Verizon 2026 Plan Changes: Simplicity, Loyalty Program & What They Mean for You

Verizon just made its biggest plan overhaul in years. On June 16, 2026, the carrier introduced a new flat-rate plan, launched a loyalty rewards program, and dropped two long-standing fees — all while quietly raising prices elsewhere. If you’re a Verizon customer, some of these changes could lower your bill. Others could raise it without much warning.

Under new CEO Dan Schulman, Verizon says it’s trying to rebuild trust with customers after a stretch of fee increases and discount cuts that pushed away more than 2.25 million subscribers over three years. This guide breaks down every change: the new Simplicity plan, the Verizon Loyalty program, the Verizon One bundle, how Simplicity compares to myPlan, which perks got more expensive or disappeared, and what you should actually do about it.

Key Takeaways

• Verizon eliminated $40 activation and upgrade fees for postpaid customers who opt into the Verizon Loyalty program.
• The new Simplicity plan costs $45/month ($30/month for new customers who switch to Verizon with autopay), with no network tiers and a flat, all-inclusive price.
• The Verizon Loyalty program gives customers 3% back on their bill in Verizon Dollars (starting July 2026), plus daily and weekly perks called Verizon Shine.
• Verizon One, a new $70/month mobile-plus-home-internet bundle, is available to new customers only.
• Some prices went up: Unlimited Ultimate rose from $90 to $95/month for new sign-ups (effective May 7, 2026), and the Netflix & HBO Max perk climbed from $10 to $13/month (effective May 6, 2026).
• Switching to Simplicity is permanent — once you leave myPlan for Simplicity, you can’t switch back.
• myPlan is still available and, for households with three or more lines, it’s often still the cheaper option.

What Verizon Changed in 2026 — An Overview

Verizon’s announcement bundled three separate initiatives into one release. First, the Simplicity plan, a flat-rate offering that strips out Verizon’s old network-tier system in favour of a single price with add-ons purchased separately. Second, the Verizon Loyalty program, which rewards both new and existing postpaid customers with cash-back-style credits and recurring giveaways. Third, Verizon One, a converged mobile-and-home-internet plan built for new customers who want a single bill.

Alongside these launches, Verizon dropped its $40 activation and upgrade fees for anyone who enrols in the loyalty program — a fee that had itself climbed from $35 to $40 in 2025.

The timing matters. Verizon has spent much of 2025 and early 2026 raising prices and trimming discounts: a February rate hike on myPlan and New Verizon Plan accounts, an $8 increase to Mobile Protect Multi-Device coverage, an activation fee bump, and the removal of loyalty line discounts and legacy perks like free Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass access. Those changes coincided with rising customer churn, which is part of why the June announcement leans so heavily on the word “loyalty.”

The New Verizon Simplicity Plan, Explained

Simplicity is Verizon’s answer to complaints about confusing plan tiers. Instead of choosing between Welcome, Plus, and Ultimate tiers with different network access levels, Simplicity gives every customer the same base connectivity and lets them add extras individually.

Pricing:

• $45/month per line for existing Verizon customers who switch
• $30/month per line for new customers who port their number to Verizon with autopay enabled

What’s included:

• Unlimited access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, with no network tiers
• 10GB of premium mobile hotspot data
• Roaming in Canada and Mexico
• Satellite texting
• No activation or upgrade fees for customers enrolled in Verizon Loyalty

Add-ons and upgrade tiers: Simplicity is designed around a base price plus optional extras. Verizon offers standalone add-ons such as unlimited mobile hotspot and cloud storage for $20/month, three TravelPass days plus Global Calling Plus and cloud storage for $30/month, and a streaming bundle covering Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Netflix, and HBO Max for $23/month. Home internet can be added starting at $35/month.

The catch: Simplicity doesn’t offer multi-line discounts the way myPlan does, and switching from myPlan to Simplicity is a one-way move — Verizon does not allow customers to switch back to myPlan, Unlimited Plus, Unlimited Ultimate, or any legacy plan once they’ve made the change. Customers with remaining device trade-in credits should also confirm those credits carry over before switching, since plan changes can affect in-progress trade-in agreements.

