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Businesses United States

T-Mobile's Charging an Extra $5 Plus Tax for Paying Your Phone Bill In-Store 118

Posted by msmash from the dark-patterns dept.
T-Mobile has started charging customers who pay phone bills in-store a new $5 "Payment Support Charge," plus tax. According to The Mobile Report, the new fee went into effect on July 19th, though prepaid customers will be charged the fee later on. From a report: In a flier shared with The Mobile Report announcing the change to its employees, T-Mobile implies the reason behind the fee is to help "enable a digital-enabled future." Yet, as Droid Life points out, employee time spent processing payments may mean less time for more profitable endeavors -- like selling phones or add-ons to plans. Plus, it's a sneaky way to encourage more customers to sign up for AutoPay, which conveniently also offers a $5 per line discount if you pay your bill online -- and only if you use a debit card. T-Mobile recently withdrew the benefit from customers who paid bills with a credit card.
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T-Mobile's Charging an Extra $5 Plus Tax for Paying Your Phone Bill In-Store More

T-Mobile's Charging an Extra $5 Plus Tax for Paying Your Phone Bill In-Store

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  • Upselling (Score:5, Interesting)

    by darkain ( 749283 ) on Friday July 21, 2023 @02:53PM (#63705416) Homepage

    Tmobile is missing out on the absolute #1 benefit of in-store payments: upselling customers. If a customer is forced to pay more in-store and changes to automatic payments, they're significantly less likely to be marketed to by "experienced" in-store representatives.

    Yes, I know technically minded people may question this statement. However, the overwhelming vast majority of customers are NOT the uber-techs of this community, and are more easily swayed by guidance from those that they perceive are professionals in the industry.

    Tmobile just shot themselves in the ass with this one.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward
      As is pointed out below, it is probably the poorest customers who are paying in-person. They can't afford a bank account, more services or better phones--but they can afford an extra $5 a month and this is how T-Mobile is getting it.

    • Re:Upselling (Score:5, Insightful)

      by alvinrod ( 889928 ) on Friday July 21, 2023 @03:22PM (#63705490)
      It's hard to believe that no one ran the numbers on this or thought of that possibility before putting this policy in place. I didn't even know paying in store was an option, and I don't even know if this is a T-Mobile thing which may be why I've never heard of it, but if you asked me to imagine the type of customer that's making payments in store instead of setting up some kind of autopay, I'm not imagining someone who's going to buy a new Galaxy Omega or iPhone ULTRA that runs for $$$$. I'm more inclined to think of someone who's not good with money that can be milked for an extra $5 per month because they won't ever look at how the bill is broken down.

      T-Mobile must reckon that the extra $60/year they can get out of these people is the best way to wring out any extra dollars.

      • It's hard to believe that no one ran the numbers on this or thought of that possibility before putting this policy in place

        Why are you assuming they didnt run the numbers? Perhaps they ran the numbers and discovered that they could make more money doing this than from up sales.

        To be honest I find this far more plausible than the idea that a major corporation like this would just randomly add a 5 dollar fee as major companies doing market research is hardly a rare thing.

      • Re:Upselling (Score:4, Interesting)

        by tlhIngan ( 30335 ) <slashdot@worf.ERDOSnet minus math_god> on Friday July 21, 2023 @10:36PM (#63706162)

        It's hard to believe that no one ran the numbers on this or thought of that possibility before putting this policy in place. I didn't even know paying in store was an option, and I don't even know if this is a T-Mobile thing which may be why I've never heard of it, but if you asked me to imagine the type of customer that's making payments in store instead of setting up some kind of autopay, I'm not imagining someone who's going to buy a new Galaxy Omega or iPhone ULTRA that runs for $$$$. I'm more inclined to think of someone who's not good with money that can be milked for an extra $5 per month because they won't ever look at how the bill is broken down.

        T-Mobile must reckon that the extra $60/year they can get out of these people is the best way to wring out any extra dollars.

        Oh, I think they know the kind of person - they are the unbanked, i.e., typically too poor to care about.

        I mean, to pay by credit or debit card assumes you have a credit card or bank account. But there is a large percentage of the population who cannot afford a bank or the credit card fees (annual fees can be huge). It's why a few states have laws that require retailers to accept cash payments.

        These people can't afford a new shiny phone - they're probably hopping from free phone to free phone - you know, when T-Mo got rid of 2G they had to give free upgrades to a bunch of people and they're probably going to have to do the same when they get rid of 3G.

        The people who are forced to pay in store are the kinds of people they don't want.

