Verizon’s new, “cheaper” prepaid plans aren’t really cheaper
yesterday, Verizon announced new prepaid phone plans with lower prices — but thanks to some clever shuffling of plan discounts, they’re not actually getting any cheaper. while the published prices on its unlimited and 15GB prepaid plans are indeed $5 lower, the company will no longer let you apply autopay and loyalty discounts — meaning the lowest price on each plan stays exactly the same.
Here’s how it adds up: the “standard” price on Verizon’s top-tier prepaid plan, Unlimited Plus, is now $70 per month, reduced from $75. After the first month, you can apply a $10 / month autopay discount to bring that cost down to $60.
Previously, the autopay discount kicked in after two months, and it was just $5. But on top of that, you could add a loyalty discount — up to an extra $10 per month after 10 months. That meant you could take an extra $15 off your $75 bill, bringing the price down to… yep, $60, same as today.
Verizon still offers a $10 loyalty discount for its prepaid plans — it’s $5 after three months and an extra $5 after nine months — but you can no longer combine it with the autopay discount. Verizon gets to have its cake and eat it, too: the company can say it lowered prices, but the lowest possible price on each plan remains the same. Oh,