Verizon Loyalty Program: Verizon Dollars & Verizon Shine

The loyalty program has two parts, and it’s open to postpaid customers on any current plan, not just Simplicity subscribers.

Verizon Dollars function like cash back on a credit card. Customers earn 3% of their monthly bill (before taxes and fees) starting in July 2026, and the balance can go toward new devices, accessories, or redemptions with partner brands including Starbucks, Hilton, Marriott, and Sephora — Verizon says some partner redemptions offer up to 5x the value of a Verizon Dollar.

Verizon Shine is the day-to-day rewards layer. Every day, the My Verizon app surfaces a small giveaway — free Starbucks coffee, a Dunkin’ item, FIFA World Cup 2026 merchandise, or similar. Every Monday brings a bigger sweepstakes prize: VIP experiences tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final, NFL games, concerts, and other events, plus appearances from Verizon ambassador David Beckham.

How to join: Enrollment happens through the My Verizon app in one step. There’s no separate application or waiting period, and it’s available regardless of which plan — Simplicity, myPlan, or a legacy plan — a customer is on.

Verizon One: The Converged Plan

Verizon One is the carrier’s first true single-bill bundle for mobile and home internet, aimed at customers who are new to Verizon rather than existing subscribers switching plans.

Pricing: $70/month with autopay, taxes and fees included.

What’s included: One mobile line built on the Simplicity network foundation, plus a home internet connection — either 500 Mb/s Fios fibre where available or 5G Home fixed wireless. After 500GB of data use in a billing cycle on the home internet side, speeds are reduced.

Verizon executives have described this as the company’s first step toward “one bill, one place to get customer service” for households that want to consolidate their mobile and broadband spending with a single provider.

myPlan vs. Simplicity: Which Is Better in 2026?

Verizon hasn’t retired myPlan — it’s positioning Simplicity as a parallel option, not a replacement. Which one makes sense depends mostly on how many lines you have and how many perks you actually use.

For 1–2 lines, Simplicity’s flat pricing and lack of tier confusion usually work out cheaper, especially at the $30 switcher rate.

For 3 or more lines, myPlan’s multi-line discounts frequently bring the effective per-line cost below what Simplicity offers, since Simplicity doesn’t discount for additional lines.

If you’re already on myPlan, there’s no urgency to switch. Run the numbers for your specific line count and perk usage before committing — and remember that a move to Simplicity can’t be undone.

Perk Changes: What’s Added, Removed, or Priced Higher

Several perk changes landed alongside — and slightly before — the June announcement, and they’re easy to miss if you’re not watching your bill closely.

Price increases:

• Netflix & HBO Max (with ads) perk: Rose from $10 to $13/month effective May 6, 2026, after Netflix raised its own subscription prices. Monthly savings versus buying both services separately dropped from $8.98 to $6.98.
• Apple One perk: Increased to $15/month.

New perk added:

• FOX One: Introduced at $15/month.

Removed perks:

• Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass, previously included free with legacy 5G Get More and 5G Play More plans, were discontinued for those plans, with removal completed by late September 2025. Customers still on those plans lost the free gaming subscriptions and would need to pay separately or switch to myPlan, which offers Apple Arcade as a paid add-on.

How perks work today: On myPlan and Simplicity, most add-ons are still purchased individually — typically $10/month each, though several have moved to $13–$15 as noted above. Bundles like Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ remain available at $10/month; YouTube Premium runs $12/month; a second phone number add-on is $10/month.

One detail worth remembering: Verizon’s price lock guarantees apply to plan pricing on myPlan and myHome, not to perks, discounts, taxes, or fees — which is exactly where most of these 2026 increases have landed.

Price Increases You Should Know About

Beyond the perks above, several other charges moved this year:

• Unlimited Ultimate: Increased from $90 to $95/month for new sign-ups, effective May 7, 2026. Verizon renamed the previous version “Unlimited Ultimate 1.0” and grandfathered existing subscribers at $90, with no account changes for those customers.
• myPlan and New Verizon Plan accounts: Rose by roughly $3–$5/month in February 2026, attributed to rising operational costs.
• Verizon Mobile Protect and Mobile Secure (Multi-Device): Increased by $8/month.
• Tablet plans: Increased by $5/month.
• AutoPay discount on legacy (non-myPlan) plans: Cut from $10 to $5/month for many customers, with some reports of a further reduction to $2.50/month on older grandfathered plans. Customers who voluntarily move to myPlan keep the full $10 AutoPay discount — but customers migrating away from certain discontinued plans have reported being denied that same $10 discount even after switching, a discrepancy Verizon has attributed to eligibility rules tied to the specific plan being replaced.

