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Verizon offers $20 to customers after outage. When to expect credit.
Verizon will offer customers impacted by a seven-hour outage a $20 credit, the company confirmed to USA TODAY.
The nation’s largest wireless network outage began around 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 14 and impacted more than 1.5 million customers, according to data service outage resource Downdetector.
There is no indication that the service interruption was the result of a cyberattack, but rather a software issue still under investigation, according to a Verizon statement released on Thursday, Jan. 15.
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How much of a credit will Verizon customers impacted by the outage receive?
Verizon customers impacted by the outage will receive a $20 credit, available in the myVerizon mobile app, the company confirmed.
When will Verizon customers receive their credits?
A USA TODAY staffer received a text message from Verizon on Jan. 16, 2026 that a $20 credit was available in his account after a seven-hour network outage.
Verizon, as of Jan. 15, did not provide a specific day or time the $20 credit would be available. As of 3:30 p.m. ET, USA TODAY staff impacted by the outage said they had not received the credit.
Customers who will receive a credit will be notified by text message, a Verizon statement said.
A pop-up message Verizon customers will see in the myVerizon mobile app after accepting a $20 credit sent following a seven-hour network outage in mid-January 2026.
Where did the Verizon outage occur?
The outage was widespread across the United States, with the highest reported concentrations in New York City, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, Houston and Brooklyn, New York, per Downdetector.
A handout image of the Downdetector Verizon outage map as of just before 6:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 14, 2026.
What caused the Verizon outage?
The widespread outage was due to a software issue and the company is “conducting a full review of what happened,” a Verizon statement obtained by USA TODAY said.
In September 2024, a similarly widespread Verizon outage impacted more than 100,000 people and was reportedly probed by the Federal Communications Commission.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Verizon to offer credit after outage, service issues. Here’s how much.