Verizon offering compensation for major outage — Here’s how to claim it
Verizon is offering compensation after a widespread outage left many customers without reliable service for most of Wednesday.
The cellular disruption, which affected voice and data services across the country, began around noon ET on January 14 and stretched well into the evening, with some users reporting issues until after 10 p.m. ET.
Verizon, the nation’s largest wireless carrier, acknowledged the lapse and announced it will begin issuing $20 account credits to impacted customers. The company confirmed to Parade that the credit is not per line, it is per account.
“Yesterday, we did not meet the standard of excellence you expect and that we expect of ourselves,” Verizon said in a statement shared on X on Thursday, January 15.
Yesterday, we did not meet the standard of excellence you expect and that we expect of ourselves. To help provide some relief to those affected, we will give you a $20 account credit that can be easily redeemed by logging into the myVerizon app. You will receive a text message…— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) January 15, 2026
In a follow-up statement provided to Parade, the company’s head of consumer unit and market communications explained how customers can access the credit and what it’s intended to cover: “Yesterday, we did not meet the standard of excellence our customers expect and that we expect of ourselves. To help provide some relief to those affected, we will give them a $20 account credit that can be easily redeemed by logging into the myVerizon app to accept. On average, this covers multiple days of service. Our business customers will be contacted directly about their credits.”
According to Verizon, eligible customers don’t need to call customer service or file a claim. Instead, the credit can be redeemed directly through the myVerizon app, where users will be prompted to accept it. Once applied, the $20 will appear as a credit on a future bill.
That said, the company made it clear the credit isn’t meant to fully compensate customers for the disruption. “This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can. But it’s a way of acknowledging our customers’ time and showing that this matters to us.”
For customers still dealing with lingering connectivity issues, Verizon recommends restarting devices to help reconnect to the network. The company added that it is continuing to monitor performance and address any remaining problems.
“We are sorry for what our customers experienced and will continue to work hard day and night to provide the outstanding network and service that people expect from Verizon,” the statement concluded.
If you were affected by the outage, checking the myVerizon app over the next few days is the fastest way to see if your account is eligible and to make sure the credit is applied.
