Verizon to give discounts to customers with off-contract phones

Verizon is finally going to give you a discount for off-contract phones. Starting April 17th, customers of Big Red are going to be able to bring their own off-contract devices onto shared MORE Everything plans at a discount. No longer will they have to pay a subsidy fee for a subsidy they're not using. Plans at or under 8GB will see a smartphone add-on reduction of $10 (bringing the fee to $30/month), while those with data allotments of 10GB or higher will see their fee sliced from $40 down to $25 per smartphone.

This move brings Verizon in line with the its competitors, who have for some time offered discounts for off-contract devices. Why pay a subsidy when you're not using it?

Verizon has been countering T-Mobile's recent announcements with their own tweaking of their plans. After T-Mobile announced that they were cutting cellular tablets to price-match their Wi-Fi versions and throwing in 1GB of data through the end of the year, Verizon countered with their own incentive, offering an extra 1GB of free data for the lifetime of a tablet on a MORE Everything plan. Just this morning,one they already own to a MORE Everything plan for either $30 or $15 depending on the data allowance they choose. When a customer brings his or her own smartphone, it must be compatible with the Verizon Wireless network.

These monthly access prices are also available to customers who choose Verizon Edge when purchasing or upgrading to a new smartphone. So, customers who choose a MORE Everything plan with 10 GB of data and four smartphones, either on Edge, moved from month-to-month contracts, or brought to the Verizon Wireless network, will pay $160 month for service and access.

To take advantage of this value, which is available for a limited time, customers can log in to My Verizon to add these devices and update their plans. They can also visit a store or call Verizon Wireless to make the change and to ensure they are on the right MORE Everything plan for their mobile lifestyle.

MORE Everything plans include unlimited talk and text, unlimited international messaging, 25 GB of cloud storage per line, and three months free of the International Long Distance Value Plan and FamilyBase service.

Verizon Wireless was the first wireless provider to introduce shareable data, and customers can have up to 10 devices on a MORE Everything plan. Currently, customers who want to activate a tablet and add it to a MORE Everything plan of 1 GB or higher will receive an additional 1 GB of shareable bonus data for as long as that tablet remains on the plan. Tablets can be added to the plan for $10 monthly access.