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Cancel guide · Updated April 18, 2026

How to cancel Verizon Wireless

Canceling Verizon Wireless requires a phone call to Customer Service, there's no online self-serve cancel because each line on the account has to be individually closed or ported. If you're keeping your number (porting to another carrier), don't call Verizon to cancel first; initiate the port from the new carrier and Verizon service drops automatically when the port completes. Only call Verizon directly if you're closing the account without keeping any numbers.

Cancel Verizon Wireless, direct line

1-800-922-0204Call now

Verizon Wireless does not offer a fully-online cancel flow, phone is the only reliable path.

Policies change frequently. Verify current terms at the time of cancellation. Prices, ETFs, return windows, and cancel numbers can shift, always confirm with the provider on the call before accepting any offer.

Step-by-step: cancel Verizon Wireless

  1. Decide: port out (keep number) or hard-cancel?

    If you're keeping your phone number, do NOT call Verizon to cancel. Start the port at the new carrier (T-Mobile, AT&T, Mint, US Mobile, etc.), provide Verizon's account number and port-out PIN, and Verizon will auto-cancel that line when the port completes. Calling Verizon first risks cutting service before the port starts.

  2. Get your account number and port-out PIN from My Verizon

    Log into verizon.com or the My Verizon app. Under 'Number Transfer PIN' (also called 'Port Out PIN'), generate a 4-6 digit PIN, this is separate from your account PIN and is required by the new carrier. The PIN expires in 7 days.

  3. Pay off financed devices (or accept acceleration)

    If your phone is on a Verizon Device Payment Plan, canceling or porting out doesn't erase the balance, it accelerates. The remaining financed amount becomes due immediately on the final bill. Check My Verizon > Devices for each line's remaining balance. Pay off before canceling if you want to avoid a large final bill.

  4. If fully canceling (no port), call 1-800-922-0204

    Say 'cancel service' or 'close account' at the voice prompt. You'll route to the Account Services team. Verify the account with your account number, PIN, and account holder's name. Expect a short retention pitch, Verizon Wireless retention is lighter than Fios or cable.

  5. Confirm prorated refund and closeout timing

    Verizon Wireless prorates final bills. Any unused portion of the current cycle is credited. Device trade-in credits (if you had a multi-month promo credit) stop the month of cancel, you forfeit remaining promo months.

  6. Remove Verizon Cloud, Travel Pass, and other add-ons

    Verizon Cloud, Travel Pass, insurance (Total Equipment Coverage), and other add-ons bill separately. Confirm they all terminate on the cancel date, some continue until the next billing cycle if not explicitly removed.

  7. Return any leased devices

    Most Verizon phones are purchased outright or financed, not leased, but Verizon Jetpack hotspots and some business devices are leased. If you have a leased device, Verizon will email a prepaid return label. Return within 30 days to avoid the full retail charge.

  8. Monitor final bill for device-balance surprises

    The final bill can include the accelerated device-financing balance, any prorated service, early-termination of promo credits, and state/local fees. Review carefully, the device-balance line item is often the largest. Dispute errors via My Verizon chat within 60 days.

What retention will offer, and how to evaluate it

Here's what to expect when the Verizon Wireless retention team pitches you, and how to tell a real offer from a distraction.

  • A monthly discount of $5-15 per line for 6-12 months, modest compared to Fios retention but real.
  • An upgraded plan at the current price (e.g., 5G Do More to 5G Get More, adding Disney+, Apple Music, or Travel Pass), feature-add without rate cut.
  • Waived line-access fee on an additional line or an extra line at $0/month for 12 months, legitimate if you actually need another line.
  • Free device trade-in promo credit on a new upgrade, requires a new 36-month Device Payment Plan, which resets your lock-in.
  • A Verizon Home Internet (Fios or 5G Home) bundle discount, $10-25/month off wireless if you add Verizon home internet.

Early termination fee and equipment return

Early termination fee

Verizon Wireless service plans have no ETF, all lines are month-to-month. The real 'cost of leaving' is the accelerated balance on any Device Payment Plan: if you owe $500 on a financed phone and cancel, $500 becomes due immediately on the final bill. Promotional trade-in credits (e.g., 'up to $1000 off a new iPhone over 36 months') stop when you cancel, you forfeit remaining promo credits. Check each line's device-financing and promo-credit status in My Verizon before canceling.

Equipment return

Most Verizon phones are owned by the customer (either paid in full or financed) and do not need to be returned. Leased devices are uncommon on consumer wireless plans as of 2026. If you have a Verizon Jetpack, hotspot, or other leased device, Verizon will email a prepaid UPS return label. Return within 30 days to avoid full-retail charges. Your phone, tablet, and smartwatch remain yours, you can use them on other carriers once unlocked (Verizon auto-unlocks after 60 days of paid-off status).

Timing tips

  • Port out rather than cancel if you're keeping your number. The port auto-cancels the line with no phone-to-retention required.
  • Time the port or cancel for the last 1-2 days of your Verizon billing cycle to minimize any prorated partial month on both the old and new carrier.
  • If you have device-financing promo credits (e.g., 24 of 36 months used), calculate whether the remaining promo credit exceeds the accelerated device balance before canceling, often waiting to 'unlock' more credit saves money.
  • Don't cancel Verizon Wireless before Verizon Fios if you have a mobile + home bundle discount on Fios, the Fios bill will jump by the discount amount the next cycle.
  • Unlock your phone before canceling. Verizon auto-unlocks phones after 60 days of paid-off status, but confirming in My Verizon avoids surprises after you leave.

Frequently asked questions

Does Verizon Wireless have an ETF?
No ETF on the service plan itself. However, if you have a financed phone on a Device Payment Plan, the remaining balance accelerates and becomes due on your final bill when you cancel. Promotional trade-in credits also stop.
Can I cancel Verizon Wireless online?
No, cancellation requires a phone call to 1-800-922-0204. If you're porting your number to another carrier, you don't need to call Verizon at all, just start the port at the new carrier with your Verizon account number and port-out PIN.
How do I get my Verizon port-out PIN?
Log into My Verizon (app or web) and generate a Number Transfer PIN under the account settings. The PIN is 4-6 digits, expires in 7 days, and is required by the new carrier to process the port.
What happens to my financed phone if I cancel?
The remaining balance becomes due immediately on the final bill. You keep the phone, it's yours regardless of whether you continue Verizon service. You can pay the balance over time via Verizon's post-cancel payment options, but it's no longer spread as monthly installments.
Will Verizon prorate my final bill?
Yes, Verizon Wireless prorates the final month. Any unused days in the current cycle are credited. Add-ons like Verizon Cloud, Travel Pass, and insurance also prorate or terminate on the cancel date.
What if I have Verizon Fios with a mobile bundle discount?
Canceling Verizon Wireless ends the mobile + home bundle discount on Fios. The Fios bill increases by the discount amount (typically $10-25) starting the next cycle after the wireless cancel.
Can I keep my Verizon phone and use it on T-Mobile or AT&T?
Yes. Verizon phones sold in 2020 or later are unlocked by default after 60 days of paid-off status. Confirm in My Verizon before canceling, then insert the new carrier's SIM or eSIM.
What about Verizon Cloud and other add-ons?
Verizon Cloud, Travel Pass, insurance, and other add-ons terminate on the cancel date or the next billing cycle. Confirm on the cancel call that all add-ons are flagged for termination, some require separate action to stop.

Thinking of switching instead?

Before you cancel, it's usually worth checking what else is available at your address.