How to keep your T-Mobile AutoPay discount without giving it your bank details
T-Mobile recently changed its bill AutoPay discount policies to allow only debit cards and direct direct bank account access as means of payment to keep the discount. At $5 a month per line, the discount is as big as on other carriers like Verizon or AT&T which haven't changed their payment policies, at least not yet.
With AutoPay payment method restrictions, T-Mobile effectively raises plan prices
For family plans which often include four or five lines, the AutoPay discount removal amounts to a decent chunk of change. Currently, T-Mobile offers its mid-tier unlimited Go5G plan at $155/month for four lines but now adds that this price is with "AutoPay discount using eligible payment method."
Those methods, unfortunately, now seemingly don't include Apple Pay, either. Thus, if you are unable or unwilling to give T-Mobile a debit card number, or provide it with your bank details for direct withdrawal each month, your phone bill on the 4-person family plan will essentially increase 13%!
On the other hand, if you comply, T-Mobile will essentially lower the card processing fees it is being charged drastically, so the ban on credit cards for AutoPay payments is a win-win scenario for the Un-carrier.
Not willing to give T-Mobile your bank details for AutoPay? No problem.
For subscribers who are hesitant about giving T-Mobile direct bank account access in light of the numerous customer data leaks and breaches that T-Mobile underwent in the past few years, however, the only viable option to keep their AutoPay discount seems to remain a debit card payment.
In the US, however, less than half of the general public pays for stuff with debit cards, and that number is likely way lower with recurrent charges like a carrier bill AutoPay discount system.
The reasons for the relatively weak proliferation of debit card payment in the US are various, but they have to do with personal credit score buildout, an affinity to defer payments, as well as various perks and points specific to credit cards that are missing with debit cards whose only backup is the actual money in the bank account linked to them, barring a salary overdraft or two.
How to keep your T-Mobile AutoPay discount with Apple Pay without giving it your bank details
Fret not, however, as there are comparatively easy solutions to T-Mobile's payment method restrictions without going too far out of your way. You can, for example, get a virtual debit card online and set up AutoPay with it without giving T-Mobile direct access to your precious bank account information.
- T-Mobile MONEY card - T-Mobile's own debit card is linked to 2.5% APY checking account and can be used for AutoPay
- Ramp virtual debit card - 1.5% cashback, can be used with Apple Pay, and a physical debit card can be issued as well.
- Privacy.com's virtual card - mask your number and payments, set spending limits, and block fraud charging.
- Wise virtual online card - have up to 3 virtual cards at a time, freeze them after each purchase, and spend abroad without fees.
In addition, Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and most other big retail banks allow online debit card applications, so if you already have an account with one, you can issue a debit card to it, or set up a prepaid one with a small amount set aside for subscriptions or situations like the T-Mobile AutoPay methods restriction.
Some are already planning to go the class action lawsuit way against the Un-carrier, but these things take time, and, unless T-Mobile reneges on its bill payment choices, a virtual card seems like the best way to set for AutoPay without risks.
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