A Comprehensive Guide on Verizon First Responder Discount on Mobile Plans & Home Internet

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Verizon is the best provider if you’re looking for amazing free phone deals with no trade-in required. The company also has some special deals on phone plans and accessories for various groups in society. But then, are the special deals worth it? And if yes,  how much is Verizon first responder discount for multi-line accounts?

Well, just as the name, first responder benefit program’s available to local and state first responders in emergencies. Thus, making you automatically eligible if you work as an emergency medical personnel, firefighter, local police, or other response services.

Verizon as a Carrier for the First Responders

Until now, Verizon remains to have the best coverage across the country. In the Verizon vs Spectrum Mobile comparison review, we concluded you can still have a usable phone even in rural areas of Oregon, Madison, and Toledo.

So, the provider is a perfect choice for the active first responders who will have to respond to emergencies in and outside the cities.

Another thing, the internet is now a must-have in our everyday life, and that goes for emergency response teams. For instance, OES 5262 fire department vehicles have a mobile device with a SIM card for internet access.

Meanwhile, Verizon has just introduced Unlimited plans that have high-speed data with no caps. And that means the first responders can go on their mission without the issue of heavy throttling.

If you’ll remember, the Santa Clara fire department did accuse Verizon of throttling their “unlimited” data during the California wildfires back in 2018. At the time, the Verizon Unlimited plan had a 25GB cap, whereby users would get throttled upon reaching the monthly threshold.

Actually, it was after this incident Verizon announced the new discount program for emergency responders. And it would be available for not just the professional lines (like in OES 5262 devices) but also personal consumer plans.

Is the Verizon First Responder Discount Worth it?

Despite the availability and un-throttled data, Verizon is pretty expensive to own on the postpaid service. It has the premium 5G Get More plan at an original price of $90/ month for a single line or $55 with 4+ lines.

But as a first responder, Verizon will give you a monthly discount between $10-$25, depending on the lines you own.

Of course, it’s slightly lower than the $16-$38 first responders discounts from AT&T. But the Verizon plans have more perks provided with each of the eligible lines, as we shall see shortly.

So, in my opinion, YES, the Verizon first responder discount is still worthwhile. But I’d hope the program was a little better as these people sacrifice a lot for us to live better.

how much is Verizon first responder discount

Can I Get Verizon First Responder Discount on Home Internet?

While looking at the affordable connectivity program with Verizon, we saw the carrier has not only mobile service. But also home internet that you can get via the existing cellular technology (4G LTE & 5G) or Fios (fiber-optic) connection.

Similarly, the first responder discount is also available for the consumers with Fios internet at home.  And to make it even better, you can get the benefit with mobile and home internet plans at the same time.

Even much better,  Verizon claims you can redeem the first responders discount with Fios and Mobile + Home Rewards at the same time.

Note: Verizon has a Mobile + Home Rewards program for the users subscribed to both the wireless phone and internet service. The program usually offers up to a $20 monthly discount on the plans and $200+ off on the latest devices.

How Much is Verizon First Responder Discount on Fios & Mobile Service

Technically, the total savings on the Verizon first responder discount program usually depends on the service you have.

  1. Total Savings On The Verizon First Responder Discount With Mobile Service

As was mentioned earlier, Verizon first responder discount program saves you up to $25/ month on mobile plans. The said plans include only the unlimited category for the postpaid customers.

So, you’ll need to switch over if you’re currently enrolled on the cheaper Verizon prepaid service. And to be honest, it could be a great idea when you consider the postpaid service has far much better perks. See below.

Chart 1 Verizon wireless plans eligible for first responder discount

Features5G Start Unlimited5G Play More Unlimited5G Do More Unlimited5G Get More Unlimited
Original Price (for single lines)$70/ mo.$80/ mo.$80/ mo.  $90/ mo.
1 Line First Responder Savings$10$10$10$10
2-3 Lines First Responder Savings$25 (for all lines)$25 (for all lines)$25 (for all lines)$25 (for all lines)
4+ Lines First Responder Savings$20 (for all lines)$20 (for all lines)$20 (for all lines)$20 (for all lines)
Free 5G AccessNationwide OnlyNationwide & Ultra-WidebandNationwide & Ultra-WidebandNationwide & Ultra-Wideband
Talk + TextingUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Priority DataNOYESYESYES
High-Speed Data AllotmentUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Premium DataN/A50GB50GBUnlimited
Mobile HotspotNO25GB (then 3G)25GB (then 3G)50GB (then 3G)
Video Stream QualityUp to 480pUp to 4K UHDUp to 4K UHDUp to 4K UHD
International TextingUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Calls To/ From Canada & MexicoFREEFREEFREEFREE
Roaming Data in Canada/ Mexico0.5GB / Day (then 2G)0.5GB / Day (then 2G)0.5GB / Day (then 2G)0.5GB / Day (then 2G)
50% discount on Home InternetNOYESYESYES
Verizon CloudN/A600GBN/A600GB
TravelPassNOYESNOYES
Free Apple Arcade/ Google Play PassFirst 6 monthsFirst 6 monthsYES (every month)YES (every month)
Free Apple MusicFirst 6 monthsFirst 6 monthsFirst 6 monthsYES (every month)
Free Disney+ SubscriptionFirst 6 monthsFirst 6 monthsYES (every month)YES (every month)
Hulu SubscriptionN/AN/AYES (every month)YES (every month)
ESPN+ SubscriptionN/AN/AYES (every month)YES (every month)

