Phone, internet, and TV discounts for veterans

Many companies across the US offer discounts for veterans and other military personnel, in support and gratitude of the work they do and have done. Many of these discount programs are offered to both active-duty personnel and veterans, as well as spouses.

A major monthly expense in most households is that of phone, internet, and TV. Whether all of these services are bundled or not, it can account for a hefty chunk of the monthly bills. Thankfully, a lot of service providers within the industry are offering some pretty decent military discounts. Some providers offer direct discounts, as in you can apply online through their website or visit them in-store. Others offer exclusive discounts to members of the Veteran’s Advantage program.

In this post, we’ll fill you in on which providers are offering discounts and how much you can expect to see coming off your bill. We’ll also offer some tips for making the application process run smoothly. Let’s get started!

Companies offering phone, internet, and TV discounts for veterans

First, we’ll take a look at which companies offer discounts through their own websites. Note that the discounts mentioned here don’t necessarily apply to all packages. So before making your final decision, be sure to check out the website small print and/or speak to a company representative.

AT&T: The AT&T Signature Program gives you 15% off your monthly service charge for phone, internet, and TV. It’s open to active-duty military and veterans. Active duty can enroll online, but veterans should visit a store with the appropriate ID and discount code. This program is also open to firefighters with an IAFF membership.

Verizon Wireless: Active service members and veterans can get up to $40 per month off unlimited plans, up to 15% off their monthly service fees for other plans, and 25% off some accessories. You can apply online using various forms of ID, including a DD Form 214 or Veterans ID card. Firefighters also qualify for a discount with proof of employment.

Sprint: This provider also offers 15% off monthly fees to active-duty personnel and veterans, including family plans. You can use a military email to fill out a form and receive an offer code online. Otherwise, you can visit a store and present a proof of service document, such as a Veterans ID card. Sprint also offers 22% off for individual FireRescue GPO members and Law Enforcement GPO members.

Note that nTelos discounts may come up in some searches but that provider has now become part of Sprint. If you were with nTelos and moving over to Sprint, you should be able to simply keep your existing rate. If you weren’t claiming the discount before, you can check if you’re eligible for the Sprint discount. However, this might mean changing to a Sprint rate, which may or may not be worthwhile.

T-Mobile: T-Mobile has been a little off and on with it’s military discounts, and was previously offering an unadvertised discount which was difficult to obtain. However, it’s currently advertising a special military discount with 20% off the first line ($55 per month) and 50% the second and third lines. This includes unlimited talk, text, and data in the US, unlimited talk and text and 5GB of data in Mexico and Canada, free Netflix, and more. To apply, you’ll first have to verify your military status and activate a T-Mobile ONE military plan.

US Cellular: Another company offering 15% off is US Cellular. This is open to active duty military and veterans and covers single lines and family plans. To obtain the discount you can call them at the number provided and confirm your status.

DISHForMyRV: Active duty personnel and veterans can get $40 off a Satellite Antenna Bundle from DISHForMyRV. This company offers Pay-As-You-Go TV for travelers in the US. Simply fill out a form online to receive your discount code.

Apple: Discounts vary depending on products, but Apple offers special pricing to active duty members and veterans on many items. The preferred pricing extends to government employees so service personnel such as firefighters and first responders also qualify. Discounted items include phones, tablets, computers, accessories, and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Veterans Advantage membership

Veterans Advantage (VA) partners with multiple organizations across industries to deliver savings to veterans on everything from travel to financial services. When it comes to phone, internet, and TV providers, they partner with many of the companies we’ve mentioned above, but also a few others. What’s more, they provide a long distance phone service at very decent prices.

VA monthly fees range from $4.99 per month for one year to $9.99 per month on a month-to-month basis. This gets you a membership card to use for discounts as well as the OurCAREPackage, a benefit plan that covers insurance, travel, financial, and medical assistance.

While many of its partners will offer you the same deals when you simply show a Veterans ID card, one of the other benefits of becoming a member is increased privacy and protection from identity theft. Indeed, this is a big issue for both active duty military and veterans, and VA claims that using their card is safer.

Here’s what you can expect when it comes to discounts for phone, internet, and TV.

Verizon Wireless: This is the same discount mentioned above and can be accessed by showing your VetRewards Card in-store.

Verizon Fios: Unlike the Verizon Wireless offer, this one is exclusive to VA members. Double Play packages (internet and phone or internet and TV) can be discounted by $60 annually. Triple Play packages (internet, phone, and TV) can qualify for a discount of $120 annually. New customers must sign up through the Members Only link to qualify.

T-Mobile: This offer is for T-Mobile military savings which will get you up to 50% off new and existing accounts. You can apply online or by phone.

DIRECTV: This provider is offering some hefty discounts of up to 87%. The Introductory Veterans Advantage Select Package (for a new service) will give you 150+ Channels for $35 per month (plus taxes) for the first 12 months (when you sign up for a 24 month contract). You can get free Genie HD DVR, some paid channels for free (including HBO), and a $100 Visa Gift Card. You also get an additional year added to your VA member plan. Sign up through the Members Only portal.

Frontier Communications: You can save up to $120 per year when you sign up for a new account through the Frontier Communications VA discount program. This translates to $5 per month off Double Play  plans and $10 per month off Triple Play plans.

Apple: The discounts provided for Apple are not fully explained, but they appear to be similar to those mentioned above.

Dell Computers: Dell run a Federal Government EPP Program, which VA is a part of. Members can shop through their private Dell store to receive a range of discounts. These include up to 30% off computers, plus an extra 10% off eligible purchases.

As mentioned, many of the offers are available outside of the membership, but it does provide a convenient way to shop, especially if you’re planning to take advantage of other offers too. Plus we’re proponents of anything that offers a bit more privacy.

Tips for getting your discount

As we’ve mentioned in the deals above, there are often specific instructions for accessing each offer. As such, we’ve put together a few tips to ensure that redeeming your discount is plain-sailing.

If you’re claiming in-store, check what you’ll need beforehand to save yourself a trip. Usually an Veterans ID card will be enough but you may need an email or other supporting documents such as a DD Form 214.

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re initially denied a discount. As mentioned some of these deals aren’t well advertised. In some companies, even staff might not be aware of them. If you believe you’re eligible it’s always worth asking to talk to a manager to double check.
• Along the same lines, if you’re already with a provider or would like to sign up with one that doesn’t advertise a discount, it’s still a good idea to ask. Chances are they’ll match a competitor’s discount in order to keep your business.
• If you run into issues, check for advice on recent forums. Sometimes someone will have a trick to speed things up.
• Remember that many discounts come with a lot of caveats, such as having to sign up for a longer term. Therefore, make sure you do your homework and decide which provider and package is right for you, not just the one that offers the biggest discount.