        I expect the states that ban cashless retailers will also ban charging extra to handle cash, because the ones who do it likely can't afford cashless payment.

        • Are bank accounts not free in USA?
          They are in New Zealand.
          Pretty much all the banks will give you a free personal account, with a visa debit card, with no transaction fees.
          Business accounts usually cost a small amount though.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by mjwx ( 966435 )

            Are bank accounts not free in USA?
            They are in New Zealand.
            Pretty much all the banks will give you a free personal account, with a visa debit card, with no transaction fees.
            Business accounts usually cost a small amount though.

            A bank account in most western countries is considered a basic right, here in the UK you can be convicted of several counts of banking fraud or other financial crimes and you're still entitled to a basic account (of course one that will be heavily monitored). I suspect it's the same in Aus, NZ and most of Europe.

            In the US there is no obligation to provide a free to use product, so banks often find ways to price the poorest out of the market, things like minimum deposits or letters of reference from other

            • You'll have problems anywhere getting a bank account if you're undocumented.
              Banks around the world should be requiring their customers to prove their identity.

      • I'm more inclined to think of someone who's not good with money that can be milked for an extra $5 per month because they won't ever look at how the bill is broken down.

        I suspect you are right because I would have thought this is one of the limited situations where legal tender applies and they are hoping that the people who do this will not know. If they send you a bill for X dollars then you have a debt. So, if you walk into their store and give them X dollars in cash to pay off the debt then the debt is discharged. Surely they can't suddenly say they need an extra $5 to discharge a debt paid in legal tender? IANAL though but hopefully someone who is can say whether the

      • Why wouldn't a poor customer set up auto-pay on a debit card and SAVE $5/month?

        Poor people don't have debit cards?

        Poor people don't have bank accounts?

        Poor people are just bad with money?

        Poor people have so-called "Obama phones", they don't have phone hills to pay, period. How do you qualify for a free phone? Simple, qualify for SNAP, Welfare, Section 8, WIC, or almost any other federal assistance program.

        Homeless people can't sign a cell phone contract, because they lack an address to send the bill...

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by torkus ( 1133985 )

          Why wouldn't a poor customer set up auto-pay on a debit card and SAVE $5/month?

          Poor people don't have debit cards?

          Poor people don't have bank accounts?

          Poor people are just bad with money?

          Poor people have so-called "Obama phones", they don't have phone hills to pay, period. How do you qualify for a free phone? Simple, qualify for SNAP, Welfare, Section 8, WIC, or almost any other federal assistance program.

          Homeless people can't sign a cell phone contract, because they lack an address to send the bill...

          I think you misunderstand what it means to be poor and how it impacts peoples' lives.

          For example: let's say a bulk 20-pack of Toilet paper cost $20 and an individual roll costs $2 (2x cost of bulk). If you're poor, you don't have $20 to spend on TP but you can find the $2. Being poor often means spending more on basic things because you don't have money to buy ahead.

          Poor people often don't have bank accounts or don't/can't use them if they do. It's easy to get hit with over-draft fees when your balance i

    • You severely overestimate just how many people fall for upselling bull and underestimate how many people will pay online (and thus shift the workload onto themselves instead of a paid customer representative).

      It's like online banking, but at least this time they at least give you a monetary incentive to do their job.

      • The biggest hurdle I had to overcome at marketing tech jobs was dismissing my personal detection and distaste for being sold on something. I learned to embrace treating the masses in aggregate as idiots that respond to being sold something. Profits shot through the roof when I disrespected their intelligence. One of my favorites was the messaging that people were pre-approved for a pre-paid credit card or pre-approved to APPLY for a mortgage. What I couldn't figure out was why mortgage lenders were eagerl
    • Press doubt on that one. Who the hell physically goes to some location every month to pay their bills to begin with? If they are making their own lives so complicated, I bet they share the fun with customer service too. Sounds like a crowd that is all trouble, no revenue.

      • Who goes in person to pay a bill? The elderly, those who still pay things by cash or check, and have no phones, computers, and most likely no internet at home. And for some, it's for the social interaction. Just because it doesn't exist in your world doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

        • It's not the Boomers that went in person to pay bills. It's the Greatest Generation and older. Boomers were quite content to write a check, lick a stamp, and mail it.

        • People with "no phones" don't have phone bills to pay in person.

          There is a class of customer that feels they can't afford postage, but they have time to walk to a storefront and pay their bills in-person.

          I can remember a time when grocery stores accepted utility bill payments for electric, water, etc bills.

