Verizon Visa Card Review: Turn Everyday Spending into Cell Savings
The Bottom Line
4.4
Redeeming rewards for phone service or gift cards isn't flashy, and cash back isn't an option. But this card can help Verizon customers looking to slash their monthly bill without much extra effort.
Rates, fees and offers
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-4%
Bonus offer
None
Intro APR
N/A
Ongoing APR
APR: 18.99%-25.99% Variable APR
Foreign transaction fee
None
More details from Synchrony Bank
- Card holders earn 4% on grocery store & gas purchases
- 3% on dining purchases, including takeout and delivery
- 2% on Verizon purchases
- 1% on all other purchases everywhere Visa® credit cards are accepted
- Plus, card holders can get up to $10 per month off each eligible account or line when they use the card to enroll in Verizon's Auto Pay, up to 12 lines max (depending on plan). Please note: Auto pay discount is for first-time enrollees.
- Use the Verizon Visa® Card everywhere it's accepted to earn Verizon Dollars rewards that can be redeemed for the best things at Verizon. No limits on earning, no expiration dates.
- Redeem Verizon Dollars on that phone you've been wanting. Or those headphones. Or pretty much anything in our store. Or even put the rewards toward your Verizon bill.
- Card holders can use Verizon Dollars at our store - but they don’t have to. They can use them on travel, or to get gift cards from their favorite brands. They can even put them toward their wireless bill.
- Apply for the card with no annual fee and worth its weight in rewards. Exclusively offered to Verizon customers.
- To learn more visit www.verizon.com/verizonvisacard
- No Annual Fee/No Foreign Transaction Fee - For New Accounts: Variable Purchase APRs are 21.99% or 25.99% for Verizon Visa Cred Card or 18.99%, 21.99% or 25.99% for Verizon Visa Signature Credit Card. APRs are accurate as of 4/1/22 and will vary with the market based on Prime Rates (as defined in your credit card agreement). Minimum Interest Charge is $2.
- Only Verizon Wireless Account Owners and Managers on accounts with up to 12 phone lines max (depending on plan) are eligible to apply for the Verizon Visa® Card.
Pros and Cons
Pros
No annual fee
High rewards rate
Bonus categories
New cardholder bonus offer
No foreign transaction fees
Cons
No cell phone protection
Must be a member/customer
Detailed Review
The Verizon Visa® Card, issued by Synchrony Bank, offers close-to-jaw-dropping rewards in common spending categories for a card with a $0 annual fee. They include 4% back on gas, dining and at grocery stores, as well as on purchases with Verizon.
But that last category has a big caveat: Your monthly wireless bill doesn't qualify for the 4% rate, and instead will earn just 1% back.
Still, those generous rates on everyday expenses mean your rewards can add up fast. The catch? You have to be a Verizon or Fios customer.
The Verizon Visa® Card debuted in 2020, but underwent significant changes to its rewards structure in 2024. See our story for details.
Verizon Visa® Card: Basics
Card type: Rewards.
Annual fee: $0.
Sign-up bonus: $100 statement credit after your first purchase within 90 days.
Rewards:
4% back in rewards at grocery stores, gas stations and on dining (including takeout).
4% back on phone and accessory purchases paid for in full from Verizon (excluding your monthly Verizon service bill).
1% back on all other purchases, including your monthly Verizon bill
There's no limit to the rewards you can earn, and rewards don't expire. As long as you remain a Verizon customer and you earn or redeem rewards on the card at least once every 24 months, you can hold onto them as long as you want.
Redemption options: Purchases with the Verizon Visa® Card earn rewards called "Verizon Dollars." Each Verizon Dollar is worth $1 when applied toward:
A new phone or accessories.
Paying your monthly bill for Verizon cell phone service or Fios internet.
Travel booked through Verizon's portal.
Gift card purchases through Verizon.
Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 18.99%-25.99% Variable APR.
Travel benefits:
Two free TravelPass days per calendar year. TravelPass lets you use your phone outside the U.S. It usually costs $5 a day in Canada and Mexico and $10 a day elsewhere.
No foreign transaction fees.
Compare to Other Cards
Benefits and Perks
Everyday spending turns into cell phone savings
The Verizon Visa® Card is effectively a store-branded Visa card: You can earn rewards anywhere that accepts Visa, but you can redeem those rewards only through Verizon (either for purchases with the carrier itself or for travel bookings or gift cards with the company's loyalty partner). That relative lack of rewards flexibility will undoubtedly turn some people off.
But there's also a key difference from typical store cards. If you have $50 in rewards piled up on a store card, you have to make another purchase at the store to redeem them. If you don't need or want anything from that particular store right now, your rewards are useless. If you have the Verizon Visa® Card, however, you're already paying for Verizon wireless service every single month, so you always have an opportunity to redeem your rewards.
Your Verizon Dollars won't automatically go towards your cell phone bill. You'll have to wait until the bill posts and manually apply the Verizon Dollars to it.
