Bill Negotiation: Get a Better Deal on Cable, Internet and More

Leverage your loyalty to get a better deal from your cable provider, phone company and more.

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Many bills are negotiable, if you have the time and make an effort to contact your different service providers. Even if you aren’t able to negotiate a better deal, there’s nothing to lose by trying — you just might have some luck getting your service providers to lower your bills Here’s how to negotiate your bills and important things to keep in mind throughout the process.

How long does bill negotiation take?

Negotiations can be time-consuming and might require repeat phone calls or other communications and doing some research. Be prepared for the overall bill negotiation process to take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours.

Can you negotiate all of your bills?

It doesn’t hurt to negotiate any recurring bill, but certain types are easier to reduce through negotiation than others, mostly those in industries where consumers can easily leave for a competitor. These include: Medical expenses Cable or satellite television Cell phone and home phone service Credit card interest Car insurance Home security Newspaper subscriptions Gym memberships Subscription services Bundled services Utilities »MORE: How to pay medical bills » MORE:

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Research your provider and the competitors

Here are some tips for doing your research ahead of bill negotiation: Sign in to your account and gather your account records. How long have you been a customer? How many years have you paid your bills on time? While you’re signed into your account, note the name and cost of each item that’s part of your service. Sign in to your account and gather your account records. For cell phone bills, review your data usage. Reducing your plan size to fit your actual usage is an easy way to save. If your data plan already matches your usage, review your carrier's current plans. Carriers typically change plan costs to stay competitive. For cell phone bills, review your data usage. Research the prices, packages and terms offered by your current company and its competitors in your area. Know the lowest prices they offer to new customers. This is what you’re aiming for: If a company can offer the lower price to new customers, it can offer the price to you, too. Research the prices, packages and terms offered by your current company and its competitors in your area. Consider your constraints. Are you willing to reduce services or enter a contract to pay less? Consider your constraints. Write everything down or enter it into a spreadsheet. Have it handy while you’re on the phone. Take notes about whom you talked to and when, and the information they gave you. Write everything down or enter it into a spreadsheet. Explore different service tiers. Subscription services like Netflix and Spotify may not let you negotiate a lower price, but they do offer different tiers of service. Consider switching to the cheapest option or seeing if a family plan will save you more money over time. Explore different service tiers. » MORE: Other ways to save money » MORE:

How to negotiate lower bills

Try the following tips during bill negotiation: Avoid chatbots. You will need to speak to a live representative to get a deal. Avoid chatbots. Say upfront that you’re considering canceling your service and ask to be transferred to the customer retention or cancellations department. The representatives there likely have more leeway to cut a deal. Try something like: “Hi, there. I’m thinking about canceling my service because I can’t keep up with my monthly bill anymore. What can you do to help me out?” Say upfront that you’re considering canceling your service and ask to be transferred to the customer retention or cancellations department. If you're not happy with the rep's offer, mention your customer history: If you're not happy with the rep's offer, mention your customer history: If that doesn’t work, present the competitor offers you’ve researched: “I’ve been looking at my other options and they’re giving new customers [deal you looked up]. I also see that you are giving new customers [another deal you looked up]. What can you do for me here?” If that doesn’t work, present the competitor offers you’ve researched: The rep might offer you a deal on an ancillary service, such as six months of a free premium channel. If that works for you, take it. Otherwise, say something like: “Thanks, but the problem isn’t that I don’t have enough to watch, it’s that my monthly bill is too high. What can you do to lower my bill?” You can often get free ancillary services in addition to a lower monthly bill. The rep might offer you a deal on an ancillary service, such as six months of a free premium channel. Hit these basic beats: You’re a great customer, there are better options, and you’re not afraid to go and get them. Be determined and be prepared to end your service with that company if you don’t get the deal you want. Hit these basic beats: If all else fails, ask for a one-time credit for being a loyal customer. If all else fails, ask for a one-time credit for being a loyal customer. Follow through after contacting your current service providers. Be sure to get confirmation of the new bill agreement, review it thoroughly and speak with a representative if you need more clarity. Follow through after contacting your current service providers.

Should you use bill negotiation services?

If you don’t want to spend hours negotiating with companies on your own, you can turn to bill negotiation services, like Experian BillFixer, Billshark, BillTrim or BillCutterz. These services pair you with an expert who will negotiate with providers on your behalf. These services come at a cost; for example, BillCutterz is free to sign up, but takes 50% of the savings when they successfully negotiate a bill for you. So if it saves you an extra $30 a month on your cell phone bill, BillCutterz will email you an invoice for $15 each m onth. Billshark takes a 40% cut of savings and BillTrim charges a lifetime fee of $99.. Experian BillFixer, on the other hand, is included in an Experian Premium membership, available for $24.99 a month. The potential benefits of using a bill negotiation service include: Lowering your bills for current services Reducing your amount of paid subscription services Finding new opportunities to save more money on services To determine if paying for bill negotiation is worth it, consider whether the potential savings will outweigh the fees for using the service. Also think about whether you have time, skill and patience to negotiate with companies on your own. »MORE: Need help paying bills? Use this quick-help tools »MORE: Explore more on Article sources NerdWallet writers are subject matter authorities who use primary, trustworthy sources to inform their work, including peer-reviewed studies, government websites, academic research and interviews with industry experts. All content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet's high standards for journalism by reading our editorial guidelines. About the authors Tiffany Lashai Curtis is a former lead writer for the Core Personal Finance team at NerdWallet. She was previously the health writer for Livestrong.com and a freelance writer for publications like Refinery29, Business Insider and MTV News, where she focused on issues that affect marginalized communities. As a wellness facilitator, she has led conversations for organizations like Planned Parenthood and Harvard University. She is based in Philadelphia. Lisa Mulka is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance content. With more than 15 years of writing experience, Lisa most recently authored a book on personal financial literacy and served as lead writer on the FDIC’s Money Smart for Young People program. She holds a bachelor’s in creative writing, and master’s degrees in written communication and in educational technology. Lisa lives with her husband and two children in Michigan, where she spends her free time teaching the next generation of writers at Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. 13 Ways to Lower Your Electric Bill 7 Ways to Lower Your Cell Phone Bill 9 Ways to Lower Your Cable Bill Need Help Paying Bills ASAP? Use This Quick-Help Tool How to Lower Your Bills: 45 Ways to Save By Kelsey Sheehy, Laura McMullen, Tiffany Curtis It’s on You to Figure Out How to Cancel Subscriptions By Tommy Tindall Need Help Paying Bills ASAP? Use This Quick-Help Tool By Liz Weston, CFP®