• by Danielle Oster , February 18, 2025

Verizon’s Straight Talk Wireless has opened The Data Bank in New York to promote its unlimited data plans.

The Verizon Value prepaid brand, sold at Walmart, launched “The Data Bank by Straight Talk” with an experiential event in New York City’s Union Square Park Feb. 18.

The Data Bank is a custom-designed truck converted by the brand into a mobile bank unit. Visitors to “The Data Bank” can interact with Straight Talk’s “teller” – financial social media influencer Aleks Petrakieva – to check their mobile data usage, and convert it into a gift card (for those who make a visit to the “bank” while supplies are still available).

Cards were valued from  $45-$200, depending on how much data consumers used -- with the minimum value aligned with the cost of a Straight Talk plan, a brand representative told Marketing Daily.

Following its Big Apple debut, the bank will move across state lines to visit eastern New Jersey on Feb. 19, setting up at Kennedy Commons shopping center in North Bergen, New Jersey.

The events will be publicized on Straight Talk’s social media accounts, as well.

The effort kicks of Straight Talk Wireless’ push for tax season, ahead of the April deadline to file taxes.

“At Straight Talk, we understand that tax season can be a hectic time, and many families rely on their refund checks to help manage their finances. The Data Bank by Straight Talk is designed to show how impactful having real unlimited data is by rewarding mobile data usage with gift cards, especially at a time when families are looking for extra financial flexibility," Verizon Value CRO David Kim said in a statement.

The promotion follows Straight Talk’s third-consecutive “Tax Time Survey,” which found that more than half of Americans do online banking and handle tax services on mobile devices.  The survey of 2,000 “general population Americans” -- conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Straight Talk Wireless from Jan. 29-Feb. 3, 2025 – found that 57% of respondents reported using mobile data for online banking, while 53% used it to file taxes or consult with tax advisors.

For those unavailable to attend the brand’s Data Bank events, there’s also a promotional campaign offering new and existing customers a complimentary Samsung A16 or Moto G Power 5G phone with the purchase of qualifying service plans, available at Walmart stores or via Straight Talk’s website.