Verizon is making significant changes to its pricing structure that will impact many customers starting September 1st. The company is discontinuing various loyalty discounts for long-term customers and simultaneously increasing several administrative fees across its plan offerings.
Key Changes for Verizon Customers
Discontinuation of Loyalty Discounts
Customers are receiving notifications that their existing loyalty discounts will be removed. These range from $10 to $15 discounts on multi-line accounts, with some customers seeing a $25 discount eliminated. Current discounts with expiring dates will still be honored through September 1st, but those with no specified end date will presumably remain in place.
Increased Administrative Fees
Verizon is raising its standard administrative fees, which apply to most plans:
* Voice-only lines: Fee increases from $3.50 to $3.78 per line
* Data-only lines (tablets): Fee rises from $1.60 to $3.97 per line
* Voice-capable devices: Telco Recovery Charge increases from $0.19 to $0.21 per line
Additional Fee Increases
Beyond the standard fee hikes, Verizon is also:
* Boosting the monthly fee for tablet-only plans by $5
* Raising the standard activation fee to $40 from $35
Context and Significance
This move by Verizon follows similar fee adjustments at competitors like T-Mobile. The trend of separating base plan costs from taxes and fees allows carriers more flexibility to adjust administrative charges. While Verizon claims these fees help cover operational costs and regulatory compliance, the cumulative effect means bills will increase for many subscribers.
The discontinuation of loyalty discounts suggests Verizon is testing customer retention without these incentives. The company implemented a three-year price lock on its MyPlan earlier this year, though customers should note this lock typically doesn’t include taxes and fees.
These changes highlight the ongoing pressure on mobile carriers to manage costs while maintaining service quality, ultimately affecting consumer prices. Customers should review their bills carefully in September to understand the full impact of these changes on their monthly expenses
