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Billing

General Information

  1. What should I expect on my first bill?

    When you activate a new line of service, we will bill for a partial month or portion of the monthly access charge calculated from the date you began service to the last day of your bill cycle, plus the next month's access charge if we bill you in advance. As an added benefit from Verizon Wireless you will be given the full month of airtime allowance for your calling plan during the partial month.

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  2. What are the partial charges on my bill?

    Monthly charges are prorated according to the number of days you are billed for them during your 30-day billing cycle.

    For example, if you changed rate plans during the middle of your billing cycle, your statement should contain a charge for the old rate plan (according to the number of days in your cycle that you were on the old rate plan) and the new rate plan.

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  3. If I begin subscribing to wireless service in the middle of the month, do I still get all of my Included Minutes?

    Even though you only pay the partial month access fee for your new Calling Plan, you do receive your full monthly allowance of minutes. Your Calling Plan provides Included Minutes based on a 30-day billing cycle. If you activate service in the middle of a billing cycle, you will receive a prorated access charge based on the number of days your service was active during your billing cycle. However, you will receive the full monthly allowance of minutes.

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  4. What are "Included Minutes?"

    This term refers to the minutes included in your monthly Calling Plan. Once you have used all of your "Included Minutes," you will be charged for the remaining minutes. Charges for any minutes over your "Included Minutes" will vary depending on your Calling Plan. "Included Minutes" are also referred to as "Allowance Minutes" and "Package Minutes."

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  5. Where are my Included Minutes shown on my bill?

    Normally your Included Minutes appear in the Detail Charges section of your bill. Airtime is broken down between Peak and Off Peak. The bill displays the rate and amount of minutes used during each billing cycle.

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  6. What is the difference between Peak and Off Peak airtime?

    Peak hours are generally associated with the portion of the business day where you might expect greater system demand.

    Off Peak hours are generally associated with evening hours and weekends. Actual Off Peak hours vary from city to city.

    Typically, weekends start late Friday evening and end early Monday morning. Exact times for Peak/Off Peak vary by service area and Calling Plan selected.

    Please refer to your contract or contact customer service for further assistance at (800) 922-0204.

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  7. How are per-minute charges calculated?

    Your per-minute charges vary by Calling Plan. Some Calling Plans offer flat rates, others vary by time-of-day, Night and/or Weekend Minutes.

    If you have the Detailed Billing option on your bill, you will see each call listed purely for informational purposes, it does not necessarily mean you are charged for the call. The Detail of Airtime Charges section also displays the billing rate and amount of minutes used during Peak, Off Peak, Weekend, etc. To review how you are being charged per minute, refer to the Airtime Charges section on your statement.

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  8. Who is charged when a wireless phone calls a wireless phone?

    Both the outgoing call and the incoming call are chargeable calls in accordance with the customers' Mobile to Mobile Calling allowances. If the call goes to voice mail, then the caller would be charged their Mobile to Mobile Calling allowance. If a customer does not have Mobile to Mobile Calling allowances, then their per-minute usage rate would apply.

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  9. Why does the airtime on my bill not match the airtime from my phone's timer?

    The call timer included in your wireless phone begins timing calls from the moment you press the SEND button until the END button is pressed. These timers keep track of all calls, including misdials, *611 and 911 calls. (Verizon Wireless does not charge you for calls made to *611, 911 or minutes included in your Calling Plan.)

    The call timer in your wireless phone calculates every minute of every call you make. Verizon Wireless rounds up to the nearest minute while the timer in your phone may calculate your minutes without rounding up.

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  10. Why does my bill show two calls starting at the same time?

    Because airtime is billed in one-minute increments, a caller could place a brief call, hang up, and place a second call before that minute expires. This would result in two calls having the same start time in your Airtime Detail.

    Also, our cell sites are not synchronized, so if calls are carried by different cell sites the timer discrepancies might account for what looks like two calls at the same time.

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  11. I left my phone on (I didn't press the END button). Will I be charged?

    If you just left the phone on, you simply used some of your battery's strength. However, if the "IN USE" indicator remained lit or active, then you may have forgotten to disconnect by pressing "END" and the clock kept ticking...

    Don't panic! Most likely, the call automatically ended when the other party disconnected.

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  12. Am I charged airtime when I check my wireless voice mail messages from my wireless phone?

    If you check your messages from your wireless phone, normal airtime charges are incurred.

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  13. What is Airtime?

    It is the time you spend actually connected to the Verizon Wireless Network. Airtime encompasses the time that passes between the moment you press SEND and the moment you press END. Whenever you place calls on your wireless phone or retrieve messages, you're using Verizon Wireless airtime.

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  14. What is a "dropped call?"

    A "dropped call" is a call that is disconnected unexpectedly. Sometimes, while traveling, your wireless conversation is handed off from one cell to another and is dropped. When a call is dropped, it usually means either that you've traveled into the fringe at the outer limits of your service area, or that your battery is running low and cannot maintain enough current to "hold" the signal transmitting your call.

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  15. If my wireless call is dropped or disconnected, what are my charges?

    Airtime charges automatically stop as soon as a call is dropped or disconnected.

    Calls can drop for a wide variety of reasons. One of the following may be the cause:

    • You are in a geographical area the signal cannot reach (forest, building, tunnel, mountain).
    • You might have just left a cellular service area or you might be traveling along its fringe.
    • You may have faulty equipment, such as a bad antenna or an uncharged battery.

