About 10,750 people a month look for a way to lower a Verizon bill. There is one charge on almost every Verizon bill that is not a tax, and on a family plan it adds up faster than most people realise because it is charged per line.

The charge on every line

Verizon calls it the Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge.

• $3.78 a month on a voice line.
• $3.97 a month on a data line.
• About $45 to $48 a line a year.

On four lines that is roughly $180 a year on one line item. It is not a government charge and no law requires it. Verizon sets the amount and keeps it.

Why a family plan hides it

A single bill for four lines shows one total. The per-line charges are broken out further down, where most people never look.

Open the itemised view rather than the summary. Count the lines you are actually paying for, and check whether every one of them is still being used.

A line nobody uses costs the plan rate plus this charge plus taxes, every month, indefinitely.

The call

Ask for retention. Not customer service.

Say you have been reviewing what you pay across all your lines and are deciding whether to stay. Then wait.

Ask specifically what plan changes are available on your account rather than asking for a discount. The first is a question they can answer; the second is one they are trained to deflect.

Write down the date, the name and the confirmation number.

If they will not move

A no on the phone is step one of five, not the end.

Ask for a supervisor, then end the call politely. An FCC informal complaint is free, takes about fifteen minutes, and goes to a team that handles regulators rather than the call centre. The provider has thirty days to respond in writing.

Questions people ask

How do I lower my Verizon bill?

Ask for retention and ask what plan changes are available on your account. Check the itemised view for lines you no longer use, and for the Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge on each one.

What is the Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge?

A Verizon charge of $3.78 a month on a voice line and $3.97 on a data line, roughly $45 to $48 a line a year. It is not a tax.

Is the Verizon administrative charge a government fee?

No. Verizon sets the amount and keeps it. No law requires it.

What if Verizon says no?

Ask for a supervisor, then end the call politely. A free FCC informal complaint takes about fifteen minutes and the provider has thirty days to respond in writing.