If you found that using your credit/debit card to pay your Verizon Wireless bill online or by phone every month was just too darned inconvenient, the folks at VZW have some really, really wonderful news. They will now be charging a $2 convenience fee for the privilege of giving them your money! Oh wait… that sucks.

Basically, if you haven’t set up auto-pay on your account, Verizon will now start slapping you in the face with another two dollars each month just to bully you into setting up auto-pay.

“The fee will help allow us to continue to support these single bill payment options in these channels and is designed to address costs incurred by us for only those customers who choose to make single bill payments in alternate payment channels (online, mobile, telephone),” writes the largest wireless provider in the country. “It is waived for those who pay by electronic check or enroll in AutoPay — we encourage customers to use those or other payment options that incur no fees.”

If you want out of the convenience fee, here are the options:
*Electronic check online (My Verizon Online, My Verizon Mobile/Handset). Fee waived.
*Electronic check via telephone. Fee waived.
*Enrollment in AutoPay using credit/debit/ATM card or electronic check; fee does not apply
*Online from the customer’s home-banking service provider website; fee does not apply.
*Credit/debit/ATM card, electronic check or cash at a Bill Payment Kiosk, Panel or with a representative at a Verizon Wireless Communications Store; fee does not apply.
*Use of a Verizon Wireless Gift Card or Verizon Wireless device Rebate Card to pay a bill in-store, online or by telephone; fee does not apply
*Paper check or money order mailed to the VZW remit address on customer’s bill; fee does not apply.

And then there’s the unmentioned option of switching to another wireless carrier.

Of course, we would be remiss in all this discussion of two dollars without posting the following:

Customers Encouraged to Use Options to Avoid Single Payment Fee That Starts Jan. 15 [Verizon Wireless announcement]

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