Verizon wants to force you to switch to a more expensive plan by cutting a key discount in half

Verizon wants you to drop your cheaper older plan and switch to a more expensive plan. And to get you moving toward that  goal, Verizon is cutting the autopay discount by 50% in order to get you to switch. While the autopay discount used to result in a $10 per month discount, that will be reduced to a $5 monthly credit on or after October 10th according to an email that Verizon has disseminated to some of its subscribers. 

The email notes that the price of the plan that subscribers to these older plans belong to will rise because of the reduction in the autopay discount. Despite the decline in the amount of the discount you'll receive from using autopay, Verizon says that your current plan price and benefits will remain unchanged. And the email goes on to reveal what Verizon is really up to.

The missive goes on to let you know that you can switch to myPlan and receive a $10/month autopay discount for each line you move over. With myPlan, you'll still have access to Verizon's "award winning" 5G network, but you'll also be able to choose your unlimited plan and customize it with the perks that you want.

The Verizon plans that are losing 50% of the autopay discount include:

You also will be able to go to Verizon's My Offers page and check to see the perks and deals that are targeted to your account.

If you're not sure how autopay works or what it is, pay attention. You can set up autopay using My Verizon or via the phone. You are essentially agreeing to make an automatic monthly payment to Verizon from your bank account, debit card, or credit card. Combine autopay with paper-free billing to be eligible for a monthly per-line discount on eligible plans. To be eligible for the autopay discount, you must use your bank account or your Verizon Visa Card.

Verizon points out in small print that if you use the Verizon Visa Card, you can earn 2% in Verizon Dollar rewards on your Verizon purchases. If you signed up for autopay and the paper-free billing discount using a debit card before 2/14/24, you can continue earning the discount, even if you change to a different eligible mobile plan or a different debit card. If you signed up after 2/14/24, you must enroll in Auto Pay and paper-free billing using your bank account or Verizon Visa Card to qualify for the $10/mo discount.