Top Deals from Verizon’s 2020 Black Friday
Remember that “free” iPhone from the Verizon Black Friday 2020 sale? It often came with a hidden price tag measured in years, not just dollars. Figuring out which deals are genuinely good can feel like a full-time job, but we’ve sorted through all the fine print for you.
Think of this retrospective Verizon 2020 Black Friday sale guide as your playbook for the future. As industry insiders know, carriers like Verizon repeat their most successful deal structures year after year. Knowing how past offers worked helps predict what comes next, preparing you to save money.
This guide breaks down the most popular 2020 Verizon holiday deals to reveal the three most common catches: discounts paid out slowly as bill credits, strict new line requirements, and mandates to be on their most expensive plans. You’ll learn how to see past the headline and confidently spot a genuinely good deal.
How Verizon’s “Free Phone” Deals Really Worked in 2020
You’ve likely seen the tempting Verizon free phone Black Friday 2020 offer and wondered, “What’s the catch?” The answer isn’t in the phone itself, but in how the discount is paid out. The payout structure is the key to grabbing a great deal without any surprises down the road.
Instead of an upfront discount, these offers worked through monthly bill credits. Think of it like a gift card that Verizon reloads with $30 each month for two years, rather than giving you $720 all at once. You pay for the phone on a monthly installment plan, but Verizon applies a credit to your bill that cancels out the cost, making it feel “free.”
You only get the full discount if you stay with Verizon for the entire 24 or 36-month agreement. If you were to leave after a year, you’d lose all the remaining credits and would be responsible for paying off the rest of the phone’s original price.
Finally, getting that “free” phone almost always required you to be on one of Verizon’s pricier unlimited plans. This was a common requirement for both new lines and many of the best Verizon upgrade deals for existing customers in 2020. The deal essentially locked you into both the device and a premium plan for several years.
The 2020 iPhone 12 Deal: Unpacking the “Buy One, Get One” Offer
Beyond the “free phone” deals, the most talked-about Verizon iPhone 12 Black Friday 2020 offer was the classic “Buy One, Get One” (BOGO). It’s a powerful headline, but these deals were almost never for a single person just upgrading their phone. Instead, they were designed for people ready to add a new line of service, like a family getting a new phone for a teenager.
Qualifying for these popular Verizon BOGO deals on Black Friday 2020 followed a clear, three-step formula:
- First, you had to buy two eligible iPhones on monthly payment plans.
- Second, you had to add at least one new line of service on a premium unlimited plan.
- Finally, the discount was applied as monthly bill credits, not an instant price cut.
The term “get one” also had specific limits. The offer was typically “get up to $800 off,” which was the value of a base model iPhone. If you bought two expensive iPhone 12 Pro models, you didn’t get the second one free; you simply received the standard credit amount (e.g., $800) applied toward that second phone’s cost.
This strategy of tying big discounts to new lines was used across the industry, shaping the Verizon vs AT&T Black Friday 2020 landscape. Before jumping on a BOGO offer, ask yourself if you genuinely need another line. If the answer is yes, it can be a fantastic deal.
Trading Up: How to Get the Best Price on a 2020 Samsung Galaxy S20
For those who didn’t need a new line, the Verizon trade-in deals Black Friday 2020 offered a more direct path to savings on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S20. A trade-in is exactly what it sounds like: you give Verizon your old phone, and they give you a significant discount on a new one. This “trade-in value” was typically applied as monthly bill credits, lowering your payment for the new device over 24 or 36 months.
The value of your discount, however, depended entirely on your old phone’s model and condition. A recent iPhone or Galaxy in good shape earned a high-value credit, while an older phone was worth much less. You could always check your phone’s estimated trade-in value on Verizon’s website to see the discount you’d get before committing, taking the guesswork out of the deal.
These trade-in deals were a lifeline for existing customers. While BOGO offers required adding new lines, a good trade-in let a single person get a huge discount on a new Samsung Galaxy S20. It was the best strategy for loyal Verizon users to secure a great price on one of the best Verizon Android deals Black Friday 2020 had to offer.
For Loyal Customers: What Were the Verizon Upgrade Deals in 2020?
Loyal customers often feel left out during big sales, as carriers save their best deals for new lines. An “upgrade” is just getting a new phone on your existing line. So, what were Verizon’s 2020 Black Friday deals for people who weren’t adding service? They existed, but they worked a bit differently than the flashy BOGO promotions.
Instead of “free phone” offers, Verizon upgrade deals for existing customers 2020 were typically straight discounts, like $200 off a new model. The secret was to stack this with a trade-in. Combining an upgrade discount with your old phone’s value was the key to maximizing savings as a current customer, often bringing the price down significantly.
The 2020 sale revealed a key lesson: not all offers were public. The best deals were often personalized and found by logging into your My Verizon account. This was Verizon’s reward for loyalty, but you had to know where to look.
Your Action Plan: How to Win Verizon’s Next Black Friday Sale
You no longer have to take a “free phone” offer at face value. You can now spot the key requirements—like monthly credits or adding a new line—that determine a deal’s true cost. The main lesson from the 2020 deals is that the biggest savings are tied to long-term commitments, a rule that applies to everything from phone plans to Verizon Fios Black Friday offers.
Use this simple checklist to prepare for future holiday sales and beyond.
Your 4-Step Prep Checklist:
- Know your upgrade eligibility and phone’s trade-in value.
- Decide if you are willing and able to add a new line.
- Set a budget and stick to it.
- Always read the deal terms for “monthly bill credits” and the total number of months.
You’re now equipped to look past the headlines and confidently choose the right deal for you.