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Verizon Wireless Confirms $2 Fee for Making One-Time Payments

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Really more of a credit card fee...

Rich Brome

Dec 29, 2011, 1:38 PM
You can pay your bill online without setting up auto-pay and without incurring this fee.

Just use your bank's online bill payment service. That's ACH and therefore this fee doesn't apply. You can do it manually each month even if you use paper billing. (That's how I pay most of my bills.)

This fee is only if you're using a credit card. Credit cards do come with fees, paid by the merchant. 2 percent is typical for any kind of rewards card. So on a $100 phone bill, that's $2. Verizon is simply passing that on to you.

I do think it's a stupid move on Verizon's part, but that's what's going on.
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cellphonesaretools

Dec 29, 2011, 2:34 PM
Rich,

Thank you for the clarificiation, that all makes sense. I understand the added cost to Verizon for credit-card payments being passed on to the customer. That's a fair cost pass-through on their part, IMO.

Thanks again for clarifying.
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Versed

Dec 29, 2011, 10:47 PM
What about checks? I knew there would be some fanboi who would try and justify this charge, there are expenses in doing business and this is a rip off.
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cellphonesaretools

Dec 30, 2011, 1:13 AM
If you read Rich Brome's post at 10:38 today (subject is "Really more of a credit card fee"), you'll see that he clarified that paper checks are also OK with no added fee, the new fee applies only for one-time payments via credit cards.
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Versed

Dec 30, 2011, 6:13 PM
They recanted, and a moot argument. But, let me put it to you this way, because you don't seem to understand, I'm talking about paying by check through their website.
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muchdrama

Dec 29, 2011, 4:07 PM
Rich Brome said:
You can pay your bill online without setting up auto-pay and without incurring this fee.

Just use your bank's online bill payment service. That's ACH and therefore this fee doesn't apply. You can do it manually each month even if you use paper billing. (That's how I pay most of my bills.)

This fee is only if you're using a credit card. Credit cards do come with fees, paid by the merchant. 2 percent is typical for any kind of rewards card. So on a $100 phone bill, that's $2. Verizon is simply passing that on to you.

I do think it's a stupid move on Verizon's part, but that's what's going on.


Thanks for that, Rich--I like paying my bills online via one time payments. This fee is lud...
(continues)
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Jayshmay

Dec 29, 2011, 10:42 PM
So if I understand correctly using the My Verizon app on my smartphone to make a payment using my debit card is still OK w/O a charge?
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muchdrama

Dec 29, 2011, 10:55 PM
Jayshmay said:
So if I understand correctly using the My Verizon app on my smartphone to make a payment using my debit card is still OK w/O a charge?


From what I've read, yeah.
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Jayshmay

Dec 29, 2011, 10:57 PM
OK, I can deal with that.
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Jarahawk

Dec 29, 2011, 9:37 PM
Wow! They really bungled this. Of course, their reasons are legitimate. There is still no excuse for this public relations disaster. Why would anyone with online banking pay through My Verizon anyway?
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Versed

Dec 29, 2011, 10:49 PM
Why would it cost them anymore to accept a check on their website then through theirs banks echeck? There is no justification.
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algorithmplus

Dec 30, 2011, 3:57 AM
It won't cost them more, they are trying to get the customer used to paying additional fees for transactions that would actually save the company money.
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mkl4466

Dec 29, 2011, 9:50 PM
I could understand if VZW were merely passing on a credit card processing fee. However, this fee will apparently also apply to check by phone or online, which should not incur a merchant fee as a credit card does. Same thing with a visa check card processed as an ATM debit transaction. Verizon needs to be clear about their reason for this fee and make sure their implementation is in alignment with their explanation.
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HawkeyeOC

Dec 30, 2011, 7:45 PM
mkl4466 said:
I could understand if VZW were merely passing on a credit card processing fee. However, this fee will apparently also apply to check by phone or online, which should not incur a merchant fee as a credit card does. Same thing with a visa check card processed as an ATM debit transaction. Verizon needs to be clear about their reason for this fee and make sure their implementation is in alignment with their explanation.


A check by phone would require you to talk to someone at Verizon to complete the transaction right? It costs Verizon money to do this. It's expensive to pay people and you know how much we frown on cheap outsourcing to countries that can't speak english well 🤣

Serious...
(continues)
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mkl4466

Dec 30, 2011, 9:03 PM
Good news, VZW changed their mind, so the fee will not come to pass, it seems. However, to respond to the point you were attempting to make, No, paying with a check by phone does not require the aid of a live rep, as it is available through the IVR automated system. So I'm glad VZW changed course on this one. That fee would have been utterlyunjustifiable.
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HawkeyeOC

Dec 30, 2011, 11:29 PM
I should have figured they would automate check paying by phone. You learn something new everyday!

Good news the fee is gone for the moment. It will be back in another form unknown to us at some point 😳
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Jayshmay

Dec 29, 2011, 10:39 PM
Wall Mart, 7-11, numerous fast food places and restaurants. So when I see something like this, I think about alllll the businesses that don't charge, and think of the ones that do as bad business.
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Versed

Dec 29, 2011, 10:50 PM
Jay,
Exactly, charging for the cost of doing business is insane.
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HawkeyeOC

Dec 30, 2011, 7:11 PM
Versed said:
Jay,
Exactly, charging for the cost of doing business is insane.


Whether or not a company is up front about it and even arrogant like in Verizon's case or they burry the cost of doing business so you don't know ...It's happening everywhere and in every company.

Dumb move on Verizons part for being so upfront about it. Fee's just get everyone upset when they know about them.
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HawkeyeOC

Dec 30, 2011, 7:01 PM
Jayshmay said:
Wall Mart, 7-11, numerous fast food places and restaurants. So when I see something like this, I think about alllll the businesses that don't charge, and think of the ones that do as bad business.


This is a wrong way of thinking about it. All businesses charge this no matter what in some form or another. Those that supposedly don't will pass it on to you in the form of a higher price for their products hidden somewhere else. Verizon is just being transparent and in my view arrogant about it.
Dumb of Verizon to put this out front like this.
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