Verizon To Add $20 Phone Upgrade Fee Next Week

The cost to upgrade your Verizon phone will soon be $20 more expensive, according to a document that has leaked. The internal Verizon memo details a $20/fee for phone upgrades that starts April 4, and applies even if you've completely paid off your old device. The memo goes on to detail some FAQ about the new fee, saying it is necessary to "cover our increasing support costs associated with customers switching their devices."

The image was acquired by MacRumors, and states plainly at the top that the $20 fee "will be charged on all device payment and retail price upgrades." The upgrade chart has a total of four new upgrade fees, all of which are $20/ea for the following: "Device Payment," "Retail Price," "Device Payment Annual Upgrade," and "iPhone Upgrade Program at Apple Store."

The only two unchanged items is the $40 fee for a two-year upgrade, and no fees for a customer's own provided hardware. The very bottom of the chart, as you can see above, lists the four other big carriers and whether they charge a device fee.

T-Mobile doesn't have one, while AT&T is five bucks cheaper and Spring is ten dollars more expensive. Business accounts sans an ECPD profile will also have to pay the fee. Finally, the memo shows that consumers will pay the $20 fee at the point of sale, with the exception of purchases through indirect channels, which will apply the fee on the first bill.

SOURCE: MacRumors