Verizon Customers, It Will Now Cost You $2 to Pay Your Bill Over the Phone or Online
- Posted on December 30, 2011 at 8:00am by
Liz Klimas
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NEW YORK (The Blaze/AP) — Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest cellphone company, said Thursday that it will start charging $2 for every payment subscribers make over the phone or online with their credit cards.
The company said this “convenience fee” will be introduced Jan. 15.
The fee won‘t apply to electronic check payments or to automatic credit card payments set up through Verizon’s AutoPay system. Paying by credit card in a Verizon store will also be free, as will mailing a check.
The New York Times reports a Verizon spokesperson as saying that the company doesn’t really want customers to be charged this fee if they can help it:
“These fees are going to cover the costs of those last-minute payments,” said David Samberg, a Verizon spokesman. “We don’t want anyone to have to pay this.”
The Times goes on to report Gerry Purdy, an analyst with the market research firm MobileTrax, as pointing out that Verizon is probably making this change to encourage people to sign up for automatic payments, which will help ensure payments come in on time:
[...] it made sense that Verizon was charging for over-the-phone payments, because carriers typically must pay a third-party service to handle those transactions. But Internet payments do not require a third party, he said.
“That’s the one that surprises me, because most people won’t charge you for paying on the Internet,” Mr. Purdy said. “When you book a plane ticket online, you don’t get charged a fee.”
Other carriers have tried to get subscribers to move to automatic payments through other means. AT&T Inc. offers a $10 gift card for those who set up AutoPay. Sprint Nextel Corp. charges subscribers who have caps on the fees they can rack up each month. Those people are charged $5 monthly unless they set up automatic payments.
It’s not uncommon for utilities, universities and even state tax departments to charge convenience fees for online payments. Each credit-card payment comes with fees that the companies can avoid by getting electronic checks instead. Automatic payments mean less trouble for companies in going after late payments.
Verizon Communications Inc., the landline phone company that owns most of Verizon Wireless, tried last year to introduce a $3.50 fee for people who paid their bill for FiOS TV or Internet service month-to-month by credit card. It backed off after complaints.
Those on Twitter have been complaining about the fee since the announcement. Here are some of the tweets:
Verizon Wireless serves 91 million phones and other devices on accounts that pay the company directly, and more who pay indirectly through other companies.
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Comments (81)
garyM
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:40amI’ve been a Verizon wireless customer for about 9 years, always paid my bill on time. They gradually have raised my bill. I would call Verizon every now and them and have a pow wow talk about my options to swap companies and they would lower my rates back down. Once they gave me 10.00 payment for the second phone I had and after one month they raised the second phone back to 20.00. The bill started out 1000 minutes for 49.95 natiionwide split between to phones, free mobile to mobile to all Verizon phones and free texts. Then when I started using text, they started the text plans which raised my bill about another 20.00 a month, my bill has went from 49.95 for the base but after the Universal Service charge, the cause we can tax, city tax, state tax, fed tax and host of others things that you don’t know what is, it’s about 100.00 a month. I recently called Verizon and told them I’d about had enough. I’m switching to pre-paid Walmart phones. Verizon is definately a ripoff company, but so is AT&T and the rest! I’m sure if they ever go under, Obama will bail them out!
I’m sure we can look for other companies to start more extra charges. That’s what happens when you have no government to look out for the people and they only look out only for the fat cats. Don’t believe that democrat rhetoric that the democrats are for the poor folk!
Report Post »SurfinRallylizard
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 11:57amHow much does the pre-paid Walmart deal cost? What kind of plan/minutes/texts do you get with that? I’ve had Tmobile/Voicestream for 10 years, my bill was $20/mth in 2001, it is $106+ now, all I want/need is a freakin’ phone that can send texts, these cell phone prices are such a ripoff. I think getting a few hundred minutes and texts on a pre-paid that I can travel with for emergencies would be great, otherwise, I can use a landline at home for $10/mth. That should help out my annual budget by at least $600/year.
Report Post »garyM
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 12:06pmSurfinRallylizard
Report Post »Go here and check out the prices. You can control your bill with prepaid. I haven’t got my phone activated yet. I know people who do have them that are satisfied. It beats being in the Verizon or some other companies clinch.
Go here to check out the phones, cards, etc!
https://www.tracfone.com
SLEUTH
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 12:51pmwe all need to ‘pick’ one cell phone co. and drop the one we now have, until the others beg us to come back, then we tell them to ‘shove it’, ‘kiss my butt’. if we stick it out another co. will come up with a better deal. by then they will know that we are in control. but never go back to any of these be it Verizon, ATT or any other ‘big’ carrier. we can pull it off if we do it together. i had Cingular and i payed the ‘penalty just to get rid of them but they lost revenue from me. the oper told me that they will get someone who doesnt like their cell service and come to Cingular, so they are not worried. we need to make them worry. someone should set up a blog to get us all together and act.