      • Indeed! I transport my payments the modern way: via convenient pneumatic tube.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Poor people pay in person, with cash.

      • Press doubt on that one. Who the hell physically goes to some location every month to pay their bills to begin with?

        People you are too good to make eye contact with.

        If they are making their own lives so complicated, I bet they share the fun with customer service too. Sounds like a crowd that is all trouble, no revenue.

        Amen! You tell them!

        Some people just do not know their place. Why do they need cellphones in the first place? They do not need cellphones to pick up your trash, deliver your shit from Amazon

    • Re:Upselling (Score:4, Interesting)

      by geekmux ( 1040042 ) on Friday July 21, 2023 @03:43PM (#63705550)

      Tmobile is missing out on the absolute #1 benefit of in-store payments: upselling customers...Tmobile just shot themselves in the ass with this one.

      You're being far too kind.

      The company is already paying to train an employee to work at a physical store, and is also paying for all of the related expenses with maintaining a brick and mortar location. For that company to have the unmitigated nerve to want to charge the customer again for the "luxury" of asking an employee to operate the cash register and credit card system they're also trained on, for the purposes of collecting revenue...

      How many ways can you spell corporate incompetence? It's so stupid they practically earned every lost customer.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mspohr ( 589790 )

        I don't know why phone companies even have brick and mortar stores. They are expensive to operate... rent and hire employees. They must make a killing on the poor suckers who walk in the door. It's been at least 15 years since I was in a phone company store.
        If you have a mobile phone you should be able to just pay your bill via the phone. Lots of other more civilized countries have phone payment systems.

        • "I don't know why phone companies even have brick and mortar stores."

          Disaster recovery.

          Having identification, I could go to a brick-and-mortar store and get a phone with my original phone number. I could then load my 2FA and get into everything else.

          • Disaster recovery?

            Sounds like the kind of business justification that'll reduce those brick and mortar stores down to a Walmart kiosk soon.

    • Since not all stores are corporate owned, the franchise-owned stores probably get a fee for collecting the monthly payment (I am guessing it is around $3-$5?). So it is costing T-Mobile money because they are likely paying the franchise-stores a fee for collecting this money for them. And any upsells by the franchise would generally be profit for the franchise, not corporate.

      It's another reason I'll never own a franchise for anyone. The corporation has all the power and will screw you whenever they get th

    • T-mobile is dreaming of a day when they won't take cash in their stores, won't have to make bank deposits, and won't have to keep cash in the store.

      But the real swing is $10 between paying online w/ debit card vs paying in-store - online debit saves $5, paying in store adds $5, for a swing (delta) of $10

  • Another change (Score:5, Informative)

    by ugen ( 93902 ) on Friday July 21, 2023 @02:55PM (#63705420)

    They also just changed the rules, so that the $5 autopay discount only applies if customers pay using a debit card or a bank ACH. Previously it applied to credit card payments. Given that credit cards often provide cell phone insurance, if used to pay the cell phone bill, this is a pretty crappy change.

    Lots of customers are unhappy about that, and there are quite a few discussions on Reddit and elsewhere.

    I contacted TMo and their support actually told me that the "official" answer for now is to register a debit card for autopay, to keep the discount, and then preemptively pay monthly with a credit card to continue getting the credit card benefits. This is something that Verizon did in the past, and then once users figured it out - they closed this "loophole". I assume the answer from TMo customer support is also "unofficial" and eventually this will go away.

    They should have never allowed Sprint to be sold to TMobile. Our anti-monopoly laws are a joke.

    • >"They also just changed the rules, so that the $5 autopay discount only applies if customers pay using a debit card or a bank ACH"

      A "debit card" is handing a direct line to your bank account, which can be drained. And that direct line has no PIN and no direction from you. You lose that card, or the card number escapes, and it can be used immediately for whatever.

      Yeah, the bank will go on and on about how it is "safe" and if something happens you will be "credited" back the money. But that is only AFT

      • Just FYI

        A check is the worst for security. Everything necessary to access the account is right on the check, Routing Number and Account Number.

        • >"A check is the worst for security. Everything necessary to access the account is right on the check, Routing Number and Account Number."

          While that is absolutely true, it still requires capturing the check. And typically using that number also requires creating another physical check, often also mailing it, automatically throttling abuse and making it far less attractive.

          A physical check isn't typically inside systems that get hacked. The vendor just puts it in a pile that goes to the bank. Debit car

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by ksw_92 ( 5249207 )

            A physical check isn't typically inside systems that get hacked.

