T-Mobile is moving forward with plans to change the stipulations of its AutoPay service, which currently allows subscribers to get a $5 discount on their bill online with any form of payment. Starting next month, in order to maintain the $5 discount subscribers will have to use a debit card or bank account with the AutoPay service, according to 9to5Google.
Subscribers that already have their debit card or bank accounts connected to T-Mobile’s AutoPay service won’t have to take any further action; however, the carrier has begun sending out an SMS message altering customers that they have until July 25 to update their payment method if they wish to keep the discount.
The AutoPay discount has been one of the favorite perks of T-Mobile’s service. However, when rumors about the change first surfaced, many were upset at the idea of losing the additional perks they receive from using a credit card, Google Pay, or Apple Pay as their payment options. These methods often act as a safety measure, which is especially notable considering T-Mobile has been subject to at least eight reported breaches since 2018.
In the event of a security breach, credit cards, and mobile payment services offer online shopping keys that are different than your actual account number, making it harder for bad actors to access your information. They also offer fraud protection so customers can easily fight nefarious charges on their accounts.
Additionally, customers were able to enjoy other perks such as phone insurance and cash-back, depending on the payment method. Now that T-Mobile is making debit cards or bank accounts the primary payment option for its AutoPay service, customers who favored other options won’t be able to take advantage of the $5 discount and their alternative brand perks.
To be clear, subscribers are still able to use credit card and mobile payment options, they just won’t get the $5 discount if they do. Some have suggested that subscribers could set their main payment account as a debit card or bank account but then pay the bill early with their preferred payment method. However, it remains to be seen if this workaround will be successful.
According to T-Mobile’s AutoPay FAQ, subscribers can make one-time payments anytime, but payments submitted on the same day that an Autopay is set to be processed might result in a duplicate payment. If a one-time payment is processed before AutoPay, leaving an account balance at zero or in the negative, AutoPay will not process for the month.
Customers also have to keep in mind they might get busy and forget to pay the bill early, rendering their protest against T-Mobile futile. However, some have vocalized that the change might be enough to make them leave T-Mobile for a different carrier.
