How to keep your unlimited Verizon data plan

Last year, I picked up a new iPhone 6 for my main Verizon line while keeping my grandfathered unlimited data plan with mobile hotspot access. I’m not too proud to admit that was a major coup on my part. Like most carriers, Verizon is now doing all it can to switch longtime customers to more lucrative tiered data plans.

If you’d like a new Verizon phone but you’re not ready to give up unlimited data, I don’t blame you (I used well over 30GB in my first month with my new iPhone 6, just to prove to myself that the hassle was worth it), be prepared to fight. Here are your options.

Pay full retail

Paying full price for a new phone is an expensive, but easy, way to keep your unlimited data plan forever. In fact, Verizon is doing its best to make sure this is the only way you can keep your unlimited data plan. You should be able to handle it all online and avoid visiting a store — just keep an eye on your plan details as you traverse Verizon’s site. If successful, you shouldn’t even get a pop-up advising you that you need a new plan. Just remember that this will cost you. For reference, a new 16GB iPhone 6 will run you $649, while a new 32GB Samsung Galaxy S6 will set you back $599.

Steal an upgrade

If you don’t want to pay full price for a new phone, you can still buy a subsidized phone and keep your unlimited data — it’s just trickier than it used to be.

To steal an upgrade, you’ll need an upgrade that you can steal. This means you’ll need a second (limited data) smartphone line that is currently eligible for an upgrade. If you have a feature phone line that’s eligible for an upgrade, you can use that upgrade — but the line will be converted into a smartphone line and you’ll have to pay the access cost for the next two years or the early termination fee ($350). If you don’t have a second line that’s eligible for an upgrade, you can also open a new line.

Note: If your unlimited data plan line is eligible for an upgrade, you technically cannot use this upgrade or you will lose your unlimited data. Verizon users used to be able to use this upgrade for their unlimited plan by switching the upgrade to a different line, upgrading the phone on that line, and then switching the phone back to the unlimited line. However, if you try to do this now, you will be booted off unlimited data – unless you talk to a Verizon rep over the phone and specifically request an “Unlimited Data Retrieval” before you even turn the new phone on. (Even if you request this, the rep can use their discretion when handing out unlimited data retrievals — so be nice.) Verizon closed this loophole, at least for in-store managers, last year.

If you have a second, upgradable line available, you can purchase a new subsidized phone on that line and then switch it to your unlimited line. To make sure everything runs smoothly, I recommend taking both phones into a Verizon store and asking the rep to switch the new phone over to your unlimited line — and asking about your unlimited data every step of the way. If the rep at any point tells you you’re going to lose your unlimited data, stop the process immediately. You may need to go to a few different reps before you find one who can do what you’re asking, especially if you’re trying to switch phones with different-sized SIM cards (the Samsung Galaxy Note II and the iPhone 6, for example).

If you decide to go this route, remember that you will be signing a new two-year smartphone contract, so it’s not necessarily cheap — you’ll need to either pay out the duration of the second line’s access (price will vary depending on your plan), or you’ll need to cancel the second line and pay the $350 early termination fee. Thus, this option might only make financial sense if you already have a second line (for work, or from a family member) that you’re committed to paying for. You’ll save a little on the top phones, though — a 16GB iPhone 6 will cost $549 instead of $649, and a 32GB Samsung Galaxy S6 will cost $549 instead of $599.