what's up with T-mobile removing autopay discount for credit cards?

This is 100% a money grab by T-Mobile.

My cost will increase $35/month on a $255 bill.  That's a 13.8% fee on my bill!  At most TM is paying Amex 3.5% and likely lower.

Like someone else said, I use Amex because they provide $500 per phone insurance if you use an Amex Platinum card to pay your bill.

I called Customer Service yesterday to complain and got 3 months of credits to offset the added cost after A LOT of complaining to a Supervisor.  When those are done I will call back again, if they don't continue to give me the credits I will take as many lines as possible to another carrier.  In the meantime I will be writing my state AG about the usurious fees and will be writing letters to the CEO, CMO & Chairman of the Board expressing my disappointment and displeasure.

Fireguy, you keep referring to Verizon doing the same.  If the woman down the street has an affair you would likely say that's between her and her family to sort out  If your wife has an affair you would differently. My point is what Verizon did to their customers in the past is down to them and doesn't make Tmobile's behavior to me acceptable to me, especially as the TMO decision was made after their third hack.

I respect you for trying to defend your employer.

magenta8618215 wrote:

Just un-enroll from autopay.  Let them mail you a paper bill and send them a check for payment.  See what that does to their costs.

The problem with that is that you then lose the $5.00 per line discount, $25.00 in my case. 

fireguy_6364 wrote:

i would think that making a decision like this would be something that would affect everyone and not just new accounts..not overly sure the full reasoning behind it..but they are not the only one doing it either.. V started doing it years ago..furthest back i cared to even look at was 2014 for them. wonder if at some point TMO will do what V did and do their own CC? which doesnt make a ton of sense to me other than they probably get some kind of kick back for it being their own CC?

 

This is about (Money, Deception and risking the Security of their customers (BANKING) information. T-Mobile's access to peoples banking information will expose their banking info to their (NEXT and frequent data breach). They lack truth & integrity about their Credit Card service charges, T-Mobile implies a lie. These increases are far above current CredtCard fees, based on my calcs. Using current min/max MasterCard fees, it will rake in an additional ($156.24 to $213.36) above service fees per year from me, multiply that by their 110 million US customers and you get additional income above CC fees of (1.718 to 23.469) Billion dollars. Facts and numbers don't lie and integrity is lacking in the corporate world of 2023. Don't wet on my leg and tell me it's raining. Show integrity, speak truth and charge the actual fees. Truth and honesty, what a concept!
Payment network            Average credit card processing fees
Visa                                    1.29% + $0.05 to 3.29% + $0.10
Mastercard                        1.39% + $0.05 to 3.29% + $0.10
Discover                            1.58% + $0.05 to 3.28% + $0.10
American Express            1.50% + $0.10 to 3.15% + $0.10

Providing debit card or bank account to T-Mobile looks dangerous to me :)
Considering multiple data breaches from t-mobile - latest few happened 2023
“T-Mobile hacked to steal data of 37 million accounts in API data breach”
- https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/t-mobile-hacked-to-steal-data-of-37-million-accounts-in-api-data-breach/
“T-Mobile discloses second data breach since the start of 2023“
- https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/t-mobile-discloses-second-data-breach-since-the-start-of-2023/
I think it is really dangerous to provide BANK account info to T-Mobile - because in few month hackers will get it for sure according to T-Mobile data breaches history. Credit card charges - you can dispute - bank, debit card charges - go to court ...

MaxPayne wrote:

For anyone thinking this is a scam, IT IS NOT. It's very true. Your account page should now have an alert bar at the top of it about the change coming July 25th, 2023.

Personally, I'm not going to worry about it. If they don't raise my rates- ever, as they promised, I'm probably just going to pay the extra $5 for my $50 internet via my current credit card setup and call it a 10% money grab.

I'll just tip the delivery guys/gals a little less, not order out as much altogether, or skip that one extra Venti coffee. I'll make it up over the month in other ways.

I'll just give them the smaller tip with a note on it saying "Sorry, due to T-mobile removing my monthly auto-pay discount, I have no choice but to reduce your service tip. Any questions or issues should be directed to T-Mobile Customer Service by calling #1-800-T-Mobile. Thank you for your understanding and continued support in this matter."

No big deal. Two can play at that game. I'll pass those charges on to someone else. So, if the pizza guy doesn't like it, he can get a better paying job.

