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  • Verizon Takes a Big Payment Risk
Technology Articles > Cell Phones > Others > Verizon Takes a Big Payment Risk

The great thing about the world today is that there are so many different payment options. You no longer have to buy, lick, and send an envelope containing a check in order to pay your phone bill. Well, Verizon is attempting to put an end to the way that consumers pay their cell phone bills. Now, if you are a Verizon customer, you will be charged a $2 processing fee every time you pay your bill online or by phone. That’s right, Verizon is now going to charge you for paying your bill (on time or not) through the Internet or by phone.

As you might imagine, Verizon customers aren’t thrilled about this latest decision. If you happen to be one of those customers, it may be time to look for a different company. Verizon says that the processing fees to handle online and phone payments are too high for the company to swallow alone, so now they are handing this fiscal responsibility to clients. There are a few reasons why this is a very bad move.

The Real Costs

Not too long ago, companies encouraged customers to pay bills online. Why? Paper bills (and paper process) were just too expensive to keep sending out. In fact, many banks and other companies charge clients who want a paper bill. So, one might wonder, how does it make any sense that a company like Verizon can claim that processing online payments is too expensive? On the other front, fees related to phone payments have been around for awhile now. In fact, most pre-recorded “on hold” messages will tell you that a fee will be charged for an online payment.

Does it actually cost Verizon too much money to process online fees? One has to wonder about the validity of such a statement. Sure, technical fees must pile up, but isn’t this a better alternative to paying through the mail? Surely, paying a bill online doesn’t cost a company half as much as sending a bill to clients and then having that bill send back through the post – not to mention the fact that sending out a paper bill is just plain time consuming! Has Verizon suddenly decided to support the ailing postal service? Who knows; but one thing is for certain: many Verizon customers will be shopping for a new service provider soon.

Other Methods of Payment

Thankfully, Verizon offers customers two other forms of payment that (for now) are free. If you are a Verizon client, you can pay your bill through Verizon’s AutoPay or at a Verizon kiosk (of course, you’ll have to get in your car and drive to the nearest mall to do so).

If you currently have a Verizon account, curious minds want to know: what will you do about this new payment increase?
The new online and phone payment fee will be charged to Verizon customers beginning on January 15th. If you currently pay your Verizon bill online or through the phone, you might want to look at the other two methods of payment listed above (or start adding an additional two dollars to your monthly bill amount!).