Verizon puts fee on paying bills with exceptions

Verizon has confirmed and expanded on its plans to charge $2 for one-time bill payments. Taking effect January 15, the "convenience fee" would apply to most online or phone payers who aren't set up to pay automatically. Some exceptions would exist, such as electronic check senders, home banking services, kiosks, or physical mail.

Customers will be explicitly told the fee exists before they start paying, Verizon said. It didn't say if it would mention which services could be used to waive the $2 fee.

The appearance of the $2 charge has sparked some anger with Verizon, which saw its profits grow without the fee in place. Its step may be an attempt to cut back on the number of customers who accidentally skip payments but can still afford them, setting up a more regular revenue stream than the carrier had in the past. [via Phone Scoop]

By Electronista Staff