*Verizon customers can now get Google AI Pro free for six months, the carrier’s newest giveaway after a year of higher bills.
Anyone with a Simplicity, myPlan or Verizon Home Internet plan qualifies, TheStreet reports. The subscription, which normally runs $19.99 a month, includes a stronger version of Google’s Gemini assistant and 5 TB of cloud storage. Once the trial ends, people who stick with it will pay Verizon $10 a month.
Verizon detailed more freebies on its company blog. Subscribers to the free tier of Digital Secure can try the Premium upgrade, normally $5 per line, for one month free. Verizon Family has also dropped its price to zero, and the Call Filter spam blocker is now a free add-on.
The freebies follow several hikes. The Unlimited Ultimate plan went up $5 a month in May, the same month the Netflix and HBO Max bundle rose $3. September brought another $2 to $3 increase for the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundles.
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Roger Entner, lead analyst at Recon Analytics, believes perks offer carriers a better payday than cheaper plans.
“The pricing power [of perks] is real and underused, and the next dollar of revenue is far more likely to come from perks, premium tiers and device economics than from the base plan,” Entner wrote in June.
Verizon Dollars, launched in June, pays members back 3% each month in credit they can spend on devices and accessories. Verizon Shine, which debuted alongside it, releases a new freebie every Monday. Next up are a Radio City Rockettes Experience on Oct. 26 and a Jonas Brothers concert offer on Nov. 9.
Customer experience expert Shep Hyken’s State of Customer Service and CX report shows 53% of U.S. consumers are willing to pay a premium for a strong loyalty program. Meanwhile, 56% would choose a company with rewards over one known only for great service.
“The strategic question is no longer how low the bill must go,” Entner wrote. “It is how much value carriers can stack on a bill that already claims less of the paycheck than at almost any point in the smartphone age.”
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