Verizon Visa® Card review

Whether you’re looking to save on a new device or reel in your monthly Verizon service charges, the Verizon Visa Card is worth a look, thanks to its $0 annual fee, impressive everyday rewards value and ongoing discounts for Verizon customers.

See related: Best credit cards for paying your cellphone bill

Impressive everyday rewards rate

Unlike many co-branded retail rewards cards, the Verizon Visa Card offers a solid rewards rate in a number of everyday spending categories – not just on purchases with the retailer. You’ll earn 4% back on grocery store and gas purchases, 3% back on dining purchases, 2% back on purchases with Verizon (including device purchases and monthly bills) and 1% back anywhere else Visa credit cards are accepted (that’s practically anyplace that accepts credit cards).

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, purchases like dining, groceries and gas make up a big chunk of most consumers’ budgets. This helps give the Verizon Visa Card a terrific average rewards rate of 2.47% back by our estimations, which is higher than the rate offered by some of the best cash back cards on the market. Based on this rate and a spend of $15,900 a year, we estimate that the average cardholder stands to earn just over $390 worth of Verizon Dollars each year via card spend.

Surprising variety of redemption options

The Verizon Visa Card card recently updated its redemption scheme, and it’s a welcome change. The Verizon Visa Card’s rewards can now be used not only for purchases with Verizon (including toward the cost of a new phone or other device or accessory sold by Verizon, or to lower the cost of your monthly Verizon Wireless or Verizon Fios bill), but also for travel and gift cards.

This makes redemption much less restrictive with the Verizon Visa Card than with many other retail rewards cards: There’s no limit to how many Verizon Dollars you can earn, and your rewards never expire.

Additionally, having the option to apply rewards toward the cost of a monthly bill should appeal to savings-minded cardholders. Instead of being forced to use your rewards at checkout when you buy new products – as is often the case with department and other store credit cards – the Verizon Visa Card lets you redeem rewards to cover a recurring expense.

Get $10 per month off your Verizon bill

In addition to its ongoing rewards on Verizon purchases, the Verizon Visa Card offers current customers exclusive monthly savings on Verizon service. If you use the card to enroll in Verizon’s Auto Pay program, you’ll get $10 per month off each eligible account or line, up to 12 lines max (depending on the plan).

While any Verizon customer on an eligible plan can get a $5 or $10 per month discount by signing up for Auto Pay and paper-free billing with a bank account or debit card, the Verizon Visa Card is the only credit card eligible for the promotion.

It may not sound like much, but $10 off per month on up to 12 lines can add up to significant annual savings. This discount is only available to first-time enrollees, though. If you’re already enrolled or have previously enrolled in Auto Pay, you’re out of luck.

$100 credit toward your Verizon wireless bill

On top of the $10 per month discount you can earn by enrolling in Auto Pay with the Verizon Visa Card, you can also earn a credit of $100 applied to your credit card bill after you make your first purchase using your card within 90 days.

Unlike the Auto Pay discount, this credit counts toward a single Verizon bill, not each line.

When you combine this bonus with the Auto Pay promotion, you can bump your annual savings substantially in the first year. That’s not even considering how much you could save via rewards on everyday spending.

Not designed for financing purchases

The Verizon Visa Card is not the best choice if you need to carry a balance long term, as the card comes with a variable APR between 24.74% and 28.74%. The low end is still higher than the average credit card APR and the high end is high even compared to the average APR on a credit card designed for bad credit.

Additionally, the card lacks an introductory APR on balance transfers or purchases. If you’d planned to use the Verizon Visa Card to finance a large purchase like a new device, you may be better off signing up for financing through Verizon or applying for a dedicated 0% APR credit card.

Card available instantly for Verizon purchases

Once you’re approved for the Verizon Visa Card, you can use the card instantly for Verizon purchases. Though it’s not a true instant use credit card (you’ll have to wait for the physical card to arrive to use the Verizon Visa Card for purchases outside of Verizon), this is a nice perk, especially if you have a wireless bill due soon or are eager to purchase a new device.

Additionally, your new card is automatically added to your Verizon wireless account as your preferred method of payment for future Verizon purchases, so you won’t have to worry about missing out on rewards because you selected the wrong card at checkout.

Thin on cardholder perks

Many rewards credit cards come with additional travel or consumer protection benefits, including travel insurance, price protection, or extended warranty coverage. But the Verizon Visa Card is noticeably thin on cardholder perks.

