• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Verizon Is Poaching AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile Customers With a $650 Credit

By
Kif Leswing
Kif Leswing
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kif Leswing
Kif Leswing
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 29, 2015, 12:07 PM ET
A woman uses her phone while walking past a Verizon Store in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City.
A woman uses her phone while walking past a Verizon Store in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City.Photograph by Andrew Burton —Getty Images

It’s a great time to be looking for a new cell phone contract as the major U.S. carriers continue to jockey for customers.

Verizon unveiled its latest promotion on Monday, offering customers who switch away from AT&T, T-Mobile, or Sprint up to $650 to cover early termination fees. Of course, as with any wireless service promotion, there’s a bit of fine print. From Verizon:

When you port your number to Verizon from another carrier, purchase a 4G LTE smartphone with a new device payment activation and trade-in your existing device from your previous provider. You’ll get up to $650 on a prepaid card for the installment plan balance less the device trade-in value (or up to a $350 prepaid card for early termination fees less the device trade-in value). Your trade-in must be in good working condition and be worth more than $0, and you must keep the new line active for a minimum of 6 months.

Essentially, what Verizon is offering is that anyone who ports their existing number to Verizon, purchases a new smartphone on an installment plan, and trades their old device in, can receive up to $650 in the form of a Visa prepaid card, depending on the value of their phone, although switchers will have to pay contract termination fees out of pocket.

MORE: Verizon’s Sponsored Data Shouldn’t Hurt Net Neutrality

The promotion is the first time in recent memory that Verizon, the biggest U.S. wireless carrier, has offered a promotion to cover early termination fees, although other carriers have previously offered similar deals. Perhaps Verizon is starting to feel some pricing pressure from its rivals. Although Verizon continues to add lucrative postpaid customers—1.3 million in the third quarter—overall postpaid growth is slowing.

WATCH: For more Fortune coverage of Verizon, watch this video:

Part of that might be the fact that AT&T (T), T-Mobile (TMO), and Sprint (S) all target Verizon (VZ) with similar deals that cover part of the cost of switching wireless carriers. AT&T offers up to $300 credit per line for number porters, and T-Mobile has made covering early termination fees a core part of its marketing campaign. Sprint’s big push for new subscribers during the holiday season targeted wireless service switchers, as well.

SIGN UP: Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

The bottom line is that wireless carriers are dealing with a saturated market. 81% of the population has a smartphone, which means that subscriber growth must increasingly come at other carriers’ expense. Thus, the emphasis on promotions that target other carriers’ subscribers.

The wireless price wars are driven by T-Mobile and its outspoken CEO, which ran a holiday promotion this year that tried to poach Verizon customers with a free year of Hulu. (The company also offered specific deals to AT&T and Sprint customers, as well.) If there’s one bright lining to Verizon’s leadership position, it’s that the company still makes $17 per month per subscription, whereas T-Mobile loses money per subscription. But if Verizon continues to offer deals to attract new customers, it could see those margins fall.

About the Author
By Kif Leswing
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.