If your bill has crept up over the past year without an obvious explanation, one of these changes is the likely cause — check your billing statement’s line-item detail rather than just the total.

What This Means for You, By Customer Type

New customers: The $30/month Simplicity rate is the strongest deal on the table right now, and Verizon One is worth a look if you also need home internet and want a single bill. Enrolling in Verizon Loyalty from day one avoids the $40 activation fee entirely.

Existing myPlan customers: Don’t switch reflexively. Add up what you’re currently paying across all lines and perks, then compare it to Simplicity’s flat rate plus any add-ons you’d actually use. If you’re on 1–2 lines with light perk usage, Simplicity likely saves money. If you’re on 3+ lines, myPlan’s multi-line discount usually wins. Either way, remember that switching to Simplicity forecloses the option to return.

Legacy plan customers (5G Get More, 5G Play More, Do More): You can stay put, but be aware your AutoPay discount has likely dropped to $5 (or lower on older plans), and free Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass access is gone. It’s worth comparing your current all-in cost against myPlan or Simplicity, since the gap may be smaller than it used to be.

Everyone: Opt into Verizon Loyalty through the My Verizon app regardless of which plan you’re on — it’s free, it removes activation and upgrade fees, and it starts accruing Verizon Dollars once the program goes live in July.

Conclusion

Verizon’s 2026 changes cut in two directions at once. The Simplicity plan, Verizon One, and the Loyalty program genuinely lower costs and add value for the right customer — particularly new sign-ups and small households. At the same time, several quieter price increases on Unlimited Ultimate, the Netflix perk, and AutoPay discounts have pushed bills up for others, especially long-time customers on legacy plans.

The first practical step for any Verizon customer is simple: open the My Verizon app and enrol in the Loyalty program, since it costs nothing and removes the $40 fee entirely. Beyond that, don’t rush into switching plans. Compare your actual line count, perk usage, and monthly total against both Simplicity and myPlan before making a move — especially since a switch to Simplicity can’t be undone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Verizon getting rid of activation fees?

Yes. Verizon eliminated its $40 activation and upgrade fees for postpaid customers who opt into the Verizon Loyalty program.

What is the Verizon Simplicity plan?

Simplicity is a flat-rate unlimited plan launched in June 2026, priced at $45/month for existing customers who switch and $30/month for new customers porting their number in. It includes 5G Ultra Wideband access, 10GB of hotspot data, Canada/Mexico roaming, and satellite texting, with no network tiers.

Did Verizon raise prices in 2026?

Yes, in several places. Unlimited Ultimate rose to $95/month for new sign-ups, myPlan and New Verizon Plan accounts saw a $3–$5 increase in February, the Netflix & HBO Max perk rose from $10 to $13, and the AutoPay discount on many legacy plans was cut from $10 to $5.

What is Verizon Dollars?

Verizon Dollars is a cash-back-style loyalty currency that earns customers 3% of their monthly bill starting in July 2026, redeemable for devices, accessories, and rewards from partner brands like Starbucks, Hilton, Marriott, and Sephora.

Can I switch back from Verizon Simplicity?

No. Moving from myPlan or a legacy plan to Simplicity is permanent — Verizon does not allow customers to reverse the switch.

What is Verizon One?

Verizon One is a $70/month bundle combining one mobile line with home internet (Fios fibre or 5G Home) on a single bill, with taxes and fees included. It’s available to new Verizon customers only.

Does Simplicity include multi-line discounts?

No. Simplicity is priced per line with no discount for adding additional lines, which is one reason larger households may still find myPlan cheaper.

What happened to Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass on my plan?

Verizon removed these free perks from its legacy 5G Get More and 5G Play More plans, with the change completed by late September 2025. They remain available as paid add-ons under myPlan.