Quick Notes:

  • 5G Access: The Verizon 5G Nationwide usually runs on the existing LTE infrastructure and has browsing speeds around 300+Mbps. Then, the 5G Ultra-Wideband (UW) uses the mmWave or C-Band spectrum to give you 1-4Gbps (1000-4000Mbps) data speeds.
  • Priority Data: The Play More, Do More, & Get More phone plans will get prioritized even when the network is busy. The 5G Start plan gets deprioritized data, which means the speed will be temporarily slower when Verizon towers are too congested.
  •  Premium data: after reaching the 50GB limit on Play More or Do More, your line will get deprioritized (experience a temporary drop in data speed when the network is busy).
  • TravelPass: a new program where Verizon gives you up to twelve days of free roaming while in 210+ countries. During the period, you can enjoy unlimited texting, talking, and high-speed data.
  • First 6 Months: simply means you’ll get the said free subscription as an introductory offer for only six months after joining the plan.

As you can see in the chart, Verizon does have a little better offerings compared to other carriers. And also don’t forget it’s one of the few companies that give free phones when you switch with no trade-in needed.

As for the question of the first responder discount, Verizon usually gives the offer per account. So, the savings listed on the chart above will be distributed across all the lines you have registered.

For instance, all the single-line accounts will have a $10 first responder discount. Thus, dropping the pricing for the 5G Start to $60, $70 for Play More/ Do More, and $80 with the Get More plan.

If you have two or three lines under your account, your total account discount will be $25, whereas 4+ lines save $20.

  • Total Savings on the Verizon First Responder Discount with Fios Internet
Features300Mbps500MbpsGigabit Connection
Original Pricing$39.99$64.99/ Month$89.99/ Month
First Responder Savings$5/ Month$10/ Month$15/ Month
High-Speed AllotmentUnlimited (with no cap)Unlimited (with no cap)Unlimited (with no cap)
Data Speeds300Mbps500Mbps940Mbps
Free Disney BundleFirst 6 monthsFirst 6 monthsFirst 12 months
Free Cloud StoargeN/AN/AYES (2TB)
    

If you have Fios home internet, the Verizon first responder discount program lets you save up to $15/ month on the Gigabit plan. It’s currently the highest package from the provider and gives 940Mbps of internet speeds, 2TB cloud storage, and a free subscription to Disney Bundle for the first year.

If you have the 500Mbps (previously 400Mbps) Fios plan, your Verizon first respondent discount is $10/ month. Then, the customers on the 300mbps (previously 200Mbps) Fios plan will get to save $5 each month.

  • Total Savings on the Verizon First Responder Discount with Mobile/ Fios Internet

Apart from mobile and home internet service, the Verizon first responder discount program also covers mobile accessories. And in this case, your shopping cart will show a 25% savings when shopping through the “My Verizon” account and 10% at Verizon wireless retail store.

Nonetheless, the special discount is only available on select mobile accessories. So, it’d be a great idea to first shop around the various Verizon catalogs while checking the best deals to grab.

How to Get the Verizon First Responder Discount

Well, the initial requirement to get Verizon first responder discount will be to be a “first responder personnel”. And this means you either be an active, retired, or volunteer:

  • Firefighter
  • Local police
  • State trooper
  • Sheriff (or Sheriff deputy)
  • Emergency medical services (or technician)

Survivors of a first responder personnel/s that was killed in action (KIA) are also eligible for this special discount. And the survivor can be children, spouses, or dependent parents of the persons on the above list.

It’s worth noting Verizon already has a separate special discount program for the government agencies. So, you can’t redeem the mobile and home internet first responder discount if you’re DEA, FBI, NSA, or other federal-level law enforcement personnel.

Even for the first responder persons who are military vets, Verizon only approves a single discount at a time. So, you’ll have to opt for either the Military & Veterans discounts or first responder discounts while applying.

Speaking of application, you must confirm your eligibility for this discount on ID.me with Verizon page. Then, after success with the verification, you can come back to Verizon to shop for your mobile or home internet plan.

Important Notes:

In the verification stage for the first responder discount program on ID.me, you’ll need to have the right documentation to prove your identity.

Such documents that you can bring include a paystub (if active), pension stub (if retired), or ID/ statement of volunteer service. And if applying as a survivor of first responder personnel, you must have an affidavit from the appropriate agency.

Final Thoughts

The Verizon first responder discount program is a nice deal to cut down on mobile and home internet bills. Indeed, it’s not the best, but even that $5 savings on the internet package will be enough for a one-and-a-half month of service after a year.

Even on the phone plans, the ten or twenty bucks you save should amount to at least a month of service after a year.

But that said, Verizon only approves requests for the first responder discount with mobile service through the Account Owner or Account Managers. So, you can’t apply with a line that shows your Verizon account role as an “Account Member”.