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 1:00pmOf course this is price gouging, but what can you do?
AT&T has lobbied your representatives (bribed your representatives) to allow them to start monopolizing telecommunications again years after they were broken up as Ma Bell companies.
REVOL wireless charges you $5 to pay your phone bill…. IN STORE!!!
They call it a “Convenience Fee”!!!
The Big Telecoms and the FCC won’t allow the super-cheap Magic Jack to get wireless approval! Magic Jack has a device that will allow you to “roam” off of your cell provider‘s signal and onto Magic Jack’s signal when you’re in the vicinity of a wireless Magic Jack!
The Big Telecoms are fighting them to keep their precious bandwidth that was bought and paid for through the corrupt FCC to themselves!
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 1:16pmActually, I have AT&T and pay only 46.55 a month. I don’t text, so I don’t incur any extra charges. I get 450 minutes weekdays and unlimited weekend, no roaming charges. I don’t call many people so this is perfect for me. I’ve had this plan since AT&T was AT&T through Cingular back to AT&T. I have auto pay with AT&T.
People who use their phone to conduct online transactions are idiots.
Report Post »LookTowardsTheLight
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 1:22pmActually, Sprint is a better choice cause of their everything included plans. If you are a smart phone user, they are the only major carrier with true unlimited data. The only downside is Verizon I feel has better all around service in terms of phone calls and 4g.
Report Post »Hobbs57
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 1:50pmVerizon already hits you with a 3$ charge for over the phone payments. They make it near impossible for me to get into my account once I forgot my password. They directed me to using my bill information, which they would also not allow me to sign in. I am certain it is a con job to hit me for another 3$. Tired of these company’s !
Report Post »the hawk
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 2:19pmthey mess with me I’ll go somewhere else all 3 contracts are up !
Report Post »i;m thinking cheep land line and save 150$ ! )food storage)
Bounder
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:15pmAnd here’s an example of why the free market system is so great. Verizon wants to charge fees? We go somewhere else. When their sales drop, especially due to contract changes that release us from obligations, they will suddenly see the light or lose major business.
Obama wants things like this to come under his control. That way, the companies that “contribute” to his campaigns will get preference.
Report Post »jzs
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:00pmThis is a good example of what Americans can do when faced with price hikes that you dang well aren’t going to “improve your service.” That’s absurd. Seriously, charging you more money is going to give you better service, or are they just testing the waters to see if you’ll pay more to them? Companies will charge whatever you’re willing to pay. When there customers got angry, they backed off.
I applaud everyone who expressed their anger at Verizon. Ultimately, together, you forced this huge corporation from hiking what you pay for no other reason than to boost their profits, without providing any extra benefit to the average customer. And they backed down and withdrew the charge.
For all those Americans who complained, and got this huge company from scr—- you, congratulations. You are honorary OWS members!
Report Post »drkmagneto
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:48pmI heard that Verizon scrapped the $2 fee due to customer outrage! Yay!!!!
Report Post »robinakilt
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:39amVerizon Wireless if anyone from your company reads this blog. I have been a customer for 10 years now and I have tolerated your charges because your cell service was great, your customer service was great and the prices were ok. In the past year your price are ridiculous, your customer service in the past year sucks and now as if you don’t make enough money off of me on a monthly basis already you want to hit me with this BS fee. Keep doing what you are doing and you will be treated the same way I treated Netflix and Bank of America. I won’t protest like the idiots at OWS but I will take my business somewhere else and neither of those companies have my business anymore. I love capitalism but I hate greed!
Report Post »garyM
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:55amMy Walmart Samsung phone is coming FEDEX today. I’ll be calling Verizon soon and telling them bye bye. I gave them fair warning the other day when I called and ask why my phone bill always went up without adding any more options. I was told I had the best deal they had. I said, yea it was but the bill has doubled for the same service I started with about 9-10 years ago. The Walmart Phones are good phones and you can get triple minutes for life on their prepaid cards, You can text, surf the internet whatever, of course I’d rather use my unlimited landline internet service than on my phone. You can buy 100 minutes to 1500 minute cards online without going to a store. Most cards are valid for at least three months whereas, if you don’t use your minutes with Verizon, they’re gone and you still pay the same bill every month. I looked at Verizon’s pre-paid plans but did not see where I could save any money there either. They think they got it all figured out. I‘m guessing Verizon has got a new CEO about like Obama who don’t know beans about customer service!
Report Post »jzs
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 11:19amVerizon is in the business of making a profit. They’ll charge whatever people will pay. That’s capitalism folks. Communists!
