How To Get $10 Verizon Discount & Still Pay With A Credit Card
One of our Facebook Group members about how Verizon was charging them $10 to pay their cell phone bill with a credit card. That was not entirely accurate, Verizon gives you a $10 discount per month for setting up auto pay with a debit card or bank account. The Facebook Group member had changed their auto pay from a debit card to a credit card so the bill went up $10. Some other members chipped in on how you can have the best of both worlds.
Have Your Cake & Eat It Too
Phone bills are a big time bonus category for some of us. If you have a card like the Chase Ink Cash or Chase Ink Preferred then you are getting 3X-5X Ultimate Rewards for that bill. That equates to 5%-9% back with a 1.8 cent valuation. But if your cell phone bill is under $100 you would be better off with the $10 discount since that is a savings of 10%+.
A few different members explained how to get the best of both worlds. What they do is set up the Auto Pay feature for a debit card or bank account and then prepay all or most of their bill each month with a credit card. You get the discount and still earn the points!
Conclusion
This is a pretty easy tip that can save you $10 a month if you are a Verizon customer. Another option may be to purchase Verizon gift cards at a grocery store and pay your bill with those. That is me just hypothetically speaking since I have no real world experience with this. But you could get 6%+ back at the grocery store for the purchase and maybe earn fuel points too. That may be another option if you don’t have a card that earns bonus points on phone bills.
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Hi Mark, long-time reader, first time poster. Thanks for all you do with your side. I know this post is old so I wanted to know if you have an update on this topic? Is it possible to pay your Verizon bill with a credit card other than the VZW-branded card and keep the $10 auto-pay discount?
Thanks,
EBK
I don’t have a Verizon account to give this a try any longer. Hopefully someone that is a Verizon customer can chime in.
Same theory applies to many different recurring bills. Not going to elaborate because it appears it may have been jinxed.
I’ve had auto pay set up to pay from a bank account, but then I pay my bill in full each month with a credit card ever since this discount was available. Today I got a notification that because I made a one time payment with a credit card, I will be billed $10 for non compliance next month. Now I’m wondering if the only way to do it is purchase Verizon gift cards and pay with them. Anyone know if this is possible? No sense in me going to the bother if they will just keep charging me $10 for non compliance.
Does the giftcards tricks works?
I also got a pop up from Verizon stating that they will remove the auto pay discount when trying to pay a portion of my bill with a credit card. I have 8 lines with verizon, so 80 bucks for paying with a credit card is to much to pass up.
Thought it was odd I never saw that discount offer until I realized you were talking about cell phone bills! Might want to clarify that in the title.
There is now way it is worth it for Verizon to offer that discount long term, better take advantage while it lasts.
Added it in the first paragraph – thanks Dave
Thanks for this tip. I had been bummed about losing 5x when I signed up for a new Verizon deal that required autopay.
Glad I could help!
Auto pay discount is automatically removed for that months if you pre pay a bill.
Are you sure Gene? I have multiple data points that say different.
Yes, I tried yesterday in the app. When I tried to svchedule a one time payment to pre-pay the bill, a message poped up saying that my discount will be removed for that month. I guess they figured out the workaround.
Yes, I tried yesterday in the app. When I tried to svchedule a one time payment to pre-pay the bill, a message poped up saying that my discount will be removed for that month. I guess they figured out the workaround. Im taling about the Internet. Im not sure what the story is with TV/cell phone
According to https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/auto-pay-faqs/, Gene’s right:
“If you’re getting the $5/month Auto Pay discount and you use a credit card to make a one-time payment online or through the My Verizon app, the $5/discount will be removed for the current month. The removed discount will appear as a $5 charge on your next bill.”
I notice it says $5 not $10 so maybe that’s outdated but the rule is pretty clear otherwise
This works for at&t too. My bill becomes due the 4th, auto debit is set for the 21st. I have until the 21st to pay via credit card. I still get the $10 discount.
Thanks for the tip Rabbmd – may need to do a quick post for AT&T to let people know that too.
>>What they do is set up the Auto Pay feature for a debit card or bank account and then prepay all or most of their bill each month with a credit card.>>
you’re implying a switcheroo? I don’t think it’ll work because CCs are easily distinguished by the first 6 digits BIN. If not a switcheroo, care to explain how to set up with DC and then pay with CC?
I refused to give Vzn my bank’s info in exchange for $10/month.
From my understanding they set up the auto pay with a debit card but go in an make an “extra” payment each month with the credit card. So it won’t auto bill your credit card you need to manually pay it each month with a credit card before the auto billing happens.