Reminder: Buying Verizon Phones Online Instead of In-Store Will Now Save You $20

When you buy a new phone at Verizon, the $800 price tag of the phone and the two years worth of service payments are not enough for the mega-carrier to get by. On top of your bank account emptying out for the latest Samsung or Apple device, Verizon charges you an extra activation or upgrade fee. This fee covers…something.

Over the years, the upgrade fee has fluctuated in price. It’s gone from $30 or $35 up to $40 and back to $30 again, but today, the fee changes in a new way that’s good for customers who need less hand-holding.

If you buy a phone from Verizon online or through the My Verizon app, your upgrade/activation fee will be $20. If you stop by a Verizon store to buy a new phone (or upgrade over the phone), your fee is $40. Before today, the fee was $30 no matter where you bought a device from.

This new fee structure was revealed earlier this week and is now live. So again, if you are buying a phone from Verizon and want to save $20, do it online or through the My Verizon app.