Verizon 5G Home Internet Hidden Costs: How Much Do You Really Pay?

I reached out to a Verizon Home Internet customer, Clare Messink, who lives and works in Salt Lake County, Utah. She has been a Verizon Home Internet customer for the past two years on the 5G Home plan. She kindly shared her Verizon internet bill notification:

Her bill has always been “exactly $50,” every month since she became a customer. She tells me that her billing is so predictable that she automatically deletes her internet bill notifications since her account is set on the autopay and paperless billing option.

A flat internet fee for two years? Sounds bonkers.

One of my colleagues, Angelo Ilumba, also generously shared his Verizon 5G Home Internet bill from when he lived in California. It’s his first and only bill, as he was a Verizon internet customer for just a little over a month. He had to move and ended up leaving Verizon behind.

Let’s take a look at Angelo’s Verizon internet bill and see if it has any extra charges:

Here is Angelo’s Verizon internet bill summary:

• Total charge: $62.75
• 5G Home Plus plan: $45. At the time, the plan was originally $80 per month—with the autopay and mobile+home discounts applied, he knocks off an extra $35
• One-time charges: $17.75

His bill is a little higher than the standard $45.00 because he paid for an additional 10 days before cancelling his service (hence the “one-time charges”).

He adds that two months after cancelling, Verizon tried to charge him $200 for the equipment, which he says is “a whole other story.” Basically, Verizon accused him of not returning his Verizon Router (a hefty $200), and he went back and forth trying to resolve the situation with Verizon’s online support for two months. When he finally called in, they took care of it on the spot. So the lesson here is to simply call Verizon rather than rely on its online support for big issues.

Normally, other internet providers include extra taxes (local and state) and fees (even its own branded fees) into your monthly internet bill. Not Verizon. Verizon bakes all extra fees into the base monthly internet price. And that’s why you can’t find them anywhere on Angelo’s monthly bill.

This is fantastic news because Verizon offers price guarantees on its 5G Home Internet plans, meaning that your price stays the same for three to four years. Many other internet providers also offer price guarantees but exclude taxes and other fees. This means that your internet price can fluctuate with government changes or for any reason that your internet provider can justify to raise the price on its extra fees.

I double-checked this information in Verizon’s fine print and found the asterisk that confirms, “Plan prices include taxes and fees.” I also triple-confirmed using the Broadband Facts label that government taxes are “included.”

With Verizon, the internet plan price you sign up for is the one you see on your bill. Very cool.

As showcased by Angelo’s and Clare’s Verizon home internet bill, your charges are front and center. A positive thing about Verizon’s billing (as seen on Angelo’s bill) is that it displays its discounts with crossed-out lines rather than a whole extra section that shows how much you’ve saved over a month. It’s short, it’s clear, and nothing is confusing other than the initial moment where you wonder if your bill got cut off because it seems too short.

Look out for these charges to make sure you’re getting the best price:

• Autopay and paperless billing discount: Make sure that $10.00 is listed on your bill.
• Any extra added discounts: If you and the sales agent agreed to a specific discount, make sure it’s showing on your bill.

Here’s a full breakdown of fees you might see on your Verizon internet bill.

The good news is you won’t see these fees on your Verizon home internet bill:

• Early termination fees
• Contract renewal fees
• Overage fees
• One-time internet activation fee
• Taxes
• Extra state fees
• Equipment rental fees

In the past, Verizon has been guilty of price hikes. Not just on its internet plans, but also on its wireless plans. This is important because many Verizon internet customers bundle their wireless and internet plans to get a juicy $15 monthly discount. So when your wireless plans start seeing price hikes, you’re going to feel it if you combine your billing.

For example, last year Verizon increased its Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge on its wireless plans from $3.30 to $3.50, and raised fees for its data lines from $1.40 to $1.60. Just recently, Verizon’s 5G Home Plus plan went up $10 because it lowered its new-customer mobile discount from $35 to $25.

Also, Verizon’s autopay discount has recently changed. Verizon used to apply a $10 monthly discount on its wireless and internet plans if you enabled autopay. Things have changed. After being a Verizon customer for 36 months, the autopay discount reduces from $10 to $5 per month.

So watch out for this price hike on your bill after three years. Since this is a new policy, it’s not clear if you can call in and try to negotiate back those $5, but it’s always worth a try.

When I asked an online Verizon rep how much the internet plan prices increase after the three- and four-year price lock guarantee expires, the rep told me that customers are informed prior to the price lock ending and are offered a loyalty discount. When I asked how much it was, the rep told me it depends. So naturally, I pushed for an answer based on previous loyalty discounts, and the rep mentioned it would be around $10, but couldn’t guarantee an exact amount since it depends on the account history.

There’s a way to avoid sudden price hikes (if they happen). It simply involves checking your bill every month. That’s not a fun thing to do, especially if you are on autopay or paperless billing, but many internet providers communicate new or upcoming changes on your bill itself. Open up that email, log in to your account, and see if there are any upcoming changes on the price you pay.

• Check each monthly bill for warnings about price increases.
• Ask for the loyalty discount if you see your internet price hike up (or about to hike up).
• Make sure you get that full autopay discount applied every month.

Based on the two Verizon home internet customers that I spoke to, Verizon simply doesn’t tack on extra fees to your bill. But if there’s ever a question, call in to speak directly with a Verizon rep or chat with a Verizon rep online.

When it comes to pricing transparency, Verizon Home Internet may be as good as it gets (and we think it has the best 5G speeds as well). As we like saying at Reviews.org, the best kind of internet is the boring kind. Does Verizon 5G Home Internet win the crown for most boring internet? When it comes to pricing, it sure does.

To read more about Verizon’s overall service, read our honest Verizon review.

To get familiar with its connection speed, check out our Verizon internet speed test.

To find out where you can get Verizon 5G Home Internet, check out our page on Verizon Coverage and Availability.

Many other internet providers are known for their hidden fees. Here’s what to expect in a nutshell:

• Xfinity internet: Built-in price hikes after 12 to 24 months (or even five years)
• Spectrum internet: $65 professional installation fee; $30 self-installation fee
• T-Mobile 5G home internet: Credit check deposit, taxes, and fees
• Cox, Xfinity, AT&T: Overage monthly charges starting at $10

Whether or not you’re sold on Verizon’s extremely transparent pricing model, it’s important to see if Verizon 5G Home Internet is actually available in your area. If not, you’ll want to weigh your options, and explore our guides to find the best and most affordable internet on your block.