Verizon Wireless is the most reliable cell phone carrier in most neighborhoods, but it’s also one of the most expensive. Thankfully, there are ways to lower your Verizon bill while enjoying quality coverage and plan features many other cell phone providers don’t offer.
The following strategies can help you save instantly or when it’s time to upgrade devices or your current contract ends.
Table of Contents
- 1. Receive Auto Pay Discounts
- 2. Activate Customer Loyalty and Employer Discounts
- 3. Get a Retention Offer
- 4. Downgrade to a Cheaper Plan
- 5. Delay Device Upgrades
- 6. Decline Cell Phone Insurance
- 7. Pay With a Rewards Credit Card
- 8. Activate Online Instead of In Store
- Prepaid Phone Plans that Use Verizon Towers
- Cheap Alternatives to Verizon Wireless
- Final Thoughts
1. Receive Auto Pay Discounts
Enrolling in Verizon Wireless Auto Pay and paper-free billing lets you enjoy a $10 monthly discount per line on one of the following plans:
- Unlimited Ultimate
- Unlimited Plus
- Unlimited Welcome
You can also receive the $10 monthly savings with other legacy plans that can no longer be added to accounts.
Automating your finances helps to avoid late payment fees. For instance, you may pay a $5 late fee if you don’t pay your Verizon bill on time. Review your phone plan’s “Promise to Pay” payment arrangement to view the potential fees.
2. Activate Customer Loyalty and Employer Discounts
There are a few different ways you can be eligible for Verizon loyalty discounts:
- Verizon Up: The Verizon Up rewards program may provide personalized offers when you switch plans, add a line, or upgrade. You can also enjoy special discounts and opportunities for sports, concerts, and more.
- Bundle Discounts: Subscribing to multiple Verizon services, such as Verizon home internet or cable can lower your overall cost. Bundling can be an effortless way to save money if you live within the service area.
- Employer Discounts: Corporate and government employees can enjoy up to $25 in multi-line discounts. Discounts can differ by organization, so I recommend comparing discounts before you sign up. You must verify your employment status yearly, so check every 12 months to see if anything changes.
- Student Discounts: Active college students at the undergraduate, graduate, and vocational school tiers are eligible for discounts.
- Senior Discounts: Verizon customers 55 or over can receive discounts on up to two lines.
Also, the following groups can enjoy employment or affiliation discounts:
- First responders
- Nurses (LPN, LVN, NP, or RN) or respiratory therapists
- Military members (including veterans, cadets, and Gold Star families)
- Teachers
Visiting the Discounts by Verizon page is the quickest way to see which affinity savings you’re eligible for.
In addition to manually applying discounts, bill negotiation services like the one offered by Rocket Money can search for one-time and recurring savings on your behalf. This app can also help you save on other contract-based subscriptions including your cable bill and internet.
3. Get a Retention Offer
In addition to employer discounts, you can receive a Verizon Wireless retention offer by going through the motions of porting your number to another carrier. Eligible customers typically save $10 per month for the next 12 months.
You can modify your account through the Verizon mobile app, however, depending on your situation, calling Verizon customer service can be more productive.
For example, my in-laws were going to switch to the carrier that I use, which is notably cheaper and has sufficient coverage at home. Unfortunately, the porting process was an utter disaster. So, they ended up staying with Verizon and got a 12-month retention offer. They still pay more than they’d like, but the temporary savings will keep them happy for now.
4. Downgrade to a Cheaper Plan
Switching to a more affordable plan is an easy way to gain instant savings. You still get the same voice and 5G data reliability, though you may sacrifice premium perks like the faster 5G Ultra Wideband speeds, premium mobile hotspot data, and up to 1080p high-definition streaming quality.
This may not matter if you can connect to free wi-fi hotspots or have fast home internet.
Verizon and other cell phone providers continually change their plan options, so it’s worth reviewing the newest offers at least once per year. I’ve changed mine a few times because I was paying more for a discontinued plan with fewer benefits.
5. Delay Device Upgrades
Cell phone upgrades are pricey even with the latest promos. Squeezing another year or two out of your phone minimizes your monthly out-of-pocket costs and frees you from an ironclad contract with hefty cancellation fees.
You can also supply your used device to Verizon when it’s time to replace it. While it’s not brand-new, the potential savings and phone lifespan can be worth the tradeoff.
6. Decline Cell Phone Insurance
Buying a cell phone protection plan can offer peace of mind if your phone gets damaged, lost, or stolen. However, if you purchase a quality case and screen protector, smartphones are pretty durable.
