Verizon Convenience Fee: Will You Fork Over $2 Just to Pay Your Bill?

Another big corporation is planning to stick it to the individual consumer.  Will you stand for it?

Verizon has just announced that, beginning January 15, it will start charging customers who make single bill payments online or by telephone will be charged a $2 “convenience fee.”

(UPDATE: Verizon has backed down and says it won’t charge the fee)

“The fee will help allow us to continue to support these single bill payment options in these channels and is designed to address costs incurred by us for only those customers who choose to make single bill payments in alternate payment channels (online, mobile, telephone),” the company said in a statement.

The Verizon convenience fee will be waived for those who pay their monthly bill by electronic check or enroll in AutoPay.

Verizon Wireless, headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., is the currently the largest cell phone carrier in America. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone.

It boasts 90.7 million retail customers and 17 million wholesale and other customers, according to the company.

In a statement, the company listed the seven ways in which customers can avoid the new $2 Verizon convenience fee:

1. Electronic check online (My Verizon Online, My Verizon Mobile/Handset). Fee waived.

2. Electronic check via telephone. Fee waived.

3. Enrollment in AutoPay using credit/debit/ATM card or electronic check; fee does not apply.

4. Online from the customer’s home-banking service provider website; fee does not apply.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Paper check or money order mailed to the VZW remit address on customer’s bill; fee does not apply.
Verizon users experienced three outages to its high speed Internet services this month, which the company said it has fixed.

So now you’re going to have to pay a “convenience fee” just to pay your bill.  Gee thanks, Verizon.  Nothing says you appreciate your customers like saying, “you have to pay us to give us your money.”

It’s times like these that make me glad I’m with AT&T.