Paying Your Verizon Bill With Cash? That'll Be $3.99 Extra
Employees at the Verizon store in Millington, Tennessee told reader Josh it would cost an extra $3.99 to pay his bill with cash. According to the employees, the charge was to offset the cost of "new money software."
Josh writes:
Just a few days ago, I took my bill to the Verizon wireless store in my hometown of Millington, TN. I had just cashed my paycheck and my bill was due, so I decided to pay it.
My bill looks somewhat like this:
Monthly Access Charges: $55.31 Usage Charges Voice Data: $3.39 Verizon Wireless' Surcharges's and Other Charges & Credits $1.80 Taxes, Government Surcharges & Fees $5.44 Total Current Charges $66.54
So, I assumed that I would need to pay $66.54, as stated on my bill. I entered the store and waited nicely for about 15 minutes while the salesman discussed the merits of a newer bluetooth headset with a gentleman.When I made it to the counter, I explained that I was just here to pay my bill. He brought up my information, told me how much my bill was, and I began to count out four twenties from my wallet. Before I handed the money over, he explained that there is a $3.99 charge for using cash. I held onto the money and pointed out that my bill was for $66.54. I also pointed out that I was paying in CASH and it is legal tender that Verizon is obligated to honor. The young man explained to me that the store had new money software. The fee to use cash was to pay for that software.
If I had exact change, I would have given only the amount to cover the bill, but I only had twenties at the time. So I left with an unpaid bill. I absolutely refuse to be nickeled and dimed like that.
So how do I pay Verizon in legal tender without paying for the privilege?
New money software? For what, the cash register?
Our guess is that a misguided Tennessee youth was trying to pocket $4. Verizon always places high in our personal bracket for Worst Company in America, but charging for the privilege of accepting cash is cartoonishly evil, and slightly beyond Verizon's capable and experienced reach.
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Comments:
You would think Verizon would give you a $3.99 discount for using cash. After all, once you hand it over to them, there's no backsies. You can't issue a chargeback for cash, and it doesn't take 10 days to clear at the bank.
I'm with you. New 'money' software????
theres something up with this, but anyway, i would think that if Verizon wants new software, they should pay for it with the profits they make, not charge more money when you pay your bill
I think he needs to call Verizon Corporate, mention this and suggest they put in one of those automated cash payment kiosks.
New money software, is that anything like sun spots messing up your reception?
Give them $3.99 LESS than your bill and tell them it is to pay for your new wallet.
Disclaimer: Not trying to absolve the store of guilt or blame the consumer here.
I searched on vzw.com and found no listed store in Millington, TN, which means it's most likely a franchise/3rd-party vendor. This means that they are pretty free to set their own policies on bill paying, purchase prices, etc. This is most likely the owner(s) of the franchise tryng to recoup some costs through any fee they can find an excuse for.
Also, note that while cash is legal tender for a debt (the bill), a franchise is under no obligation to accept a payment to forward to Verizon. It stinks, but that's the price we pay for having more stores than Verizon corporate wants to actually run.
They'd probably charge you $3.99 for paying with check or charge in-store, too.
Just about every phone company and utility I know of charges a "convenience" fee to make an in-person payment. Sprint's was $5, if I remember right.
There is a 'convenience fee' of $3 for paying your bill in any Verizon location that accepts payments and it doesnt matter how you pay. however i am not sure where the extra $.99 came into play for this situation.
if all stores only took Checks and Credit Cards/Check-Debit Cards then the need for the crooks to hold up stores would be moot.
Ah, it's the famous "This note is legal tender for all debts public and private" argument. From the United States Treasury:
[The Coinage Act of 1965, 31 USC 5103,] means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise.
Welcome to the year 2008.You now must pay for the privlidge to pay. What next,the gas station charges a $2 service fee per gallon to pay your gas with cash?
I believe cingular/at&a does the same thing at the kiosks in their store. In fact, I think there was a consumerist article about it. They have been doing this for a while... since 2002 I think when I jumped ship.
the consumerist should do a seperate post about the 'legal tender' thing. Theres a lot of confusion about what exactly that means
More Signs of Inflation :X
I went to a cricket wireless store the other day to chck out a broadband modem , and was shocked to see the same thing, they charged an extra fee to people who paid in cash.
i mean why rip off the people who can least afford it.
