Forum Discussion
what's up with T-mobile removing autopay discount for credit cards?
I just literally signed up for a new plan - debit cards have fees for providers too - accessing my bank account isn’t a good approach from a security perspective (noting that T-mobile has been hacked - i wouldn’t have shared this directly with T-mobile customer service but there is not email or chat and I don’t have time for phone calls
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That was announced months ago. It is because credit card companies charge a service charge that is based on the percentage of every transaction, which eats into T-Mobile's revenue. Removing the auto pay discount for credit cards negates that.
In a chat conversation today with “Jivy”:
Me: Why is my credit card no longer eligible for the autopay discount?Jivy: To be honest with you that one of the reason why the credit card is not eligible for a Autopay discount is because when you use the debit card it will make sure that you have funds on your account and will avoid any back out payment that might cause you a draft fees.
Me: Draft fees don't apply to credit cards, only debit cards.
Jivy: We get your point. Also we want to continue to provide customer with the best value in wireless through our Autopay Discount program and the best way to keep this program is to get you to use either a bank account or debit card for autopay. I understand that you may still prefer to use your Credit card as a payment method, and I can help you work through your options. However, I strongly recommend that we switch you over to an eligible payment method so you can keep the discount. Is this something you'd like me to help you with ?
Me: The best way for ME is to use my credit card, and especially since T-Mobile has suffered not one but MULTIPLE data breeches, two just this year! Tell me again why I should entrust my bank account information to T-Mobile?
Jivy: I totally understand you on that. And as part of T-Mobile my apology for this kind of inconvenience. Our systems and policies prevented the most sensitive types of customer information from being accessed, and as a result, customer accounts and finances should not be put at risk by this event. If you prefer, you can still use your credit card to pay your bill, however it won't be eligible for the AutoPay discount.
So basically, a fancy-worded “go f*** yourself” from T-Mobile.HankTheTexan wrote:
If this was about credit card fees T-mobile would stop accepting credit cards all together. You can still use credit cards to pay your bill just not on auto pay.
It appears you are confirming that you can no longer use credit cards on autopay, discount or not.
I recently tried to update my auto-pay, and was unable to. Apparently, T-Mobile no longer takes credit cards and won't take my new card ...
Credit card companies charge a fee for using your card but they sure as hell don’t charge $20.
BlueSkies wrote:
I was happy since I changed to T-Mobile... Until Now. It's just common sense to NOT use your debit card for automated payments to prevent security issues AND a credit card gives me flexibility since my balance can vary a bit each month. I never thought about leaving till this change. Does anyone know if Mint requires a debit card or bank account?
In the meantime, here's a hint I use. I opened a secondary checking account when I was in my 20's. I only use it to pay bills through the bank's online payment service or automated bill payments where I didn't have much choice. I do not have a debit card linked to it (yeah, the banker looked at me funny until I explained what I was doing) so there's no risk of a stolen debit card emptying the account. Each pay period, I move the money I need over for bills to it. Other than a minimum I keep in there to prevent any fees, that's it.
Mint allows you to pay with a credit card. They are also being acquired by T-Mobile so who knows the future. They have the cheapest plans that are prepaid at the moment but Visible(by Verizon) has a good plan with better overall 4G coverage. Another player out there is US Mobile which uses both Verizon and T-Mobile towers. Good luck.
If this was about credit card fees T-mobile would stop accepting credit cards all together. You can still use credit cards to pay your bill just not on auto pay. This is T-mobile realizing that a lot of users don't buy T-mobile's phone insurance because they use their credit card's phone protection perk. T-mobile sees this as a way for them to push more people to the T-mobile Protection 360 plan at $7/mo.
This is a case of profits over customer. A company can choose whether or not to implement a policy to squeeze more revenue by penalizing the customer. They don't have to but chose to. Shady and greedy l but not illegal. I'll be looking into taking my business elsewhere.
jlfliberty wrote:
gramps28 wrote:
jlfliberty wrote:
gramps28 wrote:
JD-STL wrote:
@gramps28 why the constant defense of TM? They don't "all" get hacked. No wireless carrier has been hacked the way TM has.
Just stating facts. They all do get hacked. And some of those hacks for all three were employees hacking other employees emails to get access to unlock codes to sell.
Ridiculous and illogical argument by another cheerleader and possible T-Mobile commenter with 6,651 replies out here. So your argument, It happens to all of them so there is nothing wrong with T-Mobile forcing users to give up their banking information or jacking your rates by 10% per phone, four times Credit Card fees. Sure, that's how you define integrity on their part, right? IMO everyone should bail on the T-Mobile German owned service. Find an American carrier. T-Mobile clearly don't give a crap about Americans banking security and think them dumb enough to submit to this ultimatum.
Call me what you want but I started a thread about this 4 months ago.
https://community.t-mobile.com/accounts-services-4/auto-pay-with-credit-cards-ends-49144
And when I make a post that people don't like they automatically think I work for Tmobile.
