Synchrony Bank, Visa, and Verizon have come together to offer the Verizon Visa® Card, a compelling credit card product that can help you combat the increasing costs associated with cellphones, cellphone accessories, cellphone bills, and more. However, the reward redemption options are limited to the Verizon Dollars program, so this card might not make sense for everyone.
In this Verizon Visa Card review, you’ll learn about who should get this card, what its benefits and drawbacks are, as well as how to earn and redeem your rewards. This will help you decide whether the Verizon Visa Card is a good fit for your financial situation.
Who should get the Verizon Visa Card?
When you compare credit cards, it’s easy to see how a travel rewards card can help you travel more while paying less, and typical cashback credit cards can help you save money on common purchases. The Verizon Visa Card likely makes the most sense for Verizon customers who can take advantage of its everyday earning potential and specific redemption options.
When you spend with this card, you can earn Verizon Dollars on grocery store, gas, dining, and non-bill Verizon purchases, on , and on . Verizon Dollars can be redeemed for most items that Verizon sells, such as phones and tablets, or to pay a Verizon bill. The redemption options are specific, but they can be useful for Verizon customers who want to save money on these expenses.
Because this card doesn’t actually earn you standard cashback rewards, it likely wouldn’t make sense for you if you want more redemption options or if you have bad or no credit, as it typically requires good or excellent credit. In addition, the Verizon Visa Card is only available for eligible Verizon Wireless customers.
Editor's note:
There are two versions of this card available through Synchrony with different costs and benefits. All details here are for the Visa Signature account.Card basics
Card type | Cash Back (in Verizon Dollars) |
Credit card issuer | Synchrony |
Credit card network | Visa |
Annual fee | $0 |
Intro bonus | Earn a $100 credit when you make your first purchase on the card in the first 90 days |
Reward rate | 4% on grocery store, gas and EV purchases, dining, including takeout, and Verizon purchases excluding bill payment; 1% on all other purchases, including Verizon bill payments |
Recommended credit score | Good, Excellent |
Foreign transaction fee | None |
Verizon Visa Card benefits and perks
- Generous welcome offer: Earn a $100 credit when you make your first purchase on the card in the first 90 days.
- Unlimited rewards: Earn unlimited Verizon Dollars in useful spending categories, including 4% on grocery store, gas and EV purchases, dining, including takeout, and Verizon purchases excluding bill payment; 1% on all other purchases, including Verizon bill payments. The 4% rate on grocery store, gas, dining, and non-bill Verizon purchases is higher than most cashback cards, which increases this card’s value.
- $0 annual fee: A $0 annual fee means no stressing over whether this card is worth holding onto each year.
- Auto-pay discount: Receive up to $10 per month off each eligible account or line when you use your card to enroll in Verizon’s Auto Pay program, up to 10 lines max on select plans.
- Verizon redemptions: Verizon Dollars can be redeemed for most products in Verizon’s store, including phones, accessories, and tablets. You can also redeem them to pay your Verizon Wireless bill or Verizon Fios bill.
- Free TravelPass days: Receive two free TravelPass days per calendar year as a Verizon Visa cardholder. TravelPass lets you talk, text, and use data in over 185 countries. Calling is limited to within the country where you’re located and on calls back to the U.S. The typical fee for TravelPass is $5/day in Mexico and Canada and $10/day in other countries where TravelPass is available.
- Visa Signature card benefits: Visa Signature cardholders may receive benefits like travel and emergency assistance services, Silvercar discounts, Visa Luxury Hotel Collection benefits, Troon golf rewards, Sonoma County wine benefits, and access to the Visa Signature concierge service.
- Metal card: The Verizon Visa Card is made of metal. Metal credit cards are popular and more durable than their plastic counterparts. In addition, the unboxing experience is similar to receiving a premium credit card instead of a plain, white envelope in the mail. So if you enjoy unboxing, you might find receiving this card to be fun.
Drawbacks to this card
- Verizon customers only: Only Verizon Wireless account owners or account managers on accounts with 10 lines or less can apply for the Verizon Visa Card.
- Verizon Dollars: Earning Verizon Dollars is helpful if you want to reduce your Verizon-related costs, but not if you want to save money on everyday purchases or book award travel for an upcoming vacation. In this sense, the redemption options are restrictive.
