What are the overage charges for Verizon? This is a question that many people ask themselves. Data limits are one of the things that worry many people, in addition to other things like feud prices and divorces.
Verizon data overage rates are also a concern for average people. Using extra data shouldn’t be a problem if you know how to avoid paying overage fees.
Verizon Data Overage Rates
The cost of exceeding your data limit is well known to cell phone users. Using more than the limit will result in a $15 charge, which will buy you 1000 MB of extra allowance.
When you reach certain percentage marks in your data usage, typically 50%, 75%, 90%, and 100%, Verizon and AT&T automatically send you an email and SMS (text) alert.
It has one drawback though: Although you can turn off your data immediately after receiving the notification email, it can still push you over your limit and trigger the $15 charge even if you turn it back on the next day.
According to customer service representatives at Verizon, there is little room for trigger here: even a mere 0.001 MB triggers the overage system and results in 1000 extra megabytes being charged.
Verizon’s notification emails, for instance, are approximately 0.082 MB in size, 82 times the minimum size required to send you over the edge.
Therefore, it appears to be impossible to use 100% of your data without additional charges when email alerts are enabled.
How to Avoid Paying Overage Fees on Verizon: Best Guide
The worst part about overage fees is that they appear out of nowhere. The more you pay for a service, the more data you can use. Most carriers limit the amount of data you can use each month. These restrictions also apply to Verizon’s plans.
You probably want to avoid paying as much as possible on your monthly bill, so you’ve only got a limited amount of space to work with.
However, if you exceed your monthly data allowance, you may end up paying overage charges, even though you can save money this way.
Overage fees on Verizon are $15 for 1GB. If you normally have 3GB of data per month and use more than that, Verizon will give you an additional 1GB for $15 per month, i.e., you now have 4GB for the month, however, you are paying a significant amount more.
A 1GB addition would cost $15 if you exceed 4GB. Overage fees add up quickly, and you find yourself paying $30 more for the month without knowing.
It is possible to avoid overage charges or pay less than $15 per 1GB if you do exceed your monthly data limit.
Continue reading to know what to do if you go over your data limit and how you can avoid it.
You should know how much data you’re allowed.
The first step is to know what kind of Verizon plan you have and how much data is included. With a Verizon shared data plan, overages are protected.
The Carryover Data feature will hold your underused data until the next month if your data usage is less than your plan allows.
Your Verizon shared data plan can also include Safety Mode. You won’t be charged overage fees if you continue using data at reduced speeds after exceeding your monthly data allowance.
Watch Your Data Usage
Keeping a close eye on your data usage every month is the best way to prevent going over your monthly data allowance. Now you can do that easier than ever with a new iOS 8 widget.
Normally, Verizon customers would open the Verizon app on their smartphones to check their data usage, but a new widget in iOS 8 allows customers to check their data usage without having to open the app at all.
As part of Verizon’s recent iPhone app update, you can now check your data usage by simply swiping down from the Notification Center.
This new widget from Verizon is perhaps the most useful among the iOS 8 widgets you can add to the Notification Center. Installing My Verizon Mobile on your iPhone is needed to access the widget.
You’ll be asked to log in to your Verizon account once you open the app after downloading it. You can now enable the Verizon iOS 8 widget once you have downloaded the Verizon app and logged into your Verizon account.
Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to see how much data you’re using, but we don’t want you to have to open the app. To open your iPhone’s Notification Center, just swipe down from the top. At the top of your screen, tap on the Today tab.
Then tap Edit at the bottom. You can tap the green + icon next to My Verizon Data by scrolling down until you see it. Now, Verizon iOS 8 shows your monthly data usage in the Notification Center.
In the Verizon app, you can see more information about data usage if you tap on the widget. If you choose to display the widget by default, it will just display the amount of data you’ve used in relation to your allotted amount.
Prepare Ahead of Time
You can temporarily boost your data plan to avoid paying a more-expensive overage fee if you think you’re going to go over your data allowance.
Upgrade just for a month, and you’ll save $5 in overage fees since Verizon’s More Everything plans are separated by $10 per month.
Log in to your Verizon Wireless account at VerizonWireless.com to access this feature. You’ll see several links in the left-hand sidebar. By simply clicking the Change Minutes, Text or Data button, you will be able to change these options.
Change your data plan by going to this page. You can avoid overage fees for that month by upgrading it to the next tier. Once you have moved on to the next month, you can bump it back down to where it was.
Manage your apps
Apps can be one of the biggest data users on your device if they are not checked. Below are a few tips to limit their usage. You can download as much content as you have space to store, including TV shows, podcasts, and music.
Subscribe to a premium version that allows you to download videos and watch them offline if you or your children watch a lot of online videos. You can turn off the location service. Only enable this feature when it is required by an app.
Google Maps and Apple Maps can be used to download routes for offline use. Don’t refresh the app in the background. Regular app updates drain the battery and data. If you disable this feature, the app will only update when you open it.
Stop using your mobile data. Turn off cellular or data usage if you only want to access your apps over Wi-Fi.
Add Unlimited data to Your Plan
Choose a plan that does not include overage charges if you want to avoid them. You can choose from a wide range of Verizon plans that include unlimited data.
Plan prices depend on the amount of premium data you require, the number of mobile hotspots you wish to use, and whether HD streaming is desired.
Use data without being disappointed
Make sure to avoid data drains and overage charges by taking a few minutes. You won’t get any unwanted – and unexpected – surprises on your mobile bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when you run out of data Verizon?
When you run out of data, your phone automatically switches to Safety Mode. You will not be overcharged until you turn it off. If you run out of data, you will be charged for overages if Safety Mode is turned off.
How do data overages occur?
A high usage rate is a result of several factors, but much of it can be attributed to frequent use. You will likely experience high usage numbers if your devices are constantly running, such as computing devices, tablets, smartphones, or security cameras.