How to Cancel Verizon Services in 2022

I’ve found that canceling most service providers can prove a painful experience. I’ve compiled FAQs and other pages into this guide to help you cancel any Verizon service type.

Throughout this guide, you’ll learn the following:

• How to cancel your Verizon service
• Canceling Verizon prepaid
• Early termination fee
• Getting rid of add-ons

Keep reading to learn more.

How To Cancel Verizon

You can only cancel your Verizon phone service, Fios, family plans, and other services in person or by calling their customer service.

I’ll cover what you should know when approaching each method.

No matter what method you choose, or the service you cancel, you’ll need this information:

• Phone number: if you have Verizon cellular plans
• Last 4 digits of your social security number or your account PIN
• The account owner’s full name

Cancellations aren’t effective until your final billing date.

By Calling

Call 844-837-2262 Monday–Friday between 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Time (ET).

They won’t let you do this process online. Because in their words, they state, “we would love the chance to convince you to stay.”

That means you’ll have to deal with their customer service. In the following sections, I’ll help you prepare for the long journey ahead.

Step 1: Think of Your Excuse

Think of a good reason to cancel your Verizon service. This will help you get through your call quicker. And it’ll give the Verizon team member less ammunition to try to keep you with Verizon.

Don’t tell them you’re moving to somewhere else in the U.S.

Because then they’ll probe you to see whether Verizon offers services where you’re moving. Thus, you’ll need to tell them excuses that won’t lead to follow-up questions.

Here’s an example. Say you’re moving to another country. Or you can tell them you signed up with another cellular, internet, or TV provider.

Or you can be direct and tell them you want to cancel your service without questions from Verizon. But I recommend taking the passive-aggressive (friendly) approach.

This may make the process go smoother and quicker.

They’ll likely talk to you about suspending your Verizon service. For instance, they may ask if you’re going out of town, moving, or changing to a different service.

Step 2: Call Them and Talk to the Retention Department

When speaking to Verizon’s automated assistant, say you want to cancel your Verizon service. They’ll then transfer you to either a customer service agent or the retention department.

If they transfer you to customer service, they’ll likely ask the purpose of your call.

Again, say you want to cancel.

They will transfer you to the retention department.

The retention department handles keeping people bound to Verizon. So they’ll offer a lot of discounts. And they may test your patience.

Step 3: Confirm Your Cancellation

Tell the retention department associate that you want to cancel your account. And don’t let them convince you otherwise to stay on their plan.

Unless your goal was to get discounted services.

As your call transitions to an end, ask them whether they began the Verizon cancellation process. That way, you don’t have to call back later if they were to bill you for more cycles.

You’ll receive your final Verizon bill on your regular billing date [1].

What happens to account credits? They’ll reimburse those around 60 days after canceling your Verizon service. 

Step 4: Return Your Equipment: For Internet & TV Services

Visit Verizon’s equipment return page and follow these steps:

1. Log into your Verizon account
2. Follow any prompts
3. Print your prepaid shipping label
4. Pack your equipment and slap the label on your box
5. Drop it off at a UPS store

Or you can return your equipment to the nearest UPS store. Going this route doesn’t require you to box up your equipment [2]. The staff will scan your equipment’s serial number and return it to Verizon.

Wait.

Why would you go through packing your equipment if the second point states you can drop it off without packing?

Verizon states both methods on their website. You’ll want to ask the Verizon associate on the phone which approach you could choose.

Ensure you get a receipt. That way, you can prove that you returned the equipment if Verizon says you didn’t return your stuff.

Once you get your prepaid label and ship your equipment, you can follow the link I mentioned to check on the status of your return. You’ll need to enter your order number and ZIP code.

You must return your Verizon equipment within 30 days of canceling your service. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay between $70 and $350 for an unreturned equipment fee [3].

At a Verizon Store

Schedule an appointment using the ‘Appointments’ button at the bottom of your My Verizon app. Or use Verizon’s Store Locator feature.

Or you can walk in. But scheduling an appointment may reduce the time you’ll have to wait to see someone.

Verizon doesn’t allow you to return equipment to Verizon stores. Thus, you’ll save more time by calling to cancel.

Once it’s your turn to talk to someone, tell them you want to cancel your Verizon plan. From there, they’ll give you a prepaid shipping label. Or they’ll tell you to print one online.

Follow the instructions in the previous section on returning your equipment.

How To Cancel Verizon Prepaid

Cancel Verizon prepaid by not adding funds to your account. Or by calling 888-294-6804.

If you have Auto Pay setup, you’ll need to cancel that to prevent Verizon from continually pulling funds. I’ll cover the method to cancel this feature in a bit.

When calling them, follow the steps I mentioned earlier to deal with canceling postpaid Verizon services.

Verizon Cancellation Fee

If you’re on a Verizon mobile contract plan, you’ll need to pay up to a $350 early termination fee. If you stay subscribed to their plan, this fee decreases by $15 per month.

Suppose you’re swapping to a different cellular provider and have a way to go with your Verizon contract; consider the following.

Search for a cell phone provider to buy you out of your current plan.

Going this route will save you a significant amount of money and get you out of your plan.

Canceling Verizon Add-ons

You can remove individual add-ons Verizon offers instead of entirely canceling their service to save money.

Disney+ and discovey+

To cancel discovery+ and Disney+ subscriptions you got through Verizon, log into your My Verizon account in a web browser.

From there, navigate through these menus:

Account > Apps & Add-ons > Apps & Add-ons Account Overview

Select the streaming service you want to remove (e.g., Disney+) and click the “>” button.

Once the overview page comes up, you’ll want to find ‘Cancel Subscription’ on the right side of the screen.

Click it, then click the button “Remove X Service.”

Auto Pay and Paperless Billing

To disable auto pay, you will need to visit the ‘Bill’ tab on your My Verizon account or My Fios mobile app. Upon reaching this page, tap or click ‘De-Enroll.’

To cancel paperless billing on your Verizon account, navigate through these pages on your My Fios app or online account:

• My Verizon account: Billing > Paper Free Billing > ‘On’ to cancel paperless billing
• My Fios app: Bill > Options > Paper Free Billing > Tap ‘Enroll’ to remove this feature

Disabling either (or both) features will result in you losing your $10 monthly discount.

FAQ: How To Cancel Verizon

Here are some frequently asked questions about canceling Verizon that you should explore before getting rid of your service.

Wrapping Up

Verizon created a maze that requires you to navigate through their customer service agents to cancel your services. But if you follow the steps I mentioned, you can make this a pain-free experience.

If you haven’t found a new provider yet, explore some of our recommendations.