Verizon imposes new roadblock on users trying to unlock paid-off phones
Source: Ars Technica
Verizon Unlocks Now Have a 35‑Day Waiting Period After Paying Off a Device Plan Online
Credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images
Verizon this week imposed a new roadblock for customers who want to pay off device installment plans early in order to get their phones unlocked. The latest version of Verizon’s device‑unlocking policy for post‑paid customers imposes a 35‑day waiting period when a customer pays off their device installment plan online or in the My Verizon app.
- Payments made over the phone also trigger the 35‑day waiting period.
- Payments made at Verizon Authorized Retailers trigger the same delay.
- An immediate unlock is only possible when the device plan is paid off at a Verizon corporate store.
Unlocking a phone allows it to be used on another network, letting customers switch carriers. Previously, the 35‑day waiting period applied only when a customer paid off the plan with a Verizon gift card.
“If you payoff a device payment agreement balance online or in the My Verizon App, or if a Verizon Gift Card is used to purchase a smartphone or pay off a remaining balance, the unlocking process will be delayed by 35 days,” the current version of the policy says. “This window allows for the verification of the gift card’s funds to ensure they were not obtained through fraudulent or illegal means.”
The paragraph above explains why the waiting period is necessary for gift‑card payments, but the same 35‑day wait now also applies to online and app payments.
A previous version of the policy—implemented on January 27 and still in place as of February 9 (archived here)—applied the 35‑day waiting period only when a Verizon gift card was used to buy a phone or pay off the remaining balance.
The provision was expanded to include online and app payments by February 11. This change was brought to our attention thanks to a tip from Ars Forum member User_E.
Customers Must Go to a Verizon Corporate Store
Despite the significant update that happened this week, Verizon still lists the effective date of the device‑unlocking policy as January 27. It appears that Verizon is applying the 35‑day wait after online and app payments retroactively, without disclosing that the policy changed after that date.
How the 35‑Day Waiting Period Works
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The 35‑day waiting period applies regardless of how long the phone has been in use.
- Example: If you are 18 months into one of Verizon’s 36‑month device installment plans and you pay the remaining balance early to switch carriers, you’ll still have to wait 35 days for an unlock in most scenarios.
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A Verizon spokesperson told Ars that customers who meet the requirements for a quick unlock will “typically” receive it within 24 hours.
- However, “if you pay online, through the app, or use a ‘non‑secure’ method (like a Verizon Gift Card, paper check, or magnetic‑stripe swipe), there is a 35‑day security delay before the unlock triggers to prevent fraud,” the spokesperson added.
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Verizon has not explained why the device‑unlocking policy still shows an effective date of January 27 despite the change made this week.
Paying Off an Installment Plan Early
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You can pay off an installment plan early in‑store, but there are limits.
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According to another Verizon FAQ:
“The company will unlock a phone when you use a secure payment type at a Verizon store. Payments made through your account online, in the My Verizon app, a Verizon Authorized Retailer, or by phone delay the unlock by 35 days.”
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The “Verizon Authorized Retailer” limitation means that to get a quick unlock you must go to a Verizon corporate store, not an authorized retailer that isn’t owned by Verizon.
- Verizon corporate stores accounted for only about 20 % of Verizon locations, according to Wave7 research cited in a 2021 Fierce Network article.
What Counts as a “Secure Payment Type”?
- Cash
- Credit card with an EMV chip
- Contactless payment methods (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay)
The requirements may differ for consumer and business customers. A Verizon business FAQ notes that paying off a device using a bill credit also triggers a 35‑day wait—a caveat not mentioned in the consumer FAQ.
Practical Implications
- Even if you live near a Verizon corporate store, it’s still less convenient than paying online or in an app.
- An alternative is to buy a phone from Verizon at full price up front, which unlocks the device immediately, but not everyone can or wants to do that.
“Devices purchased directly from Verizon are locked to our network. Devices will be unlocked automatically when purchased at full retail price or if the device financing agreement balance is paid in full,” the unlocking policy for postpaid devices states—right before disclosing the 35‑day waiting period that applies in various scenarios.