Report Post »garyM
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 12:13pmI think we had a bunch of communist come over and have bought American companies within our capitalist system is what has happened!
Report Post »mlewis
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 12:13pmThe only problem is Verizon is run by unions. They are not free market, entirely. They are collectivists who think the free market should be “regulated” if not downright collectivised.
A pox on their economic absurdity.
Report Post »LookTowardsTheLight
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 1:33pm@jzs
Put a sock in it.
Report Post »garyM
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 1:48pmI doubt if JZS has a sock!
Report Post »ConservativeChristianB1954
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:32amThis reminds me of 9.95 “shipping and HANDLING” charges. You get your package and the postage was only 1.95. The other 8.00 is pure profit for the seller! Some deal right?
I pass by my Verison store every day. I will making my payment in person from now on. Yea, I know it’s only $2 but the plan I am on is highway robbery in the first place.
My electric company started charging 3.95 to pay my bill online. A first class postage stamp is MUCH cheaper. You KNOW they make a profit off of this.
Report Post »THIS GENERATION
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 1:03pmYou can’t deal with these people, we got to leave them ‘cut and dry’; that is the only language they know.
Report Post »Remember Netflix, when they lost 800,000 subscribers their stock went down still they kept their prices up. Hard heads, they will learn when they lose another 800,000. A new CEO will always try to make a name for themselves in their new co. GREED, GREED, GREED is all the know and thats is the only thing between their ears. We need to show them that we can be greedy too and leave them to dry.
theamericanvision
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:30amI pay through my banks website which will still be free. That being said, on principal, I’m going to begin paying it in-store for free… Want to hit them where it hurts? Tie up on of their retail sales reps to process your payment… They’ll be wishing they only ate $2.
Report Post »AZ_Dennis
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:28amI only have praise for Verizon. ATT and Sprint won’t work from our house, Verizon‘s reception is the best of any service I’ve ever used. Their rates have been competitive (in fact, in total billing, we pay less with Verizon than any service we’ve ever used — and that includes a short period with Cricket, where they shorted us on days paid, and they double charged our service in the final three months before we moved to Verizon).
Report Post »garyM
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 12:38pmA verizon emplyee huh! I didn’t see anything about how much you paid which is the grip, not the reception!
Report Post »3rdDayPatriot
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:28amWhat’s next $2 processing fee for paying with a check. I know electronic transfer is the preferred method; however, a lot of older americans still use checks for all thier bills.
Report Post »2centsworth
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:22amPerhaps while Verizon deals with their “growing pains” they could suspend the many and idiotic commercials that run incessantly. I don’t think I can stand one more pink outfit and hope that the frighteningly creepy elves are gone for good.
Report Post »OutOfTheAether
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 11:04amthe first time i heard the commercial, I could have sworn they said ‘orgy’ instead of ‘4G’. I’m with you, the ad is irritating
Report Post »garyM
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 12:17pmI agree on the Verizon commercials, I think all the companies have crackheads producing the TV commercials. I think the Progressive Insurance commercial is the worse one. I almost puke everytime I see one! The Bud Lite is almost as bad, just pass the Bud Lite and call me crazy, yea right, they are!
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 1:38pmIsn’t the pink outfit commercial T-Mobile and not Verizon or have I just missed them or ignored them?
Report Post »Temporal
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:07am“The New York Times reports a Verizon spokesperson as saying that the company doesn’t really want customers to be charged this fee if they can help it…”
Just like the airlines don’t want us paying bag fees if we can help it….
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:26amThen don’t charge it, simple as that.
Report Post »JoeInAlbany
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:48am“These fees are going to cover the costs of those last-minute payments”
Otherwise known as On-Time payments?
I want to pay my bills at the last minute, giving me the float of interest. Apparently, Verizon wants me to pay early, giving them the float.
Screw them. Fired.
Report Post »Segosa
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:08amNo, not one time payments. I can make a one time payment and set it up to be processed 3-5 business days from today. Last minute payments are categorized as those with urgent processing requirements. If I make a one time payment and choose to have it processed within 1 business day, that would be a “last-minute payment”. Certain transaction processors charge more for the priority of these type of charges.
If you want to get upset, go to the source. The transaction processing companies, the 3rd party companies that handle the book keeping for where the money comes from, who it’s going to, and what the official ‘date’ of the transaction should be. These are the people you want to be upset at. Although, you still have little right to be. These transactions require more work for them. More work = more compensation.
Report Post »jzs
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:21amThe extra money will help Verizon create more jobs. Let’s give them a tax break too.
Report Post »CaptMickeyd
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 10:44am@Segosa, he didn’t say “one-time” payments, he said “ON-time” payments, as in, payments made on time before the due date.