Interesting concept, just stick with it and get shafted as long as you can shaft someone else that has nothing to do with it. I guess that is why outfits do it, people will submit.

MaxPayne wrote:

jlfliberty wrote:

Interesting concept, just stick with it and get shafted as long as you can shaft someone else that has nothing to do with it. I guess that is why outfits do it, people will submit.

$60 per year isn't worth complaining about. That is an optional perk I choose to give up for the good of my bank account. But it's good that you understand now how a balanced budget works. It all evens out in the end so I won't feel the shaft. I'll decide where and when to spend my money, not you. Water finds its own level. It's not like I'm paying more in total at the end of the month. Money just gets redistributed where I need it to go. 

This is why inflation hits everyone in the money chain. I'll pay the normal rate per month for my internet as long as I don't have to allow T-Mobile into my bank, and I don't even have to spend $5 of my time changing out a payment process. If I do change anything, it'll be them sending me a paper bill every month.

I can also withhold the note and spare the pizza dude's little feelings. If he don't know, he can't be butthurt. Don't want him having a meltdown on my sidewalk because he didn't get 50 cents more in a tip.  Alternate idea, I can use the tip money for gas, and drive over and get the food myself.  So whining about a few more bucks for Intenet isn't worth it to me. I just readjust the money flow and it fixes itself. I have other internet options, so without a contract, I can go with someone else if I don't like it.

Now, the phone plan folks definitely could have something to yip about. $20-35 or more in savings going up in smoke per month would suck.

In that case, it would be worth it to open a secondary checking account with its own debit card for T-mobile (or Verizon) only, use that account to only pay your phone/internet bill, and have an auto transfer from your main account put just enough money in the account over any required minimum balance a few days ahead of the payment date to cover the bill. So if your bill is 125 per month, say, then set up the secondary checking account to have $10-20 in there all the time, then have 125 auto transferred to the secondary account a few days before the phone bill is processed. That way, if any thief wants to get in your account, the most they could possibly get would be $135-145.

The reason I say to use a debit card for this is that SOME banks have some protections on the debit card (you need to check your bank policies) and also, the card number isn't directly associated with your bank account number. So theives may not be able to get to your other bank accounts directly.

That’s how I’d do it.

Yes, you spend and use (your version) of pay it foreword the way that you choose. As I said, (Interesting concept, just stick with it and get shafted as long as you can shaft someone else that has nothing to do with it. I guess that is why outfits do it, people will submit.) It appears as though I struck a nerve, maybe I'm mistaken. In my and many others situation, it's not $60, it's $240 dollars a year. I also have my plan, it involves reducing my bills, not giving out my Bank information and not treating others worse as a result. Follow your path, I'll follow the one that I choose.

gramps28 wrote:

KP1123PHOENIX wrote:

classaction02 wrote:

Are there ay lawyers out there? I don' think it is legal to change the rules after you already made an agreement. What about a Class action law suite ??? I have been using my CC since I started with T-mobile in 2022 Feb. Now I will lose my discount. I chatted with them and was told that it is because people will pay with CC, get the discount, then revers the charge, REally? I don't think that is the case. How can they really expect someone to be forced to use a personal checking account or debit card to receive the discount. I can choose to use my CC but at a cost now of 20.00 a month, this is basically a charge to protect my checking account from being hacked. 

let me know if you find one for a class action suit I am ready to sign

Unfortunately in Tmobile's terms and conditions they can change it. Autopay discount is a perk not part of the plan cost.

me too… this is ridiculous

I'm really disappointed with TMobile's decision to force us using debit for auto pay! I believe this may be connected with their T-Mobile money, wallet or whatever it's called to push more people to use their service!

This is bull. We have all our monthly bills set up on 1 credit card to be paid every month with no late fees and now T-Mobile is doing this? I just bought a new iPhone and new plan and now they do this?! I will not be able to keep this plan or phone if they switch payment to a debit card or bank account!!!!! We switched to a credit card for assurance that all bills would be paid every month and paid off at the end of the month not having to worry about switching money to bank accounts and not having enough to pay your bills therefore getting charged late fees and getting disconnection notices. If this is the case I'll just go to buying minutes for my phone per month instead of being on a 2 year plan. I just received this notification today . Is this true or a scam?