Verizon Charging for Online Payments

I must admit I had to laugh at the news that Verizon Wireless was going to charge a $2 fee for paying bills online.  I don't think it's funny from the consumer's point of view, but rather, that the banks are charging Verizon enough to process payments that the fee was considered necessary to begin with.

I've seen and read a lot of talk about how people can't understand why a fee would be charged "for the privilege of paying the bill".  You are going to have to pay the bill anyway - Verizon is well known for it's aggressive collections.  There is no charge for paying at a Verizon Wireless store or mailing in your payment the old fashioned way.

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Yes, it takes an employee to process the free payment methods.  But these employees are already on the payroll - no new expense.  The fees for credit card processing - the kind done online and over the phone - requires ever increasing bank fees.  Thus, like any other business, the cost of this increase is paid for by the consumer.

Verizon could have transferred these increased bank charges by raising their rates, but instead chose the more transparent route of a processing fee.  I applaud them for this tactic, as it just might raise enough awareness of more bank greed that is required to put a legislative cap on it.  Here's hoping that the average consumer will place the blame where it belongs - not with Verizon, but rather with the banks.