If you were to put all your purchases on the card and then apply your rewards toward your Verizon payment, you could take a decent chunk out of your monthly cell phone bill. Say your household spends $300 a month at grocery stores, $50 on gas, $100 at restaurants and $300 on other expenses that could go on a credit card, and you also use the card to pay your $110 Verizon bill. Every month, you'd earn $22.10 worth of Verizon Dollars, enough to shave about 20% off your phone bill.
The card qualifies for autopay discounts
Verizon customers can get a discount of up to $10 a month per account or per line (depending on their plan) if they sign up for autopay and paperless billing. Ordinarily that discount is available only for those who pay their bill from a bank account or with a debit card. Credit card payments aren't usually eligible. But if you autopay with the Verizon Visa® Card, you can get the discount on up to 12 lines, depending on the plan.
The card also offers up to $20 off on eligible Fios TV and/or home internet accounts, per account or line each month. Terms apply.
Automatic account integration
You can't get the Verizon Visa® Card unless you're a Verizon wireless or Fios customer with at least one active line on your account. Terms apply. If you're approved, the card is automatically added to your account as a payment option. That makes setting up autopay with the card easy. You're also automatically enrolled in Verizon Up, the carrier's rewards program. That's where you can see your Verizon Dollars balance.
Drawbacks and Considerations
Cash back isn't an option
If you like to have the option to redeem your credit card rewards for cash, the Verizon Visa® Card probably isn't for you. Verizon has expanded its redemption options — adding travel and gift cards on top of Verizon purchases — but you can redeem your rewards only through Verizon. If it helps, consider that every dollar saved on your phone bill is a dollar you have available for something else. So it's kind of an indirect cash-back card.
For simple rewards you can use anywhere, consider a card like the Citi Double Cash® Card, which earns 2% cash back on every purchase (1% when you buy, and 1% when you pay it off), or the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns a flat 1.5% cash back on nearly everything and allows you to earn a substantial cash sign-up bonus.
No cell phone protection
Considering that an increasing number of credit cards are offering cell phone protection as a perk if you pay your wireless bill with the card, it's worth noting that the Verizon Visa® Card does not. This isn't exactly surprising, since offering such a perk would undercut Verizon's ability to sell add-on device insurance to customers. Still, if you were hoping your cell phone credit card would protect your cell phone: nope.
How To Decide If It's Right For You
If you're a Verizon customer, the rewards on the Verizon Visa® Card are hard to beat for a credit card with a $0 annual fee.
Having a cell phone is a necessity for most people, and the Verizon Visa® Card can help Verizon customers reduce cell phone expenses with little effort. But if you want the ability to redeem rewards for cash, a straightforward cash-back credit card might be a better option. This list can help you determine what's the best credit card for your needs.
This card earns a flat 2% cash back: 1% when you buy something and another 1% when you pay it off. The straightforward structure translates into a high rewards rate on everything. Plus, cash is a reward you can use for anything, not just your phone bill.
Looking For Something Else?
Methodology
NerdWallet reviews credit cards with an eye toward both the quantitative and qualitative features of a card. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards (including earning rates and redemption values) and the cash value of benefits and perks. Qualitative factors are those that affect how easy or difficult it is for a typical cardholder to get good value from the card. They include such things as the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, the likelihood of using certain features, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or is best reserved for specific purchases. Our star ratings serve as a general gauge of how each card compares with others in its class, but star ratings are intended to be just one consideration when a consumer is choosing a credit card. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rewards on the Verizon Visa Card?
The card earns 4% back at grocery stores and gas stations; 3% back at restaurants, including takeout and delivery; 2% back on Verizon purchases; and 1% back on other spending. Rewards are paid as "Verizon Dollars" that you can use to pay your bill or buy devices or accessories.
Do I have to be a Verizon customer to get the Verizon Visa Card?
The Verizon Visa® Card is available only to Verizon wireless customers. The rewards earned on the card are redeemable only with Verizon, so there'd be no point in getting it as a non-customer even if you could.
How can I redeem the rewards on the Verizon Visa Card?
Rewards can be used to pay your monthly bill for Verizon wireless or Fios internet service, or to buy devices or accessories. Other redemption options include things like travel and gift cards, but those still must be redeemed through Verizon's portal.
What happens if I cancel Verizon service and I have the Verizon Visa Card?
If you cancel your Verizon wireless service, you'll forfeit any unredeemed rewards you've earned on the card. Your card account can stay open — the card is issued by Synchrony bank, not by Verizon — but you won't earn any rewards.
What happens to my rewards if I cancel my Verizon Visa Card?
If you cancel your Verizon Visa® Card account, you'll have 90 days to use any remaining Verizon Dollars earned on the card. After that, those Verizon Dollars will be forfeit. Your Verizon Up rewards account will remain open, though, and you'll hold onto any rewards earned from activities other than credit card spending.
