$5 discount per line goes away in May if you pay with credit card. Hm... I guess I should stock up on VISA gift cards that work as debit.
I'm certainly bummed about this development!
I use a business AmEx card that gives 5% back on my $60/mo T-Mobile bill, which is $50/mo for TMHI (with the $5/mo autopay discount), and $10/mo for my Magenta Business Tablet Promo unlimited data plan, which I use in my phone to provide data for Google Voice. Saving $3/mo by paying with me AmEx isn't much, but it's a little something extra, on top of the T-Mobile $5/mo savings for autopay.
Given T-Mobile's data breach history, I wouldn't be comfortable using my primary bank account for autopay, but unless / until another provider offers what I get from T-Mobile for the same or less money, I'll probably just open another free checking account solely for setting up T-Mobile autopay, only keep enough in it to pay 1 month of a bill if necessary, and then try to remember to manually pay the bill each month with my AmEx before the autopay kicks in. If I forget, then there will be enough in that checking account to pay that month's payment, and then I'll replenish it, and try to do better at paying manually with my CC next month!
Another reason they want to not encourage CC use is they hate the cell phone insurance coverage some cards provide (as long as you pay the bill with that CC). Prevents them from selling you their overpriced insurance.
An acquaintance associated with VZW told me about a 3-4 hr. training they gave stores in re to how to shoot holes in CC phone ins. coverage and sell customers despite it when they brought it up.
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With those VISA prepaid gift cards when they go on sale (when discount > fee, or $0 fee at Staples). This way, at least you still get your credit card rewards (no cell phone insurance). BTW, when I was reading up on the cell phone insurance, seems many cards have been dropping that feature. Could be that people intentionally break their phones to get a new in box replacement to sell.
Another strategy is to pay off your phone installments now to get your credit card rebates. This way, your future bill will be lower/mo.
If you want the insurance and cashback, then you could make an overpayment for however many months you are comfortable.
Do it on the last statement date before the new policy comes into effect.
Good point, might as well prepay for the remainder of your financial commitment from getting the discount/free phone. If you do cancel, they'd have to send you a refund anyway - had that happen with my cable internet service. LOL
So my Citi card has Flex Pay (0% APR installments) for purchases over $75. Looks like a way to pre-pay my account and then set my installment to my monthly TMO subscription. Even better. LOL
These are Debit Cards. Sale ends Apr 6.
$250 VISA card + $5.95 fee - $12.50 discount = $243.45
Then you get further discount by using cash back credit card.
Looks like a win-win. 
Hm... wondering if T-Mobile is trying to ensure that people do not file charge back with their credit card. Seems Home Internet users send back the old gateway (when problem/bricked/cancel service) and UPS delivery confirmation shows TMO did receive it, TMO still tries to charge for the gateway. If that's the case, that's quite a scam!
Some say this is another price hike by sunsetting Magenta and forcing customers onto this newer plan - which would cost more.
Actually Those that are on Magenta plans will be grandfathered.
Apparently Metro has also raised most plan rates by $5 (along with some data increases), raised store activation fees & introduced a $5 autopay discount required to negate the price increase.
Don't know if you can use a credit card on autopay and get the $5 discount or if they have followed T-Mobile trying to eliminate that option.
Well, if you stay on Magenta, no free phones. Just checked, free iPhone 14 by trading in an iPhone X with Magenta is gone. But new Go5G plans allows trade in of iPhone 7 for the iPhone 14. I guess this is good deal if you have iPhone 7 that you missed trading in.
Oh, they actually have a great deal on Samsung phones on Go5G. Free S23+ with new line. Great deal if you need a new line.
Update: Oh, that's free if you go on the Plus plan that costs more. Nevermind.
Is that via bill credits? Or put another way, after starting a new line and getting a "free" S23+ how much would it cost to leave TMO a month or two later?
Bill credits, of course.
BTW, it won't take my VISA Debit Gift Card. I had to use bank debit card instead.
My May amount due still includes the autopay discount, so I'm leaving my AmEx as the payment method until after the 5/9/23 payment processing date.
After the 5/9/23 payment processes, I'm switching autopay to my newly acquired Cash App debit card, and will plan to manually pay my bill with my AmEx card to hopefully continue receiving the AmEx 5% cash back.
I already added the Cash App debit card to my T-Mobile account, and it appears to have been accepted without any issues.
I'm still debating whether or not to add the amount of ONE month of my T-Mobile bill to my Cash App balance, which was my original plan, just in case I fail to manually make my payment with my AmEx card, but I'll think about that a little more before I do it.
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This would be very interesting to know for sure... having a debit/bank on file to qualify for autopay discount while prepaying with credit card.