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  16. What are the long distance charges on my bill?

    You are charged for long distance when you dial outside of your local service area. You are also subject to long distance charges while roaming.

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  17. Will I incur long distance charges if I receive a call while roaming?

    You will be charged long distance charges on incoming calls while roaming.

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  18. I made a change to my account. Why haven't I seen it on my bill?

    If your request was processed after the end of the month's billing cycle, your next bill may not reflect the change. Wait another month to ensure that your request was properly processed. If you feel your current statement should reflect the change, contact us at *611 (a free call from your wireless phone) or call (800) 922-0204 so we may verify the changes to your account.

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  19. Why am I being charged taxes?

    Verizon Wireless is required by law to charge you certain taxes, surcharges and assessments. These could include mandates from the FCC, Federal, state or local authorities.

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  20. Where do I send my bill payment?

    View the Contact Us page to see payment mailing addresses.

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  21. Am I able to place or receive collect calls?

    Collect calls cannot be made from or received on wireless devices.

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  22. What is the credit / refund plan for certain "pay as you go" data customers?

    In early 2010, Verizon Wireless conducted an internal investigation into whether “pay as you go” data customers may have been incorrectly billed for data usage. “Pay as you go” data customers have wireless service plans that do not include a data allowance, do not have a data package, and are billed for data usage at the rate of $1.99 per megabyte. We discovered that certain customers were inadvertently charged for data, in most cases in a $2 - $6 range. These customers received a credit and an explanatory message on their bill in October or November 2010, while former customers received a refund check in the mail. By far the single largest problem, involving the vast majority of credits, was caused by a very small data “acknowledgment” session sent by software pre-loaded on certain phones. This may have triggered an unintended "pay as you go" charge of $1.99. ‪ We have put in place additional improvements to resolve issues that caused these accidental charges.

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Streamlined Billing

  1. What is Streamlined Billing?

    Streamlined Billing provides a summary of minutes used and a summary of messages and data sent and received. Call detail may be viewed and printed at no charge using My Verizon.

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  2. What benefits will I see from the new Streamlined Bill?

    We've added new features to make it even easier for you to manage your account. The new bill format is clear, concise and easier to understand.

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  3. With Streamlined Billing, will I still be able to receive a bill in large print, Braille or audiocassette?

    Yes, we do offer Streamlined Billing in alternate media formats including large print, Braille or audiocassette. You can continue to receive the same format and call details at no charge.

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  4. With my new Streamlined Bill, will I still be able to see how many minutes I've used?

    Yes. The new Streamlined Bill will provide a summary of minutes used. Call detail may be viewed and printed at no charge by using our My Verizon service at Verizon Wireless. Also, you can check your balance or minutes used by dialing # MIN or # BAL, airtime free, from your wireless phone at any time throughout the month.

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Assumption of Liability

  1. I want to transfer my account to a friend or family member. Is this possible?

    Yes, Assumption of Liability (AOL) is a process that allows you to transfer the control of your account to another person. AOL also enables you to assume responsibility for another person’s account, such as a spouse, child, parent or friend. 

    To find out if you are eligible to participate in an AOL process, please review the Assumption of Liability requirements .

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  2. What are the requirements for transferring my account to a friend or family member?

    This is a process known as Assumption of Liability (AOL). In order to perform an AOL, all of the following requirements must be met:

    Current Account Owner

    • You must ensure that the balance on the account you want to transfer is current. You will continue to be responsible for account charges until the transfer has been completed.
    • If the line you are transferring is the primary line on a Family SharePlan® or the only secondary line on a Family SharePlan, the remaining line(s) must be placed on eligible calling plans prior to processing the account transfer. Please contact Customer Service at (800) 922-0204 for assistance.
    • You must contact Customer Service at (800) 922-0204 to authorize the account transfer and provide the name of the person who will be taking over the account.
    New Account Owner (person taking over responsibility for the account)
    • You must read and agree to the Verizon Wireless Customer Agreement Terms and Conditions prior to assuming responsibility for the account.
    • If the line you are taking over is being added to an existing Verizon Wireless account, your account must be current.
    • If you agree to the Customer Agreement Terms and Conditions, and up to a one-year contract term, you must contact the Assumption of Liability Department at (888) 832-4540. A representative will assist you with completing the AOL request.
    • Note: Your service assumption will be subject to a credit check. You may be required to switch to current pricing and promotions. A security deposit may also be required.

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Taxes and Surcharges

  1. What are Verizon Wireless' Surcharges?

    Verizon Wireless’ Surcharges include (i) a Regulatory Charge (which helps defray various government charges we pay including government number administration and license fees); (ii) a Federal Universal Service Charge (and, if applicable, a State Universal Service Charge) to recover charges imposed on us by the government to support universal service; and (iii) an Administrative Charge, which helps defray certain expenses we incur, including charges we or our agents pay local telephone companies for delivering calls from our customers to their customers, fees and assessments on our network facilities and services, and costs and charges associated with new cell site construction, local number portability, and other government mandates.  Please note that these are Verizon Wireless charges, not taxes.  These charges, and what’s included, are subject to change from time to time.

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  2. What are Taxes, Governmental Surcharges and Fees?

    Taxes, Governmental Surcharges and Fees include sales, excise and other taxes and governmental surcharges and fees that we are required by law to bill to customers. These taxes, surcharges and fees may change from time to time without notice.

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