Plus it not a ridiculous argument do some research.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/man-hacked-t-mobile-employees-to-unlock-cell-phones-rake-in-25-million
Clearly it's a waste trying to discuss logic with you. Logic of Gramps28, Since other carriers have also been hacked, T-Mobile should further jeopardize the customers banking security by eliminating Credit Card protections and require their banking information now be available during all future hacks. It's not only illogical and ridiculous, it's hilarious.
If you read my original post about the change to autopay it's basically what I said four months ago..
I did some research into Verizon but saw that they require bank information for autopay discount unless you used a Verizon credit card. Plans were quite a bit more.
I'm not an advocate of ever using your debit card on the internet and I can't believe people do use it.
gramps28 wrote:
jlfliberty wrote:
gramps28 wrote:
JD-STL wrote:
@gramps28 why the constant defense of TM? They don't "all" get hacked. No wireless carrier has been hacked the way TM has.
Just stating facts. They all do get hacked. And some of those hacks for all three were employees hacking other employees emails to get access to unlock codes to sell.
Ridiculous and illogical argument by another cheerleader and possible T-Mobile commenter with 6,651 replies out here. So your argument, It happens to all of them so there is nothing wrong with T-Mobile forcing users to give up their banking information or jacking your rates by 10% per phone, four times Credit Card fees. Sure, that's how you define integrity on their part, right? IMO everyone should bail on the T-Mobile German owned service. Find an American carrier. T-Mobile clearly don't give a crap about Americans banking security and think them dumb enough to submit to this ultimatum.
Call me what you want but I started a thread about this 4 months ago.
https://community.t-mobile.com/accounts-services-4/auto-pay-with-credit-cards-ends-49144
And when I make a post that people don't like they automatically think I work for Tmobile.
Plus it not a ridiculous argument do some research.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/man-hacked-t-mobile-employees-to-unlock-cell-phones-rake-in-25-million
Clearly it's a waste trying to discuss logic with you. Logic of Gramps28, Since other carriers have also been hacked, T-Mobile should further jeopardize the customers banking security by eliminating Credit Card protections and require their banking information now be available during all future hacks. It's not only illogical and ridiculous, it's hilarious.
jlfliberty wrote:
gramps28 wrote:
JD-STL wrote:
@gramps28 why the constant defense of TM? They don't "all" get hacked. No wireless carrier has been hacked the way TM has.
Just stating facts. They all do get hacked. And some of those hacks for all three were employees hacking other employees emails to get access to unlock codes to sell.
Ridiculous and illogical argument by another cheerleader and possible T-Mobile commenter with 6,651 replies out here. So your argument, It happens to all of them so there is nothing wrong with T-Mobile forcing users to give up their banking information or jacking your rates by 10% per phone, four times Credit Card fees. Sure, that's how you define integrity on their part, right? IMO everyone should bail on the T-Mobile German owned service. Find an American carrier. T-Mobile clearly don't give a crap about Americans banking security and think them dumb enough to submit to this ultimatum.
Call me what you want but I started a thread about this 4 months ago.
https://community.t-mobile.com/accounts-services-4/auto-pay-with-credit-cards-ends-49144
And when I make a post that people don't like they automatically think I work for Tmobile.
Plus it not a ridiculous argument do some research.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/man-hacked-t-mobile-employees-to-unlock-cell-phones-rake-in-25-million
gramps28 wrote:
JD-STL wrote:
@gramps28 why the constant defense of TM? They don't "all" get hacked. No wireless carrier has been hacked the way TM has.
Just stating facts. They all do get hacked. And some of those hacks for all three were employees hacking other employees emails to get access to unlock codes to sell.
Ridiculous and illogical argument by another cheerleader and possible T-Mobile commenter with 6,651 replies out here. So your argument, It happens to all of them so there is nothing wrong with T-Mobile forcing users to give up their banking information or jacking your rates by 10% per phone, four times Credit Card fees. Sure, that's how you define integrity on their part, right? IMO everyone should bail on the T-Mobile German owned service. Find an American carrier. T-Mobile clearly don't give a crap about Americans banking security and think them dumb enough to submit to this ultimatum.
Be wary of giving out debit card info. It is a direct link to your checking account. If Tmobile gets hacked, your entire checking account can be wiped out. When Home Depot was hacked years ago, our contractor had paid for his supplies with his debit card. The BIG bank that the card was thru would not reimburse him and kept directing him back to Home Depot. HD would then direct him back to the bank. It was 10K worth of his money gone. Even tho the financial institution is supposed to be responsible for any fraud on both your CC and your Debit Card, you will feel much more pain if it's on your Debit. This will mean that you won't have any money in your checking account to pay your other bills. Then you will have to fight the bank to get the money recovered. Also will have to deal with all the other things that may have come back with no payment since there was no money in your checking account.