Additionally, your device can be eligible for free coverage if you pay with a credit card that offers complimentary cell phone protection. It may not be as extensive as some Verizon or third-party plans, but you won’t pay a dime for a service you will hopefully never use.
Mastercard World Elite products are the most likely to offer free cell phone protection of up to $800 per claim (a $50 deductible applies) against theft or damage when charging your monthly phone bill to your credit card. If you pay rent or love to travel, Bilt Rewards has the no-annual-fee Bilt Rewards Mastercard.
Another option is the Chase Freedom Flex which earns up to 5% back on purchases and doesn’t charge an annual fee. You can redeem your rewards for travel, cash back, and gift cards.
Finally, your homeowners insurance or renters insurance policy may cover some claims too.
7. Pay With a Rewards Credit Card
A rewards credit card can pay you cash back you can use to offset your monthly cell phone bill. While it’s not a direct discount, you can optimize your purchasing power to save on future transactions.
Keep it simple with a card offering 2% credit card rewards on all purchases. This flat-rate rewards program can help you earn more than a tiered rewards card.
8. Activate Online Instead of In Store
You can reduce activation fees and other incidental charges by enrolling in plans and buying devices online instead of at a Verizon store or authorized retailer. Buying phone plans was a Costco money hack for many years, but that’s not necessarily the case these days, as deep discounts are a rarity according to several cell phone plan experts.
Prepaid Phone Plans that Use Verizon Towers
Your Verizon bill might still be too expensive even after the discounts. Thankfully, several prepaid carriers operate on the Verizon network by using the carrier’s excess capacity. As a result, you can pay notably less and enjoy similar coverage quality most of the time.
Some of the best prepaid phones using the Verizon network include:
- Verizon Prepaid
- Visible
- Twigby
- Total by Verizon
- Red Pocket
- Lively
I switched to a prepaid phone plan six years ago and am pleased with the reception and data speeds most of the time. Admittedly, the coverage isn’t as strong in rural areas and during peak periods. I recommend utilizing the free trial period to see how well the service works for you. Remember that you can cancel anytime and switch providers with no penalty.
Cheap Alternatives to Verizon Wireless
Here is a look at some of the best Verizon Wireless alternatives to save money as a heavy or casual user. Some offer unlimited plans while others have monthly limits at a potentially lower cost. Further, there are no contracts and the monthly price includes taxes and fees.
Visible Wireless
Visible is wholly owned by Verizon Wireless but is online-only to offer lower prices for unlimited talk, text, and data. The entry-level plan costs $25 monthly, with standard 5G speeds plus unlimited talk and text to Mexico or Canada. For $45 monthly, you get 50 GB of 5G Ultra Wideband access which is the network’s quickest speed.
Read our Visible Wireless review for more.
Twigby
Twigby is one of the best options when you don’t need unlimited data, as unlimited talk and text plans start at $15 per month for 2 GB of high-speed 5G data. Introductory pricing for the first three months starts at $5 monthly. The most generous data package is 20 GB data with an ongoing monthly price of $35 per line.
All plans include these perks:
- 5G data speeds (where available)
- Mobile hotspot
- Unlimited talk to over 80 countries
- Unlimited global text
- 6-way conference calling
Unlike the prepaid alternatives we mention above, Verizon doesn’t own Twigby and it’s an independent mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).
Tello
Tello is a discount carrier operating on the T-Mobile network as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). It offers custom mix-and-match plans based on data usage and talk and text patterns.
Users benefit from the following benefits:
- No designated family plan
- Bring your own phone (unlocked and compatible)
- Bring your phone number
- Unlimited talk and text
- No annual contracts
Plans start at $5 per month, but you can get an unlimited data plan for as little as $25 monthly. Tello’s affordable pricing and flexible plans make it great for families looking for an inexpensive solution.
Lively
Seniors should consider the device and plan options from Lively. It’s possible to buy Jitterbug phones with a monthly plan that costs $19.99, $39.99, or $49.99. Data packages cost extra with unlimited data costing $30 monthly, which can make it pricier than Verizon.
Plan benefits include unlimited talk and text plus the Lively team can coordinate Lyft rides, friends and family alerts, and 24/7 emergency responses. This hands-on support and user-friendly devices can be worth the extra expense. Lively is part of Best Buy Health which offers personalized health solutions through the well-known electronics retailer.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to lower your Verizon bill will help you save money each month while maintaining the high-speed data plus voice and text capabilities you’ve grown accustomed to.
That said, if you can’t reduce your Verizon bill to an amount you’re comfortable with, don’t hesitate to consider prepaid phone plans, including those that use the Verizon network.