​Verizon $20 Upgrade Fee: Carrier Announces Upgrade To Payment Plans, Apple iPhone Purchase

A Verizon $20 upgrade fee will begin April 4 and applied every time a customer wants a new phone, even if customers buy the phone outright, or sign up for the carrier’s device payment plans or purchase the phone through Apple’s upgrade program.

The new change may seem extremely, but previously Verizon had only charged upgrade fees to customers still under a two-year contract (a $40 fee, which remains in place), according to PC Magazine. The only way for customers to avoid the upgrade fee is if they buy the phone from someplace else, such as Amazon, Best Buy or an Apple Store and activate the phone at a Verizon location.