How To Lower Your CenturyLink Internet Bill

You can lower your CenturyLink bill by switching your plan to a cheaper one. If you want to keep your plan, you could also use your own modem and router instead of leasing.

There is also a way to lower your bills by setting up a payment plan with CenturyLink.

Alternatively, you could also dispute a charge, negotiate a deal, or even change your internet provider.

• Switch to a slower plan for a cheaper monthly rate.
• Use your own modem instead of paying a monthly lease fee.
• Set up a payment plan to split your bills into installments.
• Dispute a charge on your bill.
• Negotiate a deal with customer service.
• Change your internet provider.

The easiest way to reduce your CenturyLink bill is to switch to a cheaper plan. If you’re a fiber subscriber, you could switch to CenturyLink’s cheapest fiber internet plan, which costs $50 for up to 500Mbps upload and download speeds. It doesn’t cost anything to switch, so this is a great first step if you want to save money quickly.

Unfortunately, this tip doesn’t work for CenturyLink DSL subscribers. CenturyLink offers only a single price across its DSL plans, even if there are multiple speeds to choose from.

There is also the option to opt in to Lifeline, which discounts your monthly internet bill by $9.25. We provide all the details on the program in our CenturyLink low-income internet guide. 

Instead of shelling out $10 every month to lease a modem (or paying $200 to purchase it outright), you can buy a CenturyLink-compatible modem on Amazon for a more affordable price. There is no extra fee to use your own Wi-Fi equipment.

For CenturyLink fiber customers, all the Wi-Fi equipment is included with the plan, so it won’t make a difference price-wise if you rent or use your own modem.

CenturyLink’s payment plan is the provider’s best-kept secret. Although it doesn’t lower the amount of money you need to pay within a month, it does give you options to split up payments.

There are two ways you can set up a payment plan:

1. Split your plan bill into two installments, due within 30 days of the day you set up the plan.
2. Pay the past-due balance first, and the remaining current balance will be due by its regular due date.

You can set up the payment plan by logging into your online account. If you pay using your bank account, there is no fee. If you use a credit card or debit card, there is a one-time $3.50 convenience fee. The payment plan is only available for eligible accounts, so call or chat with customer service to check if you can set one up. 

Internet providers won’t fix an issue with billing unless you say something, so make sure to file a dispute if you see any unexpected charges. CenturyLink offers a 90-day window from when you receive your bill to request a bill credit from a customer service representative.

However, some fees aren’t usually mistakes. These include:

• Federal and state taxes and fees
• One-time shipping costs
• Modem rental or purchase fees (if your plan didn’t come with free equipment)
• Professional installation (if your plan didn’t come with free installation)

Once your bill credit is approved, you get a credit within two bill cycles.

You can also lower your CenturyLink bill by negotiating a deal with CenturyLink’s customer service. This takes more effort than our other suggestions, but putting on your (polite and direct) negotiation voice and having a live conversation with a customer service rep gives you a better chance at lowering your bill.

Here’s how to do it:

First, find internet service providers that offer services in your area. Don’t skip this step because it’s the crux of your negotiation. A CenturyLink rep is more likely to bend to your requests if you have the option to walk away to a cheaper internet provider with better terms.

To find the cheapest internet plans in your area, type your zip code in the search bar below.

Once you have another provider up your sleeve to reference during the negotiation, call CenturyLink’s customer support line at +1-800-244-1111. Here’s a script you can use:

You can also try this negotiation via CenturyLink’s customer service chat.

If you tried to lower your CenturyLink internet bill but nothing seems to be working, it might be time to change your internet provider.

Internet providers like T-Mobile 5G Home Internet or Xfinity often have promotional deals for new customers like lower rates, gift cards, or bundles that can save you a lot of money. Below is a list of some competitors that may offer you a better rate than CenturyLink:

As we mentioned above, you can save money simply by switching from CenturyLink to a new provider. The caveat is that internet service providers limit their service to certain cities and neighborhoods.

So instead of opening a million Chrome tabs to compare all the options, you can simply search your zip code below for the full list of providers in your area. We also make it easy for you to find the best plan by rounding up the cheapest, fastest, and most reliable internet providers in your specific zip code.