@Silversmok3: Actually, just on the north city limits of Chicago there is a gas station that is giving you a discount if you pay for your gas with cash. I think they have it at $3.99 (which is a bargain in Chicago).
@donkeyjote: Sure, but "legal offer to pay" does not mean "must accept." You can make a legal offer to pay your bill with several hundred pennies, but they do not have to accept that offer.
flying J sells gas for less if you pay in cash.
@wesmills: In theory, could a company refuse your bill payments indefinitely and then send you to a collections agency, ruining your credit in the process?
I'm not asking if it's likely or even sensible to do so, but if it is technically possible.
@wesmills: The creditor (in this case Verizon Wireless) need not accept the money, but they cannot then sue for nonpayment.
While "legal tender" arguments are frequently misused to imply that, say, a business must accept payment in pennies for a future sale (i.e. not a debt). This is different, as it is a debt.
It's actually not that simple, because the laws can vary by state. Some state courts have agreed with the "private businesses don't have to accept cash" interpretation, while others only allow businesses to reject cash payments if they have a good reason for it (e.g., they are afraid of being robbed, or the amounts are too large to conveniently accept cash).
@mgy:
I'm pretty sure in that situation you could take the case to court and tell the judge that they refused your payment which is why the account went delinquent.
Who knows what would happen then but it sure would be interesting. Oh, and if Judge Judy hears the case in question I would sell my soul to see it.
@Terrminal:
Yes, that is the first thing I did, check to see Millington, TN was a true Verizon Wireless corporate store or an authorized seller. It appears that there is no corporate store in Millington, but U.S. Cellular store is listed.
At $3.99 he got off cheap. Sprint charged me $6.00 more for making a cash payment on my daughters bill and that was in the Sprint store, not a 3rd party vendor. Probably even more now. Vultures and vampires disguising as businesses. Shameful.
Free phone service. Bonus!
@AT203: And I can vouch that a US Cellular store wouldn't charge such an asinine fee. The "money software" would've been provided to the store so that nothing has to be recouped for transaction fees and the bookkeeping the store has to do. Also, I'm pretty sure if a US Cellular agent did that, they'd lose their licensing, since it's in their agreement to maintain a consistent customer service experience.
The submitter is probably off by a township or something. It probably is a VZW agent.
Im surprised that no one has mentioned this yet, but while you can pay your Sprint bill at all RadioShack locations, you can only pay in cash, and it is processed through a 3rd party billing service called PreCash. It cost $5 every payment, plus an additional $3 when you make your first payment. So, the first time you pay your Sprint bill at RS, it costs $8 additional dollars, and every time after that, it costs $5. I used to work there (no more, thank you!) and I always just told people it was a convenience fee. I think that the Sprint franchises do it the same way. (yet another reason to hate the shack!)
just another reason to hate sprint. Oregon gal, did you have to make your daughter's sprint payment through PreCash?
@mgy: You could sue them for malicious harassment/tort, and breach of contract by acting in bad faith, probably for tens of thousands, plus the bad press. Not in a companies best interest (most like getting paid)
Re OP: AT&T charges $5....
I will not pay some 'convenience' fee. It is a convenience to THEM because the bill is paid right there.
I will certainly not pay some 'money software' fee.
Take in a form stating that you were there to pay your bill in full, with cash (legal tender), and they refused to accept the amount of the bill as payment in full. Then when they try to bill you late fees for not paying this bogus fee, CONTRACT TERMINATED.
(a customer walks in the door)
Customer: Good Morning.
Owner: Good morning, Sir. Welcome to the National Cheese Emporium!
Customer: Ah, thank you, my good man.
Owner: What can I do for you, Sir?
Customer: I want to buy some cheese.
Owner: (lustily) Certainly, sir. How would you like to pay?
Customer: Well, eh, how about a little Visa.
Owner: I'm, a-fraid we'll need to see some ID.
Customer: Oh, never mind, how are you on Master Card?
Owner: I'm afraid we never take that.
Customer: Tish tish. No matter. Well, stout yeoman, I'll write a check.
Owner: Ah! I'll have to hold the check, sir, for two weeks before you get your cheese.
Customer: 'T's Not my lucky day, is it? Aah, AmEx, please?
Owner: Sorry, sir.
Customer: Discover?
Owner: Normally, sir, yes. Today the machine broke down.
Customer: Ah. Traveller's Checks?
Owner: Sorry.
Customer: Diner's Club? Maestro?
Owner: No, no.
