How to Pay a Disconnected Verizon Bill
Having your Verizon service disconnected can be extremely frustrating. You rely on your cell phone, internet, and TV services every day. Not being able to use them makes life more difficult.
The good news is that paying a disconnected Verizon bill is usually pretty straightforward. In most cases you can get your services turned back on quickly after making a payment. Here’s what you need to know about paying a disconnected Verizon bill and getting reconnected.
Why Did Verizon Disconnect My Service?
Before paying your Verizon bill, it helps to understand why your service was disconnected in the first place. There are a few common reasons this can happen:
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Non-payment – The most obvious reason is that you failed to pay your Verizon bill on time. If your bill is past due, Verizon will send notices letting you know you need to make a payment If you don’t pay, they’ll eventually suspend your service
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Returned payment – If you make a payment but it doesn’t go through due to insufficient funds or other issues, Verizon will disconnect your service. This usually happens after a payment is rejected or returned by your bank.
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Fraud – Sometimes Verizon will suspend your service if they detect suspicious account activity that could indicate fraud. This is for your protection, but can be inconvenient if you actually need to use your Verizon services.
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Plan non-renewal – Certain Verizon plans require you to manually renew them periodically. If you fail to renew on time, your service could get shut off. Prepaid plans must be refilled regularly too.
Knowing the backstory will help you resolve the issue once you’re ready to pay your disconnected bill.
How to Pay a Disconnected Verizon Bill
If your service has already been suspended by Verizon, paying your bill to get reconnected is a straightforward process:
1. Pay the total past due amount
The first step is to pay the full past due balance on your Verizon account. This could include your most recent monthly bill any unpaid previous balances late fees, or other charges. You can pay by
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Logging into My Verizon and making a one-time online payment
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Calling Verizon at (800) 922-0204 to pay over the phone
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Visiting a Verizon store in person to make a payment
Be sure to pay the entire past due amount to get reconnected right away. Making a partial payment will not reinstate your service.
2. Pay your reconnection fee
In addition to your past due balance, you’ll need to pay a reconnection fee. This is a charge Verizon adds when turning your service back on after disconnection. The reconnection fee is typically $35 per service (cell phone, home internet, etc).
3. Wait 1-24 hours for reactivation
After paying your past due bill and reconnection fee in full, your Verizon service should get turned back on automatically within 24 hours. In most cases, it’s reactivated much more quickly than that (often within an hour). You’ll get a notification from Verizon when your service is fully restored.
4. Call Verizon if service isn’t restored
If it has been over 24 hours since you paid your bill and reconnection fee, but your Verizon service is still not working, give them a call. There may have been an administrative error or other glitch. Verizon customer service can look into it and manually activate your service.
Tips for Avoiding Disconnections in the Future
Having your cell, internet or TV service shut off can obviously cause major headaches. Here are some tips to avoid Verizon disconnections going forward:
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Set up autopay – Enrolling in autopay through your My Verizon account is the easiest way to prevent late payments. Your bill will be paid automatically each month.
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Use payment reminders – Verizon can send you email and/or text alerts when your bill is ready and the due date is approaching. These can help you remember to pay on time.
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Look into budget plans – Verizon offers Affordable Connectivity and Fios Forward programs that let you pay a set monthly fee based on your income, making bills more predictable.
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Contact Verizon if you’ll be late – If you’re ever unable to pay your full bill on time, call Verizon immediately. They can sometimes make payment arrangements or extensions to avoid disconnection.
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Keep your account info current – Make sure Verizon has your correct address, email, and phone number so they can contact you about urgent payment issues.
Staying on top of your Verizon bill is important. But if you do wind up getting disconnected, just remember to pay the past due amount, reconnection fee, and be patient. Your service should be restored within a day so you can get back to normal life.
FAQs about Paying a Disconnected Verizon Bill
Can I get reconnected if I only pay part of my past due bill?
No, Verizon will not turn your service back on until you have paid the full past due amount in addition to the reconnection fee. Partial payments will not restore disconnected service.
How can I pay my disconnected Verizon bill if the service I need to make a payment is disconnected?
If your internet service is disconnected, you can pay your bill by phone, through the My Verizon app, at a Verizon store, or by mailing a check. For disconnected cell service, visit a store, use WiFi to pay online, or call from another phone.
Is there any way to avoid or lower the Verizon reconnection fee?
Verizon generally will not waive or lower the reconnection fee unless you have a very strong justification. Your best options are asking nicely and hoping for goodwill or avoiding disconnection altogether by staying current on your payments.
If my cell service is disconnected, will my Verizon home internet service be disconnected too?
It depends. If both services are under the same account, Verizon typically suspends service for all products linked to that account when there is non-payment. However, cell and home internet can sometimes be separate accounts depending on your plan.
Can I be disconnected for using too much data or going over my plan limits?
Verizon will not disconnect your service completely just for excess usage. However, they may temporarily slow (throttle) your data speeds if you frequently go over your plan’s monthly data allowance. Disconnections are strictly for non-payment of bills.
What should I do if I paid my bill but my service isn’t being reconnected?
First, allow up to 24 hours after paying for reactivation. If it has been over 24 hours, call Verizon customer service to make sure there are no issues on their end. There may be a technical problem delaying the reinstatement of your service.
Having your Verizon services unexpectedly shut off can certainly disrupt your routine and cause headaches. But thankfully, paying a disconnected bill and getting reconnected is usually a quick process once you pay off the past due balance. With some planning and diligence, you can avoid painful disconnections altogether by carefully monitoring due dates and proactively communicating with Verizon if any issues ever come up.
