Verizon Outage: How to Claim Your $20 Service Credit Now

Publish by Raihan at January 16, 2026

A close-up photograph of a smartphone displaying the myVerizon app interface with a prominent pop-up notification that reads, SERVICE CREDIT: Claim your $20 outage credit now.

After a massive nationwide network failure on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, that left hundreds of thousands of customers in "SOS mode," Verizon has officially launched a compensation program. If you were impacted by the nearly 10-hour disruption, you are likely eligible for a one-time account credit.

Here is the verified information on the amount, eligibility, and the specific steps required to receive your refund.

The $20 Credit: What You Need to Know

Verizon has confirmed it will issue a $20 account-level credit to residential wireless customers affected by the outage. According to an official statement from the Verizon News Center, this amount is intended to cover "multiple days of service" on average.

  • Eligibility: Wireless customers who lost voice, data, or text services during the January 14 event.

  • Business Accounts: Business customers will not use the mobile app method; Verizon stated they will be contacted directly by account representatives regarding their specific credits.

  • One Credit Per Account: The $20 is applied per account, not per individual line.

Action Required: How to Claim Your Credit

Unlike some previous service disruptions, this credit is not automatically applied to your bill. You must manually "accept" the offer to receive it.

  1. Watch for a Text: Verizon is currently rolling out text notifications to eligible users.

  2. Open the myVerizon App: Log into the official myVerizon app on your mobile device.

  3. Find the Offer: Navigate to the "Account" or "Offers" section. You should see a notification regarding the "January 14 Service Credit."

  4. Accept the Credit: Click "Claim" or "Accept." The $20 will then be applied to your next billing cycle.

Security Warning: To avoid phishing scams, do not click links in any text messages claiming to be from Verizon. Only redeem the credit through the official myVerizon app or the verified verizon.com website.

Outage Recap and Troubleshooting

The outage began around 12:30 PM ET on Wednesday, Jan. 14, and was not fully resolved until 10:15 PM ET that night. Verizon engineers attributed the failure to a "core software issue" and have officially ruled out a cyberattack.

If you are still experiencing intermittent signal or "SOS" bars today:

  • Restart your device: Power your phone completely off for 30 seconds and turn it back on.

  • Reset Network Settings: If a restart fails, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset [Device] > Reset > Reset Network Settings (Note: This will erase saved Wi-Fi passwords).

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