Verizon Wants $2 From Customers Who Don’t Use AutoPay
Starting January 15, Verizon Wireless will institute a new $2 convenience fee for customers who make single bill payments online or by phone, the carrier announced Thursday. The fee is apparently designed “to address costs incurred by [Verizon] for only those customers who choose to make single bill payments in alternate payment channels (online, mobile, telephone),” the carrier said.
Hopefully Verizon will put its new revenue stream to good use by ensuring no more widespread LTE outages happen within a matter of weeks of each other. Just yesterday Big Red dealt with its second LTE outage in the span of seven days, but the issue has apparently been rectified.
Customers who use AutoPay or pay by electronic check are unaffected by the new $2 fee – Verizon actually included a list of options to avoid paying the fee altogether.
Per Verizon:
- Electronic check online (My Verizon Online, My Verizon Mobile/Handset). Fee waived.
- Electronic check via telephone. Fee waived.
- Enrollment in AutoPay using credit/debit/ATM card or electronic check; fee does not apply
- Online from the customer’s home-banking service provider website; fee does not apply.
- Credit/debit/ATM card, electronic check or cash at a Bill Payment Kiosk, Panel or with a representative at a Verizon Wireless Communications Store; fee does not apply.
- Use of a Verizon Wireless Gift Card or Verizon Wireless device Rebate Card to pay a bill in-store, online or by telephone; fee does not apply
- Paper check or money order mailed to the VZW remit address on customer’s bill; fee does not apply.
