If you must pay for internet and cell phone service, you might as well get rewarded for it, right? Verizon is among the first companies to offer rewards just for paying your cell phone or internet bill.
Verizon Up Rewards, formerly known as Verizon Smart Rewards, rewards you just for paying your Verizon bill and remaining a loyal customer. Is Verizon Up Rewards worth it or is it a waste of time?
Find out in our review.
What Is Verizon Up Rewards?
Verizon Up is a rewards program free for Verizon customers. You can earn free rewards for paying your Verizon bill including:
- Monthly reward – Each month the rewards change but they often include gift cards to retail stores and restaurants, discounts on tech products, and other discounted products and services. You can claim one reward per month. Examples include small gift cards to Amazon or Starbucks, deals on Uber rides or discounts on meal delivery services.
- Bonus rewards – Periodically, Verizon offers bonuses for any member. They are surprise benefits, such as discounts or other benefits that you can claim even if you’ve claimed your monthly reward.
- Presale tickets – Verizon Up members get early access to some of the hottest entertainment before tickets go on sale to the general public.
- Super Tickets – Verizon Up members get exclusive access to the hottest tickets, products, and devices early, but the opportunities are limited and first-come, first-served.
Every time you pay your Verizon bill, you earn one credit. Your credit is good for the monthly reward and earns you eligibility for any bonus rewards, presale tickets, and super tickets that become available that month.
Each reward has a separate expiration date, so make sure you pay attention to the fine print. You must redeem the reward by its expiration date or you’ll lose it.
How do Verizon Up Rewards Work?
Every time you pay your Verizon Bill on time you earn a credit. You can use the credit to redeem one of the monthly rewards. Each reward has an expiration date and the new rewards are available on the first of each month.
If you don’t use your reward, you can put your unused credits into your Device Dollars account. Here you can allow your credits to accumulate until you’re ready to upgrade or buy a new device. You can only use Device Dollars on devices you pay full retail value for or have a device payment plan.
Throughout the month, Verizon may also offer Bonus Rewards, Presale opportunities or Super Tickets. These are limited-time offers and are available only in small quantities, so make sure you act right away if you see a reward you want.
How do Verizon Super Tickets Work?
You’ll need one credit to redeem a Super Ticket offer. The Super Ticket opportunities come sporadically and you must act fast to claim them since they are popular.
Verizon Up members can claim one Super Ticket every six months. If the event is a super high value (ex: the Superbowl), you may only claim one offer per year.
How to use your Claimed Verizon Up Rewards?
Once you claim a reward, it will save in your My Verizon App. When you’re ready to use it, click on it in the My Verizon app and select ‘Use Now.’ Read the instructions to redeem the offer since each vendor has different rules.
If you change your mind and don’t want to use it right away, click ‘Save for Later’ and it will stay in your My Verizon app under ‘Use Rewards.’
Who is Eligible?
If you’re a Verizon customer and meet the following criteria, you’re eligible for Verizon Up Rewards:
- You have an active smartphone with Verizon
- You have the My Verizon app on your phone
- Are at least 18 years old
- Live in the United States
- Have a personal (not business) account
The key factor here is you must have the My Verizon app to enroll, so make sure you have the app or ask a Verizon representative to help you download it.
What Does it Cost?
The Verizon Up Rewards program doesn’t cost anything, but essentially, if you aren’t a paying Verizon customer, you can’t join. It doesn’t cost anything extra to be a part of the program and earn rewards, though.
How to Enroll in Verizon Up Rewards?
It’s easy to sign up for the Verizon Up Rewards program. First, you must be a Verizon customer. If you have an active account and you download the My Verizon app you can opt-in to the Verizon Up Rewards program.
In the app, open the navigation menu in the upper left corner and select Verizon Up Rewards. Follow the prompts to sign up for the program and start earning rewards!
What are Verizon Device Dollars and How do they Work?
Like we said above if you don’t use your monthly credit because you didn’t see anything that excites you, roll the credit over into Device Dollars.