Report Post »garyM
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 12:40pmI haven’t found many banks that float enough interest to matter lately!
Report Post »sunnydecoy
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:47amThe credit card and debit card fees were lowered last year. So if I read this correctly they have lower fees on cards then they did last year but that is their justification. There are late fees if you dont pay your bill on time. So on time bills would be less money.
I guess this is when a company is so big they no longer care about attracting customers just extracting from customers anyway they can..
Report Post »garyM
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 12:49pmI paid all my credit cards off a couple years ago, cut the cards up with a pair of sissors and told them all bye bye. I have a Walmart debit card for online purchases. I don’t keep much money on it, in case of rip off. I was never late on any credit card payments and they went up on the interest rate or tried to institute some annual fees. They went up on the interest rate after our dumb butted president and democratis congress (Reid and Pelosi) passed laws and didn’t make the law retro saying their were helping the poor people. All they did was cause the CC companies to go up on the interest ahead of the law taking effect. I think that had an effect of the collaspe of some of those banks. They lost me and I would think they lost many customers!
Report Post »KangarooJack
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:18amBuy a tracphone…
Report Post »dmhirman
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:11amEconomy is tanked, companies have to do what they have to do. this is why capitalism works. the company can charge what they claim they need to and I as a customer can find a new provider. I sure do miss Alltel, they were great, at least in my location.
Report Post »Unbelievable
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:11amBoy… that’s really going “green”… Now people will go back to spending that .43 cent on a stamp. I guess good news for the USPS. I’m sure AT&T, Sprint and all the others will follow.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:10amIronic I sent my first LARGE (activation fees for 4 phones) payment on my first bill to verizon and I prefer to pay bills on-line!!! Guess I will set up an auto payment that will avoid the 2 dollar cost…..Got me over a barrel since Verizon is the BEST connection going!! If we need to complain about bills complain about their $37.00 activation fee per phone!!! No spreading the payments out they hit you on your first bill!!!! Oh yeah I left T-mobile and will NEVER go back!!!!
Report Post »HKS
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:10amI think that is why we have competition, opportunity for someone here.
Report Post »Onodacops
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:09amLeaving them as soon as possible if they dont reverse this.
Report Post »demint.disciple
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:38am@Onodacops.. The only way to MAKE them reverse this IS to leave.. Duh !! Why the hell will they stop if everyone just waits around waiting for them to change their minds ?
Report Post »Warphead
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 8:57amJust like KETSTONESTATE I was ahead of the times when I sent these guys packing a couple of years ago. There are just too many alternatives at a substantially lower cost for the services I require. But, on the other hand have you seen all the government fees tacked onto their bills? Seriously, It’s out of control. I can’t really say I blame them for trying to recoup some of their imposed government fees. I mean, They aren’t doing this (running a business) for their health. I think a little more tactful (underhanded) approach may have been wiser, like all the other companies do when they pass along a fee. But be as it may, this looks like one of those d’ohh moves like Netflix did. Oh yeah, I fired ATT as well. Not for a bad product or price but because of one smart-a$$ representative I was lucky to talk with. Really made me mad then, but boy did that guy save me the money later. Thanks smart-a$$ ATT rep.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:14amT-mobile will NEVER recieve a penny again from me either….let AT&T buy that crappy company and they can fester in their own juices lol
Report Post »AquaBuddha
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 8:56amYup
Report Post »This decision will come back to haunt them.
SamIamTwo
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 8:51amYep that is the capitalist push as of late. DTV is cheaper via CC. Paperless, mindless, and exposed. Naked on the net, a movie coming to a city near you.
Report Post »Black Midge
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 8:49amI am live on a cash basis for everything and Verizon charges me $3 to pay cash, fixin to fire them also.
Report Post »dcart888
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 8:49am“We don’t want anyone to have to pay this.”
VZ I Don’t Really Want to Dump You when Contract I Up.
Will they pull a B of A $5 fee reversal?
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 8:46amI see, I guess the union members got another raise.
Report Post »randy
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 8:43amExactly why I have AT&T go phone on my iphone, no data plan, no contract, no monthly bills, pay as I go, cancel anytime.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 8:53amMega dittos on that! +1
Report Post »JustPeachy
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 8:39amI think this is a dumb move on Verizon’s part. I can understand they want more timely payments from customers, but this is going to backlash. Whoever made this decision within their company—I don’t think this is a good one!
Guess time will tell, but they may unnecessarily lose customers over it. I’d think incentives rather than “punishment” would work better, but what do I know? ;)
Report Post »KeystoneState
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 8:36amThats why “This Guy” fired Verizon years ago! Games! No longer with ATT either, for similar shanigans!
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