- No cellphone protection: You might expect one of the main benefits of a cellphone-related credit card to be cellphone protection. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with the Verizon Visa Card. However, to be fair, the options for credit cards with cellphone protection are few and far between.
Earning and redeeming Verizon Dollars
Potential earnings in years one and two
Here's a look at how your Verizon Dollars can add up with the Verizon Visa credit card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 1 cent.
Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.
Year one earnings: $1,075 (in Verizon dollars)
Year two earnings: $975 (in Verizon dollars)
These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which looks at points earned via spending, the sign-up bonus, and the annual fee. In addition, if you are a new enrollee in auto-pay or you can take advantage of the TravelPass benefit, you may get even more value out of this card.
Best ways to earn
The best way to earn rewards with the Verizon Visa Card is by using it on purchases that earn the highest rate. The earning categories include common expenses, so you can likely take advantage of earning loads of rewards on purchases you’re already making. This will help you earn enough Verizon Dollars to make valuable redemptions toward your Verizon purchases or bills.
Categories | Rewards rate |
Grocery store, gas, dining, and non-bill Verizon purchases | 4% |
All other purchases, including Verizon bill payments | 1% |
Maximizing your redemptions
The Verizon Visa Card earns Verizon Dollars, which can be redeemed for specific things, including your monthly Verizon Wireless bill. Other redemption options include phone, tablet, or accessory purchases made through a Verizon store. If you have Verizon Fios, you can also redeem Verizon Dollars to cover your Fios bill.
Verizon Dollars have the same value regardless of the redemption option you choose, so there’s no specific way to maximize your redemptions. Your rewards could help cover the cost of a new phone or you could put them toward your Verizon bill each month. It depends on which type of redemption makes the most sense for you.
Verizon Visa Card FAQs
Is the Verizon Visa Card worth it?
The Verizon Visa Card is worth it if you’re a Verizon Wireless customer who wants to save money on common Verizon expenses. This could include your monthly Verizon Wireless or Verizon Fios bills or a purchase from a Verizon store, like a new phone, tablet, or accessory.
The Verizon Visa Card has a $0 annual fee and unlimited earning potential on common categories, like grocery store, gas, dining, and non-bill Verizon purchases, as well as . In addition, you can also earn rewards for . These bonus categories make it easy to rack up plenty of rewards to help you save money on upcoming Verizon purchases.
Do I have to be a Verizon customer to get the Verizon Visa Card?
Yes, you have to be a Verizon customer to apply for and receive a Verizon Visa Card. Specifically, you have to be a Verizon Wireless account owner or account manager on an account with 10 phone lines or fewer to apply. If you try to apply online for the Verizon Visa Card, you’ll be prompted to sign into your existing Verizon Wireless account or become a new Verizon Wireless customer.
Do Verizon Dollars expire?
Verizon Dollars will expire after 24 consecutive calendar months of inactivity within Verizon’s rewards program. Eligible rewards program activity includes Verizon Visa Card purchases, Verizon Visa Card bill payments, and Verizon Dollars redemptions.
If your Verizon Visa Card account is closed, any remaining Verizon Dollars on the account will stay active for 90 days. During this time, you can continue to redeem Verizon Dollars. After the 90 days, your Verizon Dollars will expire.
Is the Verizon Visa Card metal?
Yes, the Verizon Visa Card is metal. The card is black, relatively heavy (for a credit card), and showcases a minimalist design of the Verizon logo and the embedded chip on the front. The back of the card has the card information, the Visa logo, and the cardholder’s name.
Other cards to consider
The Verizon Visa Card is an enticing option for Verizon Wireless customers who want to save money on Verizon purchases and bills. However, other rewards credit cards like the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card and Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express might make more sense for you.
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards also has a $0 annual fee and offers bonus rewards for purchases in many common categories, including 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. However, the Venture Rewards you earn aren’t as limited as Verizon Dollars. You can redeem them for travel, cash, gift cards, and more.
The American Express Blue Cash Preferred® has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter, but it’s one of the best cards available for everyday purchases. This includes 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (for first $6,000 per year, after that 1%) and on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on eligible transit, and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases.
Its 6% earning rate in these categories beats the highest rate of 4% on the Verizon Visa Card, and you can also earn 3% cash back on U.S. gas stations and eligible transit. In addition, the cash back you earn with the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® is in the form of Reward Dollars, which you can redeem as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. That's more flexible than using Verizon Dollars.