T-Mobile won’t offer autopay discounts to customers who are using credit cards as their automatic payment method.
The “un-carrier” has been sending out emails and text messages to customers to alert them of the change. Customers are being told to update their payment method to continue receiving the $5 per line autopay discount. T-Mobile now requires the payment method to be a debit card or linked bank account.
Credit cards and digital wallets, like Apple Pay or Google Pay, will not be eligible for the discount. You can still use those methods to pay, but you will not qualify for the discount.
Linking your bank account directly to your carrier does raise some security concerns. Using a credit card provides an extra layer of protection against fraud and makes getting a refund easier.
In January, T-Mobile announced that someone breached its network and stole data on 37 million customers. The intruder obtained customer information between Nov. 25, 2022, through Jan. 5, 2023.
T-Mobile said information obtained for each customer varies but may have included full names, dates of birth, phone numbers, billing addresses, email addresses, and account and line information (such as billing account numbers, codes for rate plans and features, and number of lines on the account).
In April, T-Mobile disclosed another data breach. This one impacted 836 customers and included the customers’ names and driver’s license numbers.
The Federal Trade Commission has some information online on what to do after a data breach.
Who is eligible for the autopay discount?
T-Mobile has the following requirements posted online:
- To be eligible for the AutoPay discount each month, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be on Go5G, Magenta, T-Mobile Essentials, ONE Plan, or another tax inclusive plan (such as LineLink and Mobile Internet for hotspots).
- Be active on AutoPay at the time of bill processing.
- Have paid the prior month’s bill by its due date.
- Cards with statements mailed to foreign addresses can’t be used for AutoPay.
- Payment method must be a debit card or linked bank account. Credit cards and digital wallets (Apply Pay/Google Pay) are not eligible.
- AutoPay isn’t available for No Credit Check plans.