Automatic Payments
There shouldn’t be a wait for unlocking if a customer pays off a device plan on schedule via automatic payments. Verizon confirmed to Ars that:
“If a Verizon customer has automatic monthly payments set up on a device payment plan, the device is automatically unlocked after the final scheduled payment.”
Prepaid Phones Locked for a Year
Verizon’s latest unlocking policy for prepaid devices is simpler than its post‑paid policy, but it still locks customers to the Verizon network for a year.
“Devices purchased from us will remain locked to the network until the completion of 365 days of paid and active service,” the prepaid device unlocking policy states.
“After 365 days of paid and active service, we will automatically remove the lock unless the device is deemed stolen or purchased fraudulently.”
Inconsistent Messaging
- Policy wording – The policy says the lock is removed automatically after 365 days.
- FAQ wording – Verizon’s FAQ page states that prepaid customers must request an unlock after the 365‑day period. Unlocks are performed “upon request” if the customer meets the criteria.
Regulatory Background
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Pre‑2026 | FCC required Verizon to unlock handsets automatically after 60 days (conditions tied to 700 MHz spectrum licenses and the TracFone merger). |
| Jan 12 2026 | FCC eliminated the 60‑day unlocking requirement for phones activated after the decision. |
| Jan 27 2026 | Verizon announced it would continue honoring the 60‑day unlock for phones bought from its flagship brand before this date. |
| Late Jan 2026 | Verizon began enforcing a 365‑day lock period on phones purchased through its TracFone division. Customers must request an unlock after the year is over; Verizon does not promise automatic unlocks for those subsidiary brands. |
Sources: FCC decision – PDF; Verizon FAQ – post‑pay 60‑day policy; news coverage – Ars Technica, Jan 2026, Jan 2026 – Verizon’s 365‑day rule.
Comparison with Other Major U.S. Carriers
| Carrier | Post‑paid unlock criteria | Prepaid unlock criteria |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T | Unlockable ≥ 60 days after purchase once the device is paid in full. | 6‑month (≈ 180 days) waiting period. |
| T‑Mobile | Unlockable ≥ 40 days after activation once the device is paid in full. | 365‑day waiting period. |
| Verizon | 60‑day unlock still honored for devices bought before Jan 27 2026; otherwise, unlock after 365 days of paid, active service (automatic for flagship brand, request‑based for TracFone/Value brands). | 365‑day lock; unlock must be requested after the period. |
Key Takeaways
- Verizon’s prepaid policy now requires a full year of paid, active service before any unlock is possible.
- The automatic removal language in the policy conflicts with the request‑based language in the FAQ.
- The FCC’s 2026 decision removed the previous 60‑day unlock requirement, giving carriers (including Verizon) the freedom to set longer lock periods.
- Compared with AT&T and T‑Mobile, Verizon’s prepaid lock period is the longest (365 days) and requires a customer request for most of its Value‑brand devices.
Prepared for clarity and consistency in markdown formatting.
“Most people pay their bills online”
The policy for Verizon’s flagship brand promises automatic unlocks, albeit with the new restrictions and waits described earlier in this article. John Bergmayer, legal director of consumer‑advocacy group Public Knowledge, told Ars today that he doesn’t understand why Verizon isn’t offering immediate unlocks to people who pay their bills online.
“Gift cards, sure, are a pretty high‑fraud area. But most people pay their bills online with normal credit cards. It’s hard to see what is likely the most common way people pay Verizon as being somehow high‑risk,” he said.
Verizon also shouldn’t apply the change retroactively, he added. “People should be able to benefit from the policy that was in place on the day they bought the phone,” Bergmayer told Ars.
Public Knowledge and other consumer‑advocacy groups urged the FCC last year to reject Verizon’s petition to end the 60‑day unlocking requirement, but the FCC sided with Verizon. Although the federal rules have changed, Verizon can be forced to uphold its previous terms in cases where the company tries to change them retroactively.
In December, we wrote about a man who sued Verizon and won after the firm retroactively tried to enforce a new policy and refused to unlock a phone he purchased before the policy change. In that case, Verizon decided it would only unlock phones after “60 days of paid active service” even though FCC rules at the time required unlocks 60 days after activation regardless of whether paid service was maintained.
Author
Jon Brodkin – Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, FCC rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech industry.
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