How To Lower Your Verizon Cell Phone Bill

My top tip for lowering your Verizon bill is to switch to a Verizon MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). Verizon MVNOs provide the same cell phone network at a lower price. The only real downside is your data may be deprioritized at times (in other words, Verizon customer data comes first). But that’s only an issue when you’re in a space swarming with Verizon customers, like a football stadium.

Switching to an MVNO isn’t your only option, though. Any of these seven tips can help you get a better deal on your Verizon cell phone service:

1. Pay half price by switching to Visible
2. Change your plan to an option with less data
3. Switch your payment method to Auto Pay and paperless billing
4. Cut any add-ons you no longer want
5. Find a corporate or educational discount you’re eligible for
6. Sign up for a family plan to add another discount
7. Negotiate with Verizon Wireless customer service

The best way to lower your Verizon cell phone bill is to leave Verizon without actually leaving Verizon—that is, save money by switching to an MVNO.

Verizon’s network has several MVNOs aka smaller providers offering the same network coverage for significantly less money. My favorite is Visible, which has plans starting at $25—only half the cost of Verizon’s cheapest option. (For full transparency, Verizon owns Visible, presumably so it can also sell to customers who prefer MVNOs.)

Reddit user ModernSolutionz switched from Verizon to Visible and says they, “had absolutely zero issues and the same service.” The only noticeable difference is that they now go through Visible support instead of Verizon support. But they “never had to contact support in over a decade with Verizon nor do I expect to have to with Visible.” So the change isn’t a big deal.

But if you’re unsure about an MVNO, there are other ways to cut your Verizon cell phone bill.

When your Verizon bill runs too high, start by checking your monthly data usage and see if you’re paying for more than you need.

Verizon customer and Best Trade Schools founder Doug Crawford looked at his monthly use and found he could downgrade his data. “I was well under 15GB, which meant I was not taking full advantage of the premium data that comes with the Unlimited Plus plan,” says Crawford.

To save money he was spending on data he didn’t need, Crawford switched to Verizon's Unlimited Welcome plan, which is just $55 a month, making it Verizon’s second-cheapest plan. And just like that, he saved himself $180 a year.

Make sure you’re enrolled in the Verizon autopay and paperless billing programs. Signing up for these alternative billing options saves you $10 a month per phone line. That can really add up!

It’s easy to confirm you’re signed up for paperless billing—you won’t get a notice in your physical mailbox anymore. However, you may need to double-check you’re enrolled in autopay and not just using a credit card: Verizon requires you to make automatic payments from a debit card or checking account.

Check your monthly bill for add-ons, especially ones you didn’t authorize. Doug Crawford looked over his statement and found $22 in upcharges for automatic add-ons he never signed up for.

“I looked through the bill and saw a $17 device protection fee and a $5 monthly charge for Verizon Cloud,” Crawford recalls. “I had not backed up a single file to that service, and I keep my phone in a heavy-duty case.”

If you find add-ons you didn’t approve or no longer want, removing them is easy. You can log in to your online Verizon account and un-enroll yourself with a few clicks. You can also call customer service or visit a local Verizon store.

You can get Verizon Wireless deals in unexpected places. For instance, there may be a discount for employees at your workplace or alumni of your school (though you may need to provide proof of employment or enrollment). To see what’s available, check the Verizon customer portal or reach out to your employer or university.

After some searching, Crawford found a deal for Kent State Alumni on the Verizon discount portal. “Verizon did not promote it clearly, so I had to dig a bit to find it,” he says. “I submitted my old student email along with a recent utility bill to verify everything. About a week later, the discount showed up on my bill without any followup needed.”

While Verizon may not have a discount for you, it doesn’t hurt to check—and keep checking. You never know what might crop up.

I contacted Verizon customer service to ask how a customer could get a discount, and the first response was, “Add another phone line.”

It seems counterintuitive, but the math actually works. The more lines you add, the cheaper the cost per line. If you sign up for an Unlimited Ultimate plan by yourself, it costs $80 a month. If you sign up for an Unlimited Ultimate plan with three other people, it costs $220—that’s $55 a person. And in 2023, I was on a plan with seven family members and paid $45 a month.

Of course, if you don’t have a big family like mine, the trick is finding other people to sign up with you without feeling weird about it. Maybe think of it like having roommates … for your phone.

It doesn’t hurt to negotiate with Verizon customer service for a better deal. Call the Verizon Wireless customer service number, or simply dial 611. You can also try the customer service chat.

Start with something like this:

Hi, I’ve been with Verizon for [X amount of time]. I’d like to keep the service, but my cell phone bill has gotten too expensive. Is there anything you can do to help me lower my monthly cost?

The customer service representative may start with things you’ve already tried, like removing add-ons or switching to Auto Pay. But they may also suggest other cost-saving measures that require personnel help to implement, so it’s worth a try.

And if the rep doesn’t have any suggestions, that may be a sign it’s time to switch to a more affordable provider.

The best way to get affordable cell phone service is to go for an MVNO. Verizon has nearly 30 MVNOs on its network, though the best ones are Visible, US Mobile, Spectrum Mobile, Twigby, and Red Pocket.

If you’d rather leave the Verizon network altogether, it isn’t the only provider with MVNO carriers—T-Mobile and AT&T have some too.