How to Keep Your Unlimited Data on Verizon

So it is no big surprise that the most valuable cell phone data plan that you can have now is an old grandfathered unlimited data plan. With "Share Everything" Plans, Verizon wants you to think that a tiny bucket of data shared amongst a couple of lines is a really great plan. On the onset you might even appear to save some money. However, as more people get onto LTE phones like the Apple iPhone 5 or the Galaxy S 4 and off of the Verizon's antiquated and slow 3G network, people are going to realize something that I've known for a long time already; having super fast internet on your phone is really awesome. The problem is, I don't know anyone that saved money on the new plans AND didn't have to change their browsing habits. Shutting your phone off when you get close to your data limits, or hunting down free WiFi isn't exactly something that the sales rep at Verizon tells you when you first sign up for the new plans. There is a way to save your Verizon unlimited data though and it isn't that hard.

Saving your Verizon Unlimited Data involves a couple of things. Either you pay the full price of a new phone, buy one used, or use my trick. Those are  your only three options.

Buying a new phone off contract means you go to Verizon and pay the $650 or MORE for a new phone. Nothing affects your contract since you are not having Verizon paying the majority of your phone off for you. The same applies if you go and buy an used phone off of eBay or swappa.com. As long as Verizon isn't paying off part of your phone your contract isn't affected at all, and you keep your unlimited data.

You can get a new phone on Verizon, pay the cheaper on contract price and keep your unlimited data, and here's how.

This is how I got an iPhone 5 Black 32GB on Verizon and actually paid nothing out of pocket for it.

1. You have to have an upgrade available.
2. You have to have more than one line on the plan. Sorry there isn't a way to do this if you only have one line.
3. What you do is have the upgrade to go one line and then transfer the phone to your line.

Confused? This is what I did:

I have 4 lines on Verizon, 3 of them have data.
One of them had an upgrade available, it really doesn't matter what line has the upgrade.
I had the Verizon rep upgrade the line that didn't have data on it, and he added a 2 GB / month plan to it.
As of right then, I had four lines with data. 3 unlimited data one with a 2 GB cap.
Here's where you need to have some help from the rep, and it helps to keep this to yourself if you don't know the rep really well:
Take the new phone on the 2 GB / month line and transfer it to the line you want. (You might want to do this the next day at a different store. They might not want to do this, but they can't stop you from doing it. Be firm if you have to.)
Put the old phone back on the old line. In my case, it went back to the voice only plan.
Don't look now but you kept your unlimited data and got a new 2 yr contract.

Sell your old phone on Swappa.com. I got $350 for my old phone, which paid for all of the new iPhone on contract price.

If you don't have a line with a voice only plan: (no data)

Same as above but you are going to end up with a line with 2 GB of data on it. All the rest still applies.

Any questions, ask away in the comments!

Thanks for reading.