            Tell that to the thousands of people who have their mail stolen from their mailbox. The organization I work for has seen numerous attempts made to defraud us by stealing mail that included checks issued by us, "washing" them to change the payee, amount, or both, and presenting them at some bank somewhere. As a business, our disbursement accounts have protections like "Payee Positive Pay", but consumer checking has no such protection. I personally longer use paper checks for anything that's mailed.

            Once FedNO

        • Both ends of the check drawing process involve KYC. If you're drawing on your account, your bank verifies who you are. If someone else is drawing on your account, the other bank verifies who is doing so. If anyone does anything untoward, you tell your bank and it gets reversed. Banks that allow criminality would lose massive amounts of money.

          It's not perfect, but it's definitely one of the more secure ways of transferring money. Way more secure than Venmo or Paypal.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by bn-7bc ( 909819 )
        Ok either I've been lucky,I've used my debit card everywhere for 23+years and never a drain significant enough to notice, or is this "debit cards are insecure" thing yet another problem that seams to be a US thing ( and no I'm not being a smug European about this it just seams like every time there is something backing/payment related the US lags behind Europe, chip and pin rolled out late just because backs where slow in issuing cards with chips etc). Hold on a sec my perspective might be off, I have no i

        • Oh, I have been asking for PIN codes on all cards forever. It just seems enough Americans hate the idea to keep it squashed. And I think maybe vendors think it will somehow slow transactions or reduce spending. Philosophically, there are many things that Europeans think they are more "ahead" and are not, based on our values (or can be explained by demographics/size/rights/etc). But I will agree, this is one of those exceptions- we are behind and for no good reason.

          We do have some smart systems behind th

    • I just went online to check my T-Mobile account. It still says "Credit card #### approved for discount."

      I maintain a small value bank account specifically for Paypal use. I'm thinking if I have to, I can link that instead of my main debit card account. Haven't tried it yet.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by jp10558 ( 748604 )

      You know, T-Mobile and AT&T have some of the easiest ability to use resellers if you have paid your phone up and get it unlocked. You just swap the SIM. Number transfers over and everything. And you can actually set the pre-paid to very low cost if you have low usage, or usually still less cost if you are a big data user.

      Oh, and most of these sell PIN cards at a bunch of gas stations all over, as well as at the independent cellphone stores out there. So... if you have to pay in person, you're probably e

    • They should have never allowed Sprint to be sold to TMobile. Our anti-monopoly laws are a joke.

      Eh, without the sale, neither Sprint nor TMO were meaningful competitors to AT&T & Verizon.

      And so while I wish we had a more vibrant market, having three real competitors (triopoly?) is better than a duopoly and two marginal firms.

    • Verizon still gives me the discount while paying with credit card.

    • They also just changed the rules, so that the $5 autopay discount only applies if customers pay using a debit card or a bank ACH. Previously it applied to credit card payments. Given that credit cards often provide cell phone insurance, if used to pay the cell phone bill, this is a pretty crappy change.

      They eliminated a discount, they didn't impose a surcharge.

      What does "using a credit card to provide cell phone insurance" gave to do with paying your monthly cell phone bill?

  • So T-Mobile is making you pay less for doing things in a way that lowers T-Mobile's costs? For some reason, I'm having trouble being upset about this. Most giant companies wouldn't pass the savings on to their customers; they would pass the savings to their owners instead.

    • Nope. They are removing a "pay less" from some customers, not adding a NEW "pay less" option. This is yet another way to grab more money out of the poorest customers, the ones most likely to use T-Mobile and a pay-as-you-go plan in the first place.

      First off - never do auto pay with a debit card. There's enough fraud and selling of data out there that you stand a greater chance of losing money this way. Many debit cards don't let you dispute charges like credit cards do.

      Paying in stores is a time honored

      • This is wrong. Debit cards with the VISA or MasterCard logo (which most do) have the same fraud protections as credit cards.

        Second, checks are NOT safe. They are just as fraud ridden as debit cards.

        • >"This is wrong. Debit cards with the VISA or MasterCard logo (which most do) have the same fraud protections as credit cards."

          Yes and no.

          In theory, they have protections. But with a REAL credit card, your bank account and funds are never exposed or at risk of being drained, ever. With a "debit" card, your money is GONE until such a time as you can hopefully get it back. That might be fast, it might be slow. You might get it back and then have it taken away again.

