Verizon is making billing changes again. The top carrier in the U.S. is slightly adjusting its customers’ bills, resulting in a small price increase. The company is raising the monthly “Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge” from $3.30 to $3.50 per voice line per month, as first reported by a Reddit user (via Android Authority).
According to a post on Verizon’s website, this fee is intended to help cover certain direct and indirect costs the company may incur. These costs can include, but are not limited to, property taxes, wireless local number portability, and regulatory requirements, among other things.
This is a very slight price increase of just 20 cents, although depending on your number of lines, it will prove a bit more significant. For example, a family of two will now pay $0.40 extra per month, while a family of five will see monthly bills climb by $1.00.
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The hike does reflect a familiar pattern in the company’s fee structure. Android Authority reported that the administrative fee was $1.95 per voice line two years ago, but it has now risen to $3.50 with the latest increase. Additionally, a $0.06 fee for data-only lines increased to $1.40 per line at the end of 2022 — and has now also increased to $1.60.
Price hikes are nothing new to carriers in the U.S. In 2023, for example, Verizon raised the price of some plans by as much as $5 per month. In March, it raised the monthly cost of its 5GB Get More phone lines by $4. T-Mobile raised prices for some of its plans in June. AT&T also raised prices this year by $1 per line for some of its unlimited plans. It even began offering a higher pricing option that provides faster data speeds to customers.
In recent months, we published a report on carriers you should consider over T-Mobile and noted the best cell phone plans available, regardless of carrier.
