I wanted a new SIM and I didn't want to go to the verizon store to get it...That $40 was a misprint from what I'm reading this morning. That's only if you're buying the phone on a contract.
Plus, if you were buying off contract why not get the SIM-free version direct from Apple? It works on all four of the big carriers as its whitelisted on all of them (last I checked) like the iPads.