Verizon ending 2 year contracts: Simplify Plans With S-M-L-XL Data Plans

Verizon announced last week that it is simplifying its data plan strategy with the introduction of new S – M – L – XL options. The options include set amounts of data, coupled with flat $20 line access charges. So instead of having to figure out your line access charge and whether or not it includes a discount and/or how much that discount is, you now just focus on the data amount you and you family needs.

According to the press release, you are looking at Small ($30/month for 1GB of shareable data), Medium ($45/month for 3GB of shareable data), Large ($60/month for 6GB of shareable data), and X-Large ($80/month for 12GB of shareable data) data buckets. That data can be shared with as many lines as you have on your account. Since each line is $20, take that times the number of lines you have and add it to the data bucket price you have chosen to get your total bill (before taxes and fees).

For example, a family of 2 with 6GB of shareable data would be $100 (2 lines at $20 per + $60 for 6GB shareable data). If you have a family of 4 and share 12GB of data, you are looking at $160 (4 lines at $20 per + $80 for 12GB shareable data). If it’s just you and you want 3GB of data, your bill would be $65 per month (1 line at $20 + $45 for 3GB data). 

Make sense?

Current Customer Upgrades

Our current understanding is that current customers will have two options when they are ready to upgrade. The first, and the one Verizon will try and push them towards, is to go with the new S-M-L-XL plan and upgrade to a new device through the new device payment plan. If that doesn’t sound appealing, current customers can “keep their (current) plan and upgrade, add a line, or move up or down within the plan.”

Should you decide to upgrade phones, Verizon will try their best to get you into a device payment plan. “After evaluating alternatives,” and should none of those sound like your best option, they will let you sign a 2-year contract with subsidized pricing.

Changing to New Plan

If you decide to change to the new S-M-L-XL plan, your line access fee will change depending on your current phone status. If you purchased a phone with device payments, at retail price, are upgrade eligible, switch from prepaid to postpaid, or brought your own device, you will pay a line access fee of $20, which is the price Verizon announced last week. If you purchased a phone at a discount (subsidized price) and are not at your upgrade date, Verizon will charge you a $40 per month line access fee because that phone you bought was at a “deeply discounted price.” Thankfully, once you hit your upgrade date, Verizon will automatically drop your line access fee from $40 to $20.

Other notes:
-Each line comes with unlimited talk and text
-If you need additional data during the month, it will cost you $15 per GB
-If you need more than the 12GB XL package, see below
-Tablet and Jetpack lines are $10 per month
-Connected device lines (like smartwatches) are $5 per month
-Verizon killed off the 2-year contract
-If you are a current More Everything customer, you can stick with your plan until the end of your contract


Additional Data Options

S-M-L-XL is Verizon’s attempt at simplifying the entire wireless service process. For the most part, they have done it with four data buckets and a flat $20 line access fee. But what if you want more than 12GB of data (XL package)? Well, Verizon has options for you. They are as follows:

20GB – $120
25GB – $175
30GB – $224
40GB – $300
50GB – $375
60GB – $450
80GB – $600
100GB – $750

The new plans are available starting August 13.