaxy S23, S24, and so on.

Obviously, this Visible upgrade program is designed to keep you locked into using its service. However, if you’re already a happy Visible customer, this is a no-brainer opportunity to get a new phone every year. And, if you’re interested in switching to Visible, this just sweetened the deal significantly.

Once again, this takes effect starting May 3, 2021. Click the button below to sign up for Visible!