Today in sneaky carrier maneuvers.

Wireless carriers are messing with your autopay discount::AT&T and T-Mobile customers who were using a credit card to qualify for a monthly autopay discount will have to switch to a debit card or bank account — or pay up.

  • AbidanYre@lemmy.worldEnglish
    22·
    10 months ago

    T-Mobile needs to go at least three months without a breach before I even think about giving them my bank account information.

    • FurtiveFugitiveEnglish
      2·
      10 months ago

      Exactly. They were paying a credit card fee that was going right into your rewards. Can’t have that!!

    • phoneymouse@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      10 months ago

      How do you survive with 5GB? Visible is only $25/month but with unlimited data… and not that fake unlimited either. There is no “cap” after which they throttle you. Also offers a hotspot.

      • Nighed@sffa.communityEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        I’m on £5 a month for 5Gb data. I don’t think I have ever gone over 2 without tethering.

        I’m on WiFi practically everywhere I go - even have it on the train, tend not to use it though as data is faster.

    • Ghoti_@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      I’m thinking of moving to a no contract plan once my current contract is up.

      I used a Nokia Flip phone on Tracfones network for a week to test getting out of that ecosystem and also away from smartphones in general.

      All-in-all I was impressed with what you could do with a flipper and a $20 a month plan.

    • malibu43@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      This is the way. Every time I recommend this to someone they think I’m crazy for not using one of the big 3.

  • Billy_Gnosis@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    10 months ago

    This type of shit is exactly why I do pre paid. One $185 payment at the beginning of the year and I forget about it.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    6·
    10 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the latest maneuver is requiring customers — current and new — to switch to a debit card or bank account withdrawal in order to receive the autopay discount on their plan.

    Verizon has included this requirement on plans for years, but in the past few months, AT&T and T-Mobile have quietly followed suit to cut back on how much they pay for credit card processing.

    The new rule goes into effect for AT&T customers on October 2nd, and as a gesture of goodwill, the company will only reduce your discount if you continue to pay with a credit card.

    AT&T and T-Mobile aren’t just making this a requirement for new customers — the change is being applied to all postpaid accounts.

    Credit cards charge businesses high processing fees, and those rates have been rising.

    But even with the new rules in effect, carriers continue to advertise their plan pricing with the autopay discount factored in.

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