Virgin Mobile to Boost Mobile was a transfer, not a choice. In early 2020 Virgin Mobile USA was shut down and its customers were moved to Boost, which was then its sister brand under Sprint. This page sets out what customers were told, from archived copies of the two companies’ pages, and how a line that began on Virgin is paid for today.
It is about Virgin Mobile in the United States only. Virgin-branded mobile services in other countries are not covered here.
What customers were told
Boost put up a welcome page for Virgin customers. An archived copy reads: “Virgin Mobile USA is discontinuing and your account is transferring to Boost Mobile soon.”
It said “most of the existing Virgin Mobile customers will be transferred to our sister brand, Boost Mobile beginning in February.” There was no single day. “The actual migration date will be the customer’s Monthly Payment date after receiving a notification.”
What you kept, and what you lost
| What Boost’s page said | |
|---|---|
| Phone and number | “Customers will keep their phone number and device” |
| Payment date | It “will remain the same as long as the customer continues on time payments” |
| Plan and price | “In most cases, existing Virgin Mobile account will be transferred to, a comparable or better Boost Mobile service plan at no extra cost.” |
| PayPal | “Paypal will be removed as a registered payment method 4-5 days prior to your migration date” |
| 45 and 90 day Auto Top-Up | “Boost Mobile does not offer this Auto Top Up option.” |
| Messaging packs | “Messaging Pack add-ons will not transfer to Boost Mobile” |
The page said nothing we could find about what happened to an unspent balance.
To sign in at Boost for the first time, the page said, “Your login is the first four digits of your six-digit Virgin Mobile PIN”.
How do I pay or top up now?
Through Boost Mobile. The Virgin Mobile USA website no longer exists, and its address does not load.
Boost’s current billing page says: “For accounts not enrolled in AutoPay, payments can be made at a Boost Mobile store, in your account online, in the app or by contacting Boost Customer Care.”
Two details from the same page. Paying with an agent’s help costs more: “Assisted payments are subject to a $4 convenience fee.” And Boost accepts Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Boost’s plans today are on our Boost Mobile page.
The last Virgin Mobile plans
Virgin’s plans page from December 13, 2019, a month before sales stopped, offered three plans under the heading “Choose the unlimited plan that fits you.”
Archive: 2019
| Price shown | Data |
|---|---|
| 35 | “Includes 5GB of 4G LTE data” |
| 45 | “Includes 10GB of 4G LTE data” |
| 60 | “Unlimited 4G LTE data” |
The archived text has lost the currency signs. These are dollars a month, going by the page’s footnote: “Excludes taxes and surcharges. Reduced to 2G data speeds after LTE allotment.”
The page described the service as “On Sprint’s Nationwide Network”.
Which phones worked on Virgin Mobile
Mostly its own. Virgin sold phones on its site, and its bring-your-own-phone program was narrow: “Currently, Virgin Mobile only supports iPhones in its “Bring Your Own Device” program.” A SIM card for one cost $9.99.
So a phone from another carrier, such as US Cellular, could not be brought to Virgin Mobile unless it was an unlocked iPhone.
None of that applies now. Virgin phones were made for Sprint’s network, which T-Mobile retired in 2022. Whether an old one can be activated anywhere today is covered on our page about using a Sprint phone.
Questions
Is Virgin Mobile still around?
Not in the United States. Online sales ended on January 9, 2020, and accounts moved to Boost Mobile from February 2020.
Is my Virgin Mobile line on Sprint’s network?
No. Sprint’s networks were switched off in 2022. Boost Mobile’s owner, EchoStar, says Boost customers now connect mainly through AT&T’s towers.
Where are the older Virgin Mobile plans?
The 2016 price list, and the dates of the shutdown, are on our main Virgin Mobile page.