Cell phone bills are a significant monthly expense that everyone should try to minimize. Especially with international calls during deployments and staying in contact with family all over the world, data plans can get expensive and add a major headache to your monthly budget.
Luckily, wireless carriers offer promotions on phones and data plans. Double lucky is that most popular wireless networks offer special rates to military personnel and veterans.
The Verizon Wireless military discount program offers great deals for military service members, veterans, and their family members. You can find military discounts on cell phone plans as well as internet, cable, and home phone services.
What is the Military Discount?
The Verizon Wireless military discount depends on how many unlimited plans you have and when you signed up for them.
Verizon Wireless changed their discount program on August 5th, 2019, so any customers who signed up for the discount before that date will keep the previous discount amount.
Customers with any unlimited plans signing up for the discount after that date are eligible for the following:
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1 phone – $10 discount per account
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2-3 phones – $25 discount per account
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4+ phones – $20 discount per account
There is also an account level discount for most other advertised standard plans. It is a 15% discount on your monthly account access fee. One important note on this, however, is that prepaid plans, already discounted plans, and promotional plans are not eligible for discounts through this program.
Military members are also eligible for two other types of discounts:
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25% off online when ordered through your My Verizon account
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10% off when purchased at a Verizon Wireless retail store.
Visit the Verizon Wireless Military Discount Page for more information.
Who is Eligible for the Military Discount?
As you know, eligibility for a military discount varies from company to company. Sometimes a military discount covers service members on orders but not on personal travel. And sometimes military discounts apply to the service member but not to veterans or family members.
The Verizon Wireless military discount applies to service members and veterans (and their families).
All service members of:
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Air Force
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Army
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Marines
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Coast Guard
Commissioned officers of:
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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United States Public Health Services
Also, all military reserves and National Guard, veterans of all branches, Cadets, and Gold Star Families are eligible for discounts.
Immediate family members of military personnel are also entitled to receive Verizon’s military discount. The only restriction is that the primary Verizon account holder must be a military member or veteran. You should note that this discount only applies to immediate family members. A friend or distant family member of the military member or veteran will not be able to enjoy military discount benefits, even if their line is on that military member’s account.
To prove your eligibility, you’ll need to present proof of your military service either personally at a Verizon store or through online verification.
Check your military discount eligibility at the Verizon website.
How to Get the Military Discount
Verizon requires the service member or veteran to be the primary account holder to get the military discount.
The wireless carrier requires proof of military service. They now require active duty and Veterans to register online using the ID.me verification system. That verification allows eligible members to finish registration on the Verizon website and enroll using the military discount.
Gold Star spouses and next of kin can also register for the discount even if the military member wasn’t the account owner or account manager. Gold Star Families can use the DD Form 214 when validating eligibility for the military discount.
If you’re a current Verizon customer who is eligible to receive Verizon’s military discount, you can apply it to your existing account at any time by verifying your military service as described above. This process can also be done in person at any Verizon store or on Verizon’s website via the “existing customers” link.
Visit the Verizon website to get the Verizon Military Discount.
How Does The Verizon Military Discount Compare to Similar Discounts?
The competition for customers in the wireless industry is fierce. This is a good thing for the military community in trying to save money each month.
You might be eligible to save more money each month on AT&T or T-Mobile, but Verizon’s prices are still competitive and their coverage is significant.
See our in-depth comparison between major wireless carriers here. You can also find even more information about Verizon’s military discounts on their military webpage or their military FAQ webpage.
Verizon Military Discount for Verizon Fios, High-Speed Internet, & Phone Services
Don’t let your discount benefits stop with wireless services. Although Verizon is best known for being one of the nation’s top wireless service providers, they also have other home-based services available.
Verizon Fios, the company’s home service, can provide home phone, internet, and TV services at a discounted price for military members, vets, and their immediate family members.
Verizon Fios bases its military discounts on how many services you commit to. The more Fios services you’re signed up for, the more you can save annually. It’s an easy way to save more while having all your phone, TV, and internet services provided through the same company.
Visit the Verizon Fios military discount page for more information.
You may want to compare Verizon’s military discount to those of other similar service providers. It’s true that you can save more money overall by opting for one of their competitors. However, when you pay for Verizon as your wireless service provider, you also pay for some of the most expansive, high-quality wireless coverage available. It’s not just a question of how much money you save, but of the quality of the service that you pay for.
How Verizon Supports the Military Community
Verizon Wireless gives military discounts that are competitive for its industry, but it does more than just give service members and veterans money off of their phone plans. Verizon is one of the largest veteran hiring employers in the US with over 10,000 veteran employees, and it has consistently been rated a top veteran-friendly employer.
Verizon also does a great job partnering with nonprofits focused on veteran and Military Spouse employment, including Hirepurpose, Hiring Our Heroes, and Military Spouse Employment. Verizon also partners with the Wounded Warrior Project. Verizon works to thank military members for their service to our nation.
In Summary
Verizon’s military discount opportunities are great if you are a military member or veteran who wishes to enjoy discounts on a handful of different services. Verizon is different from many of its competitors. It allows discount recipients to share those benefits with immediate family members so long as the military service person is the primary account holder. By signing up for a few different services from Verizon and Verizon Fios, you can optimize your discount benefits and save big.
Check your military discount eligibility at the Verizon website
You can find even more military discounts on our military discount list.