          I KNOW PEOPLE WHO WENT THROUGH THIS HE

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by ksw_92 ( 5249207 )

            You know, if you have the kind of resources that make you worry about your checking account being "drained" by fraud or simple stupidity, you could always set up another checking account that you just use for bills. You just have to maintain the account balance to keep things from bouncing but you should be watching your accounts and know what's pending, right?

            Yeah, credit cards don't require as much close attention but that's by design. The card exchanges WANT you to run as much through them as possible so

          • So it is a yes, but it's up to the person to manage their money effectively to prevent a fraudulent charge from affecting them financially.

      • I love just how gloriously misinformed Americans are about debit cards.

    • So T-Mobile is making you pay less for doing things in a way that lowers T-Mobile's costs?

      The store manager who hired the trained cashier currently standing in the brick-and-mortar T-mobile store next to the cash register sucking on payroll, is still waiting for you to prove you lowered their costs by not asking the trained cashier to do their fucking job and collect revenue, which T-Mobile is now charging you more for the luxury of demanding.

      Not really sure how anyone is making excuses to see this any differently. Damn.

      • >"Not really sure how anyone is making excuses to see this any differently. Damn."

        Because it isn't necessarily just a cost issue. The other customers waiting in the store who HAVE TO BE THERE to fix some problem with their device or SIM card, or get a replacement whatever, or demo a physical device have to wait even longer while the employee is processing payments for people who could pay with other means outside the store. I doubt the fee is to recoup costs as much as it is to just discourage clogging

  • Regressive fees (Score:3)

    by algaeman ( 600564 ) on Friday July 21, 2023 @03:09PM (#63705456)
    This is a sure way to force the poorest and least able to make a change out of their system. I assume the cruelty is the point.

    • Poor people are also the ones who are often late with their payment and who keep your support and billing stuff busy. You don't want them as a company. You want rich people who don't even notice if you charge them 5 bucks more this month.

      • do you have proof of your three assertions about poor people or did you just pull them out of your ass as a bigot?

        • It's mostly an observation back from my time as a CC agent for an ISP. But hey, that was like a quarter century ago, maybe things totally changed in the meantime.

        • do you have proof of your three assertions about poor people or did you just pull them out of your ass as a bigot?

          Your response implies that you think that Iggy was criticizing the poor for being poor, when he was criticizing corporations for being predatory. Or did you honestly not know that these kinds of regressive fee structures are why it's expensive to be poor?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by poptix ( 78287 )

        s/rich/competent/

        FTFY.

        • No, I'm pretty sure they don't care for competent. Actually, if anything, they want incompetent and rich, who will buy any and all sorts of useless, gimmicky addons that any competent person could easily do without because they could either do it themselves or just wouldn't need.

    • This is a sure way to force the poorest and least able to make a change out of their system. I assume the cruelty is the point.

      And I assume somewhat the opposite: not that TMobile is trying to dissuade the poor from giving them money, but is instead being predatory and trying to get more money out of them. You don't see the rich coming into the store to pay their phone bill in cash because they can't afford the monthly fee the bank charges for not having a consistent balance of $10k.

  • My local AT&T store used to have a machine, similar to an ATM, where you could go in and pay your bill. No human interaction needed. You input your information, confirmed what you wanted to pay, inserted your card, and received a confirmation slip.

    They did eventually do away with it, not sure why as it was so convenient, but is it really that difficult for these companies to make it as easy as possible for people to give them money?

    • >"My local AT&T store used to have a machine, similar to an ATM, where you could go in and pay your bill. No human interaction needed. You input your information, confirmed what you wanted to pay, inserted your card, and received a confirmation slip."

      I have seen those as well in other cell vendor stores. However, it is unlikely they took or take cash. The stores don't want the hassle and expense of getting and maintaining them and the risk of even more cash on-site. Plus, there are those who can't

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by PCM2 ( 4486 )

      They did eventually do away with it, not sure why as it was so convenient

      Just based on my own anecdotal experience of never having seen such a thing, my hunch is that the machine was provided by a third-party company, and their business relationship with the AT&T stores eventually ended.

  • #1: Never make it hard for your customers to hand you money.

    Simply make the most important step to your bottom line as easy and seamless as possible.

    • #0: Choose your customers carefully.

      For example, don't choose customers who tie up a cashier's time with in-person payments, thereby causing the store manager to have to hire one more cashier for a shift than they otherwise would.

  • Lots of companies use similar tactics to get you to pay online.

    Though discouraging customers from coming into your store, filled with phone goodies, is pretty stupid.

