Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Verizon has announced plans to lower its Autopay discount for legacy customers down to just $5 a month per line, a 50% decrease.
- The only way to keep the $ 10-a-month Autopay discount is to switch to a newer myPlan offering, which will inevitably cost you more if you regularly use perks and other extras.
- The new price changes and increase in legacy phone bills will begin on October 12, though it may take a while before the change affects all customers.
For years, US carriers largely left customers with older, legacy plans alone. Unfortunately, with the changing economy and increased competition, we’ve recently seen all three major carriers introduce price increases and other measures to push customers toward newer plans. In its latest attempt to drive customers to its MyPlan offerings, Verizon has informed legacy customers that it will be reducing its $10 per line Autopay discount to just $5.
As first reported on Reddit, Verizon has been sending emails to customers on older plans to inform them of the change. The company also suggests upgrading to a MyPlan option, as it “gives you the power of choice”, while still retaining the original $10 Autopay discount.
What Big Red doesn’t mention is that for most customers, especially those who regularly use perks, the MyPlan offerings are significantly more expensive when you factor in the $10 charge for each optional perk. In other words, unless you don’t use any of the extras on your legacy Verizon plan, you’re still better off sticking with your current plan.
The only potential upside to switching to a MyPlan account is that Verizon often offers special promotions to incentivize switching, so you can almost guarantee there will be some attractive phone deals and other promotions aimed at legacy accounts. Granted, you’re probably still going to be better off sticking to a legacy plan.
