Boost Mobile is one of the oldest and best-known prepaid networks in the US, though it has a mixed reputation depending on who you ask and which company owned it at the time. Boost is currently owned by Dish Network, and while it may not be as popular as it once was, its coverage is pretty solid thanks to a combination of AT&T, T Mobileand Dish towers. After initially attempting to create a new postpaid sub-brand called Boost Infinite, the carrier recently announced that it is merging its prepaid and postpaid efforts under one roof. This is a very different direction from what we are seeing with AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizonbut I think it makes a lot of sense.
Boost Mobile offers three main plans, all with unlimited data. These plans start at $25 a month and go up to $60 per line. Unlike most carriers, you can choose between postpaid or prepaid. Prepaid doesn’t require a credit check, while postpaid does. The plans remain the same, though there’s also a special Infinite Access plan exclusive to postpaid customers that gives users a free Samsung or Apple device. Customer service, the website you use, the apps, and the experience are basically universal depending on how you choose to pay. This is in contrast to other carriers, which often use different customer service agents, special prepaid apps, and other measures to help differentiate their services and make it clear that prepaid is a secondary priority over their postpaid customers.
The simplicity of a combined prepaid and postpaid line is refreshing and something I would love to see from the big three.
Boost likely made the changes because its Infinite branding was confusing, as Boost Mobile had better recognition. Regardless of the reason, it’s a refreshing change considering most carriers have been making their plans increasingly more confusing, not less. For example, Verizon initially simplified its offerings when it switched to MyPlan tiers, but has since added more options, making it harder for the average Joe to figure out what plan they actually need. T-Mobile used to have some of the simplest plan structures, but that’s no longer the case. And then there are the sub-brands.
If you want Verizon service directly from Big Red, options include Verizon Postpaid, Verizon Prepaid, Visibleand TotalAll of these companies are owned by Verizon and offer similar plans, just with slightly different focuses and niches. Total even recently dropped the word “by Verizon” from its name, making it clear that carriers don’t necessarily want to be associated with prepaid brands. T-Mobile is a bit more upfront with Metro by T-Mobile, but it also owns its in-house brand Connect by T-Mobile, Mint, and a few others. Even AT&T has Cricket.
What do you think about Boost merging its prepaid and postpaid initiatives?
132 votes
I’m not saying that Boost Mobile’s services or structure are perfect. What I am saying is that I like the idea of bringing the prepaid and postpaid experiences closer together. Prepaid has evolved a lot over the years and is no longer seen as an option exclusive to teenagers and people with mediocre credit. I’d love to see the big three carriers follow suit. You’d no longer have to select between multiple plans at two different tiers; you’d choose the best plan for your needs, regardless of how you intend to pay for it. Even if the carrier were to merge its prepaid and postpaid initiatives, it could still offer sub-brands, but it would at least bring more clarity to the plans sold directly under the respective Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile names.
Of course, this isn’t likely to happen. Still, I have to applaud Boost for trying something different. Will it work? Only time will tell.