  • And AT&T just sent me a notice that they will be charging an additional $5.00 per line for auto-pay via credit card stating next month.

    • Not quite, I received the same notice. They are decreasing the discount from $10 a month per line to $5 a month per line if you continue to use a credit card for auto pay. If you switch to a debit card or bank account you can keep getting the $10 discount a month per line. I'm not happy with the move either. Fucking blood-suckers.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by lcreech ( 1491 )

        I never got a discount for auto-pay, it certainly isn't reflected in their bloated bill.and they never said there was one until now

  • Since processing payments is such an onerous burden on them, lets give them a break and just stop paying for a while.

    • >"Since processing payments is such an onerous burden on them, lets give them a break and just stop paying for a while."

      Your phone will go dead.

  • Basically, any business that refuses to accept credit cards and/or tries to steer you into debit cards or... worse... bank transfer... has some seriously sketchy shenanigans in mind. The whole point of credit cards is consumer protection in the event of fraud, theft, the goods or services being defective, et cetera. Debit cards and bank transfers have none of that. So the question you have to ask is just what sort of shady dealings are going on at T-Mobile, or what sort of shady activities are they plann

    • Re:The debit card thing is the important bit... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Friday July 21, 2023 @03:46PM (#63705554)

      People who don't have bank accounts or credit cards are paying in store. There is no ulterior motive, this is a blatant cash grab.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by PPH ( 736903 )

        People who don't have bank accounts or credit cards are paying in store.

        Not really the customers that T-Mobile expects to make a lot of extra money from.

        "enable a digital-enabled future."

        [Clumsy grammar there.] In other words, they want a hook into your bank account to encourage you to partake in more pay-by-phone deals. Where they become a fee-collecting intermediary.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by djgl ( 6202552 )

        In the country where T-Mobile is coming from paying your monthly bills with direct debit is the standard. Our bank network for wire transfers and direct debit worked so well that we never had any use for those paper checks that were (are?) so popular in the US. My salary is transferred to my bank account, I've set up an automatic periodic transfer for my rent and all utilities withdraw the monthly payment. If you disagree with a direct debit, you can order your bank to undo the transaction. There is also a

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by PPH ( 736903 )

          But in this country, reversing charges made against a bank account is more difficult. That issue aside, what it appears T-Mobile wants to do is to hook your phone directly to your bank account. Rent and utilities are one thing. But they want you to get into the habit of waving your T-Mobile phone at every cash register to make payments. So they can collect a processing fee.

    • The whole point of credit cards is consumer protection

      Haha this made me laugh, nice one.

  • Someone call Catherine Zeta-Jones! I'm sure she's still got pull at T-Mobile!

  • Cash discrimination! There is a way around it for those that don't want to pay more to use a burner ... buy pre-paid refill cards for cash and use them to pay electronically.

  • The $5 charge is separate, so it also comes with a $5 charge.

  • Go into the store, you are immediately met with staff who want to sign you up to every microservice the business has to offer.

    Move online, what microservices? I go in, pay the bill, ignore the emails about all those flashy addons, most end up in the spam folder anyway. Can even set the email preferences to what types of notifications I want thanks to the ACCC and the ACMA rulings surrounding telemarketing.

  • I have seen the inside of T-Mobile stores, they are always empty with too many employees sitting in a circle poking away at their phone. Save us customers from the cash grab and let go of some employees instead.

  • John Legere your leadership is missed...

  • How else will they take cash? We recently passed a law here. Businesses must accept cash for any transaction up to $200. Without assessing additional fees. Or our prosecutor would like a word with you.

    • You are assessed the $5 fee for paying in-store regardless of what method you use to pay. So your law doesn't apply.
  • Gotta pay for that naming right somehow.

  • Is pay-by-fax still free?

  • For a while, T-Mobile advertised $X/month for life. The problem is that employees tend to want raises and landlords tend to increase rent, so that money needs to come from somewhere.

    So, they're trying the 'annoying shenanigans' route. I was a bit annoyed last year when I went into a store to buy a phone. In the past, I've had the staff try and set up my new phone for me, and it's frequently been a bit tricky to ask them to 'be less helpful' and make a quick-and-easy task of exchanging a pile of money for a

  • So this new policy could get portrayed as arguably being racist, misogynistic, and anti-LGBTQIA+.

    People who've been up against it, or in an abusive relationship where they were dominated, are more likely than otherwise to have bad or no credit. And some immigrants live hand to mouth, without documents, while getting paid in cash.

    T-Mobile might want to think again before they get branded as having a privileged mind-set.

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