The card’s most unique benefit is the two free TravelPass days it includes, an up to $20 value. TravelPass lets you use your talk, text and data plans in 185 countries without paying international fees (typically $5-$10 per day, depending on the country). If you have multiple lines on your account, you can choose which line gets the TravelPass perk.

If you’re approved for the Visa Signature version of the card, you’ll enjoy additional benefits, including travel and emergency assistance services, rental and chauffeured car discounts, concierge services and more.

How does the Verizon Visa Card compare to other rewards cards?

The Verizon Visa Card offers a solid rewards rate on everyday purchases and could help you save up for a new device or lower your monthly wireless bill. However, it won’t have much long-term value should you decide to switch carriers down the road. A number of other rewards credit cards offer comparable rewards rates and more flexible rewards.

Citi Double Cash® Card	Citi Custom Cash® Card	U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
Rewards rate Up to 2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay off those purchases)	Rewards rate 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter 1% cash back on all other purchases Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025	Rewards rate 4 points per dollar on dining 2 points per dollar on grocery, gas and streaming service purchases 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
Welcome bonus Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back	Welcome bonus $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening (fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back)	Welcome bonus 20,000 points if you spend $1,000 in first 90 days
Annual fee $0	Annual fee $0	Annual fee $0
Other things to know Cash back can be converted to Citi ThankYou points	Other things to know No minimum for most cash back redemptions Can pool rewards with other Citi ThankYou cards Includes cellphone protection	Other things to know Includes a $15 annual streaming credit when you use the card for streaming service purchases for 11 consecutive months Comes with an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers Card number available instantly upon approval No foreign transaction fees

Citi Double Cash Card

One of the best flat-rate cash back cards on the market, the Citi Double Cash card earns up to 2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay off those purchases). The card also comes with a 0% introductory APR offer for 18 months on balance transfers (19.24%-29.24% variable thereafter), which could come in handy if you need to hit pause on interest charges and pay down debt.

Citi Custom Cash® Card

This no annual fee card offers great variety and flexibility as it automatically earns earn 5% back in your top eligible spending category (on up to $500 in purchases per billing cycle, then 1% back), as well as 1% back on general purchases. Eligible 5% categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment. While you won’t earn elevated rewards on Verizon purchases, you can still maximize earnings on groceries, gas and dining. Plus, paying your cellphone bill with the card will get you cellphone insurance coverage (up to $800 per claim and up to $1,000 per year in coverage against theft or damage, subject to a $50 deductible).

U.S. Bank Altitude Go Card

Like the Verizon Visa Card, the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Card offers outsized rewards on everyday spending at grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants. The card also comes with a 20,000-point bonus if you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days – worth $200 when redeemed for cash back or travel.  You can also take advantage of a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers and new purchases for 12 billing cycles (20.24%-29.24% variable APR after that). This should make it a much better fit than the Verizon Visa Card if you need to pay off debt on another card or want to finance a large purchase.

Why get the Verizon Visa Card?

• You’re a current Verizon customer and plan to stay with the carrier for the foreseeable future.
• You want to lower the cost of your monthly Verizon wireless bill.
• You don’t mind applying all of your rewards toward purchases with Verizon.
• You want a card that charges no annual fee or foreign transaction fee.

How to use the Verizon Visa Card

• Use the card for all grocery, gas and dining purchases to maximize your rewards earnings.
• Use your card within the first 90 days to make a purchase in order to earn the $100 statement credit.
• Opt in to Verizon Auto Pay with the Verizon Visa Card as your default payment method to get a $10 discount on your Verizon Wireless or Verizon Fios bill each month ($10 per month off each eligible account or line, up to 12 lines max (depending on the plan).
• Use the two TravelPass days included to save on international talk, text and data fees when you travel abroad.

Is the Verizon Visa Card worth it?

The Verizon Visa Card punches above its weight, offering great rewards value and respectable ongoing service discounts – especially if you frequently upgrade devices or if your Verizon bill eats up a big chunk of your monthly budget. But if you’re not sure whether you want to stick with Verizon, a general cash back credit card will likely be a better long-term bet.

See related: Synchrony Bank credit cards

*No Annual Fee/No Foreign Transaction Fee – For New Accounts: Variable Purchase APRs are 24.74% or 28.74% for the Verizon Visa Credit Card or 21.74%, 24.74% or 28.74% for the Verizon Visa Signature Credit Card. APRs are accurate as of 10/1/22 and will vary with the market based on Prime Rate (as defined in your credit card agreement). Minimum Interest Charge is $2.