Target follows Walmart with launch of prepaid mobile service
Retailer to offer trio of plans starting Sunday, with unlimited text and talk costing $35 a month.
Target announced Wednesday that it will launch its own brand of prepaid mobile services this weekend, following the lead of rival retailer Walmart.
Beginning Sunday, consumers will be able to sign up for Brightspot, which will offer unlimited talk and texting on T-Mobile's nationwide 4G network for $35 a month, the company said in a company blog post. For another $15 a month, customers can get 1GB of 4G data. A $65 plan offers 4GB of 4G.
Also, for each six months using Target's mobile service, customers will receive a $25 Target gift card.
"Target guests have been asking us for new mobile plan options to meet their changing needs, and Brightspot combines the flexibility of a prepaid program with 4G data on one of the nation's premier networks," Target VP of Electronics John Butcher said in a statement to AllThingsD.
Customers will be able to choose from a variety of features and smartphones, or bring their own unlocked handset to the service.
Target's mobile debut comes nearly four years after Walmart launched its no-contract Straight Talk brand in October 2009.