Customer: You...do *sell* cheese, don't you?
Owner: (brightly) Of course, sir. It's a cheese shop, sir. We take--
Customer: No no... don't tell me. I'm keen to guess.
Owner: Fair enough.
Customer: Uuuuuh, JCB?
Owner: Yes?
Customer: Ah, well, I'll pay with that!
Owner: Oh! I thought you were talking to me, sir. Mister John Cheese Baker, JCB's my nickname.
Customer: (pause) Cash?
Owner: Well, we don't get much call for it around here, sir.
Customer: Not much ca-- it's the single most popular form of payment in the world!
Owner: Not 'round here, sir. So there'll be a $3.99 charge.
When the local office of US West (now Qwest) quite literally closed their doors and posted a sign out front that US West would no longer accept payments in person, I figured that the the apocalypse could not be far off. For pity's sake, what kind of fool won't take your money? That's ... the ... whole ... point ... of ... being ...in ... business. TO GET THE MONEY. All other products and services are a means to that One End.
I've been paying this flippin' fee since 2006(?)
It's absolutely rediculous!!
Even if you call them directly and tell them you're going to pay your bill in person, they tell you "they will charge you an extra fee to do that at the store" and I heard this just TWO days ago.
EPAY
@horned_frog: DEpay. I just have my carrier deducting straight off a credit card (proof of payment, chargeback rights, points, ease of resolution) but I understand the situations where people won't have this luxury.
Setting up a storefront retail business where you can't figure out how to accept cash as payment without further screwing the customer is probably why most cell stores have had to employ armed guards over the past few years. Don't even see that at 7-11s or gas stations. Guess they must be putting that fee toward their "security" fund.
The other carriers charge if you pay at the register because there is an automated kiosk there that takes cash and if you are paying at the register instead then you are wasting their money by making them do something you're too stupid to do instead of spending their time selling to someone. Ofcourse they wave the fee if the kiosk is down.
If verizon also has a kiosk, then use that and quit whining.
My isp tried that once. The told me they would charge me a $2.00 for paying by check. (I dont let companies deduct money from me automatically) I told them I would have to talk to legal council first since the isp had just changed the terms of their contract without my consent. They told me they would wave the fee until I was done talking to council.
Im still not done.
I think several companies charge fees for cash payments.
Carey, WTF were you thinking? This wasn't even a decent rant about transaction fees. VZW charges for the clerk's time taking your payment, SURPRISE! In fact, because this chump spent time whinging about it, they really should have doubled it. It has nothing to do with cash and everything to do with the fact that a clerk got involved, and has been that way most of the century. Use the fucking payment kiosk next time and qwitcher bitching
Verizon.. cancel
Huh? I remember my mom paying the phone bills this way as long as I can remember. The most the store charged was $0.90, about the cost of a money order. Wait, we're talking about Verizon WIRELESS here... I hate those rat-.
In Canada...
Go into a Bell Store (landline/cell/isp/dish tv etc) and try to pay your bill will cash...they will refuse.
Pay for a cell phone from the same location or any services and cash is accepted but not to pay your bills.
They WILL however, let you pay cash for a gift certificate which you can then turn right around and pay your bill will and get you change back?
I don't get it.
Get used to it, all the wireless companies find evil ways of nickel and diming you. They act like paying with cash is a privilege when they should just accept it and shut up. In reality, its the real cost of your bill added in. They lower the cost of their service and add extra charges to mask the real price so they can stay "low cost" compared to other wireless services. If you don't pay their stupid service fees than eventually they will send it collections.
TF-- You are close to the bottom line truth: these big companies are trying to segment their market every way possible, and get every individual person to pay as much as possible.
So it goes like this. VZ determines that there is an underserved market - the type of person who likes to pay bills in person. So they develop a marketing plan and a phone and a targetted plan to attract those people and convert them to customers. But to do so costs money, plus they tend to be cheap, so we need to accept slightly less profit on the frontside of the transaction. But they know, from various data bases and trending and demographics that this group of people while budget conscious for month-to-month expenses is impulsive, and has cash-flow problems from time to time. So, the perfect solution. Reel them in with a good upfront price, but get them on a payment fee when they need to make a last minute cash payment to avoid disconnection.
It's literally planned - all of it - by PHB months ahead of time. I've been there, seen it, been shocked, and now I just nod and grin.
If only you had some way of contacting Verizon and asking them about it.