I’ve been a Verizon customer since T-Mobile and Sprint merged, and I’ve always had consistent luck getting solid service, even in crowded environments and intense weather. This year, I moved states and added on Verizon Home Internet, which has also been a positive experience and is cost-effective since I get to bundle it. I already have the most expensive Verizon service plan. I also bought a new device, added a cellular plan for my Apple Watch, got YouTube Premium along with Hulu and Spotify … there’s a good chance that I’m paying my power bill through Verizon and I just haven’t realized it yet. (The last part is a joke.)
Verizon just announced the new Verizon Simplicity Plan meant to reward loyal customers like me and make all these bits and pieces feel a bit less confusing. At $45 (with autopay and not including taxes and fees), it’s priced like an entry-level plan but offers top-tier network service, plus access to perks usually reserved for premium plans, like travel passes and discounted bundled streaming services. There’s also a new rewards program with cash back and Monday freebies. The new Simplicity plan just launched today, so I checked it out. Spoiler alert: I ended up deciding to switch up my service plan as a result.
Verizon Simplicity
Verizon Simplicity is a phone plan that costs $45 per month per line (or $30 per month per line with a switch discount for eligible mobile customers who switch to Verizon). That base price gets you 5G phone service with unlimited data, talk, and text; international roaming and satellite texting; 10 gigabytes of mobile hot spot data; plus Verizon Dollars, call filtering, and Verizon Family (a parental controls app). You might be able to bring your own phone, too. If you enroll in Verizon Loyalty, you won’t have to deal with any activation or upgrade fees, either.
After you get that baseline down, you can also add bundles to your line. For example, the Movie Lovers bundle adds on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ (with ads) and Netflix and HBO Max (with ads) for $23 a month. Those services would cost $40 per month purchased separately. Families might want to check out the bundles that come with Apple Music or YouTube Premium, plus Verizon Family Plus, for an extra $20 per month rather than $31. Another bundle gives you Google AI Pro, a 100-GB mobile hot spot, and a second phone number for $30 per month instead of $75.
These bundles are especially enticing if you would be paying for these services separately anyway. (To get the streaming services without ads, you have to do it through each service, which I have yet to figure out.) Especially when phone bills can feel so complex, I like how simple this option is, and I’m going to be switching as soon as I finish writing this story. There’s also a new bundle, Verizon One, which combines your mobile service and home internet for $70 per month with Auto Pay when you bring your own device, on one bill, taxes and fees included. Alas, I am not a new customer, so I can’t get in on it. It seems like an excellent deal if you’re paying for those services separately and you’re bringing your own device.
Verizon Dollars and Verizon Shine
Verizon Dollars are basically 3 percent cash back that you’ll get when you pay your bill, including on the cost of perks and other add-ons—not just your phone service. Verizon Dollars can be redeemed on gift cards, device purchases, products from the Verizon Store, and other third-party offerings. This program starts in July. So far, examples of stores where you can redeem Verizon Dollars include Sephora, Hilton, Marriott, and Starbucks.
There’s also Verizon Shine, which has different giveaways you can enter each Monday as well as “daily drops” and access to special seating and tickets for live events. This is a lot like T-Mobile’s popular Tuesday in-app promos, which occasionally feature great giveaways that have resulted in mogging Wingstop. Old-head Verizon customers like me will remember that the company used to have a rewards program where you could snag coffee shop gift cards and other similar items, so I’m happy to see something similar make a return. In the past, these items would get claimed very quickly, so I’m curious to see how fast this week’s drops go: free $5 Starbucks gift cards, FIFA wine tumblers and water bottles, and other merchandise. Right now, Verizon Shine’s Epic Win Monday giveaway winner will get to attend the FIFA World Cup finale with David Beckham. Not too shabby.
Verizon says future rewards will include items and/or gift cards from Amazon, Ulta, Dunkin’, Topgolf, and more. I wouldn’t say that checking my phone service app has been a high priority of mine thus far in my life, but I love free stuff, so apparently I’m going to be hanging out in the Verizon app on Mondays going forward.
All in all, I think these offerings are worth checking out whether you’re an existing Verizon customer or a potential new one. Any chance to save money is a win in my book. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a free gift card to claim.
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