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Verizon is not one of the cheapest cell phone plan providers on the market. But it’s reliable and reputable, which is enough for millions of customers.

If you’re one of them and you have solid credit, the Verizon Visa Card could help you reduce the cost of doing business with Verizon. And avoid the hassle of switching carriers. 

The Verizon Visa Card has a lot to recommend it, including a generous cash-back program and ongoing automatic payment discounts. But it’s not for everyone, so be sure you understand its strengths and weaknesses before you apply.

What Is the Verizon Visa Card?

The Verizon Visa Card is a cash-back credit card for Verizon mobile plan subscribers. To qualify, you must be a Verizon account owner or account manager on an account with 12 or fewer lines. You can add people who aren’t Verizon account owners or managers as authorized users.

The Verizon Visa Card earns 4% back on grocery and gas purchases, 3% back on dining purchases, 2% back on Verizon purchases, and 1% back on all other purchases. Rewards accrue as Verizon Dollars, which you can redeem for purchases at Verizon’s website or physical stores. You can also use them for gift cards, statement credits against your Verizon bill, and travel bookings.

The Verizon Visa Card has no annual fee. It has some other notable benefits as well, including a $10-per-line monthly discount on your Verizon bill when you enroll in automatic payments. There’s also a sign-up bonus that requires just one purchase during the first 90 days of account opening.

What Sets the Verizon Visa Card Apart?

The Verizon Visa Card stands out from similar cash-back and retail credit cards in several ways:

• Up to 4% back on eligible purchases. The Verizon Visa Card earns up to 4% back on eligible purchases. Specifically, it earns 4% back on gas and grocery purchases and 3% back on dining purchases, including takeout. That’s unusually generous for a cash-back card with no annual fee.
• Broad bonus rewards categories. This card has broader bonus rewards categories than most other cash-back cards. They encompass three major spending categories in addition to Verizon purchases, likely accounting for a significant portion of cardholders’ budgets.
• Easy-to-attain sign-up bonus. The Verizon Visa Card’s sign-up bonus is very easy to earn. You have to make only one purchase during the first 90 days to get it.
• Ongoing automatic payment discount. If you’re a first-time enrollee in Verizon’s automatic payments plan, you can get $10 off per month, per line with this card. Verizon caps the discount at 12 lines, but that’s still up to $120 per month in potential savings.

Key Features of the Verizon Visa Card

The Verizon Visa Card has an easy-to-attain sign-up bonus, generous rewards program, and some other benefits worth noting in depth.

Sign-up Bonus

Get a $100 statement credit when you open a new Verizon Visa Card account and make a purchase on the card within the first 90 days of account opening.

Earning Rewards

The Verizon Visa Card has a four-tiered rewards program:

• 4% back on eligible gas and grocery purchases
• 3% back on eligible dining purchases, including takeout
• 2% back on eligible Verizon purchases
• 1% back on all other eligible purchases

All rewards categories are unlimited and there’s no cap on how much you can earn overall. Rewards accrue as Verizon Dollars, Verizon’s loyalty currency.

Redeeming Rewards

You can redeem Verizon Dollars for purchases on Verizon’s website and at physical Verizon stores. Alternatively, you can redeem for statement credits against your Verizon bill, gift cards from other merchants, and travel bookings.

Redemption minimums and values vary depending on what you redeem for, but points can be worth up to $0.01 apiece when redeemed for Verizon purchases and statement credits.

Monthly AutoPay Discount

When you enroll your Verizon account in automatic payments with your Verizon Visa Card, you may qualify for a $10 monthly discount on each enrolled line (up to 12 lines total). You must be a first-time automatic payment enrollee to qualify; if you’re already enrolled when you apply for the Verizon Visa Card, you don’t get the discount.

Interest-Free Financing on Eligible Accessory Purchases

This card comes with 0% APR financing for 12 months on eligible Verizon accessory purchases totaling $100 or more. You must make 12 equal monthly payments and pay off the purchase in full by the end of the period.

Important Fees

The Verizon Visa Card has no annual fee. Other fees may apply.

Credit Required

This card requires good or better credit. Verizon doesn’t reveal its exact minimum credit standards, but you may have difficulty qualifying if your FICO score is well under 700.

Pros & Cons

The Verizon Visa Card has great appeal for existing and prospective Verizon customers, but it has a few drawbacks as well.

Pros

The Verizon Visa Card is a generous rewards card that costs nothing to keep in your wallet.

• Excellent sign-up bonus. The Verizon Visa Card’s sign-up bonus isn’t the most generous around, but it’s incredibly easy to earn. Just make one purchase during the first 90 days to qualify.
• Unusually generous rewards program. You can earn up to 4% back on eligible Verizon Visa Card purchases with no caps or restrictions on your earning potential. That’s very generous for a no-annual-fee card.
• Potentially valuable automatic payment discount. This card’s automatic payment discount benefit is worth up to $120 per month ($10 per line, per month, up to 12 lines). If you qualify, it can significant cut your cell plan costs.
• Interest-free financing on eligible Verizon accessory purchases. Verizon accessory purchases of $100 or more qualify for 12-month, 0% APR financing with this card. That’s a nice perk if you like having flashy phone swag and the latest tech.
• No annual fee. This card has no annual fee. It costs nothing to keep around, even if you don’t use it as your primary credit card.

Cons

The Verizon Visa Card isn’t for everyone and lacks some benefits common to other cash-back cards.

• For Verizon account owners and managers only. You need to own or be responsible for a Verizon account to be eligible for this card. That’s a downside relative to retail credit cards with no real eligibility requirements. For example, anyone with decent credit can get a Target RedCard Credit Card, even if they’ve never set foot in a Target store.
• Not available with Verizon business or prepaid accounts. This card is only for traditional Verizon consumer accounts. It’s not open to business or prepaid users.
• No 0% intro APR offer. This card offers limited interest-free financing on eligible Verizon purchases, but it lacks a broader 0% intro APR promotion. Many cash-back credit cards do offer such promotions.
• Requires good credit. You need good credit to qualify for the Verizon Visa Card. If you’re in the process of building or rebuilding your credit, wait to apply until your FICO score nears 700.

How the Verizon Visa Card Stacks Up

The Verizon Visa Card is one of the better retail credit cards on the market. To get a sense of its usefulness before you apply, see how it compares to another above-average retail card: the Target RedCard Credit Card.

The Verizon Visa Card has a slightly lower maximum cash-back rate than the Target RedCard Credit Card, but its bonus categories are broader and more generous. Its sign-up bonus is also better. It’s therefore a slightly better card overall, though the RedCard is clearly superior for shopping at Target and Target.com.

Final Word

The Verizon Visa Card is more than a retail credit card. If you’re a Verizon account owner or manager, it can easily serve as your everyday spending card thanks to a generous rewards program with three broad, common bonus categories. With no annual fee and the potential for a big monthly automatic payment discount, it could significantly reduce your monthly cell phone costs.

Unfortunately, the Verizon Visa Card isn’t for everyone. If you’re not a current Verizon customer, you need to change carriers before you can apply, which might not be worth it. Business and prepaid Verizon accounts aren’t eligible either. 

The bottom line is that if you qualify for this card, it’s excellent. But qualifying might be the toughest part.