Keep in mind, though, Device Dollars are good for 12 months from the date you create them. For example, if you opt for Device Dollars in September, you have until the following September to use them. Choose Device Dollars in the year you think you’ll upgrade or purchase a new device to maximize your benefits.
Is Verizon Rewards Up Safe?
While Verizon Up is free, it comes at a personal cost. Verizon retains your data usage to determine which rewards to send you. The data they save comes from some or all of the following:
- How you use your wireless device, including the websites you visit
- The network data you use
- The locations you visit
- Your zip code
- Your email address
- Other personal information including age, gender, interests, etc.
This doesn’t mean Verizon Up Rewards isn’t safe, but Verizon keeps your information for up to 3 years. For some people this can be concerning, so keep that in mind.
Verizon doesn’t say they sell your personal information and they don’t bombard you with sales emails, so your information is as secure as possible despite it being collected.
Verizon Up FAQs
How do I cancel Verizon Up Rewards?
At first glance, most people think it’s impossible to cancel Verizon Up Rewards since there isn’t a menu option to cancel it. However, if you log into your app and select the Privacy Preferences, you can remove sharing for Customer Proprietary Network Info, Business and Marketing Insights, and Relevant Mobile Advertising.
This should remove you from the Verizon Up Rewards program since they can’t send you offers if they aren’t collecting your information.
Is there a monthly fee for Verizon Up Rewards?
Verizon Up Rewards is completely free to join. But, like I said earlier, you have to pay your bill to get a credit, so it’s not free, but it’s not an extra cost on top of what you already agreed to pay for your wireless service.
Do Verizon Up Rewards accumulate?
Verizon Up Rewards don’t accumulate monthly to get more rewards. It’s not like a program that allows you to roll your rewards over to save for something bigger. Verizon Up Rewards change monthly and when they’re gone, they’re gone.
If you don’t like any of the rewards, you can bank your points in your Device Dollars account. If you’ll be in the market for a new Verizon device in the next 12 months, it can help you save money on it. Your Device Dollars are like cash for your device.
Do Verizon Up Rewards expire?
Each Verizon Up Reward has a different expiration date. If you’re interested in a reward, check out the expiration date first before choosing it. Make sure you can redeem the offer by the date. If it’s a gift card you earn, you can take the gift card and use it when you want.
But, if you’re redeeming an offer, such as 50% off Plated, you will only have a limited time to use the offer. Make sure you’ll use it within the allotted time before accepting it.
Final Thoughts – Is Verizon Up Rewards Worth It?
Verizon Up Rewards doesn’t cost anything, so on the surface, yes Verizon Up Rewards is worth it. Even if you only earn a $3 gift card every month, at the end of the year that’s $36 to Amazon or Starbucks, for example.
Up Rewards won’t make you rich and it may not even save you much money, but it’s a nice perk and it adds a little excitement to your life wondering what paying your high cell phone bill this month will earn you.
It’s the little things that matter and sometimes that means a $3 gift card to Starbucks or another favorite store.
The rewards are geared towards customers that live in cities or eat enough to take advantage of them. If you live in a rural area taking away the device dollars takes away the only perk that was useful to the rural area customers.
As a Verizon up member, sure it’s worth it since it’s free, however the “rewards” aren’t made for everyone. Many of the events or “supertickets” that they advertise are either sold out or coming soon (and then immediately sold out) before they are placed on the site. I’ve heard that this is supposed to grant early access but have yet to actually see that happen. Many times the tickets go on sale the same time the access becomes available for purchase on the verizon up site. The device dollars are fairly useless unless you are the type who requires constant upgrades one gadgets since they always seem to expire before we’re ready for upgrades or new gadgets. The gift cards are about the only thing worth opting for and even those are often forgotten about since you have to log into your account, access the verizon up app and then present that digital coupon during checkout, oh and those expire as well. For a free service, it’s worth it to spend a few minutes per month perusing the very limited “rewards” options, if this were a fee service I would be very disappointed in the offerings.