Verizon is now distributing the $20 credit it promised following Wednesday’s outage. You’ll need to redeem it proactively, though the process seems easy.
The carrier will send a text when the credit is available. As you can see in the message received this morning by a PCMag staffer, Verizon apologizes for the outage and says: “We would like to extend you a $20 account credit that can be easily redeemed via the link below.”
(Credit: PCMag/Eric Zeman)
Clicking the link takes you to the Verizon app, where you’ll see a “Redeem Now” button. If you’re wary of clicking links in random text messages (as you should be), a Verizon user told PCMag that the $20 credit was also available when they logged into their account on Verizon’s website.
(Credit: PCMag/Eric Zeman)
But not everyone has been able to easily redeem the credit. One user tweeted a screenshot showing the link failing. “The irony of trying to redeem my Verizon credit for the outage and it keeps not being able to connect,” the customer tweeted.
The credit will be applied to the customer’s next monthly bill “in 1-2 bill cycles,” Verizon says, so it may not happen immediately.
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Verizon has also told us it’s only issuing $20 per customer, rather than $20 per line. The carrier settled on the amount, saying it’s meant to cover “multiple days of service,” even though the outage itself only lasted about 10 hours. Still, some customers argue that $20 isn’t enough to compensate for a lost day of work when the outage prevented users from making phone calls, texting, or using mobile data, which is especially crucial for Uber and DoorDash drivers. Others struggled to reach their loved ones for help.
A few users have reported securing higher compensation from Verizon after contacting customer support. “If you call, you’re able to request more. I was able to get an additional $50, but I know some people were getting $20 per line or even more than $59,” wrote one user on Reddit. That said, others say reaching Verizon customer support has been a struggle.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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