T-Mobile is shutting down a workaround that allowed customers to keep their autopay discount while still paying with credit cards. Starting today, October 24, customers who make early one-time payments with a credit card will lose their $5 per line monthly discount, even if they have a debit card or bank account set up for autopay.

According to The Mobile Report, which broke the story based on internal sources, the change targets a loophole customers have been using since 2023. Back then, T-Mobile stopped accepting credit cards for autopay discounts, requiring customers to use debit cards or direct bank transfers instead. 

But savvy customers found a way around it: they’d register an eligible debit card for autopay, then manually pay their full bill early with a rewards credit card. Since the bill was already paid, the autopay system wouldn’t charge the debit card, letting customers rack up credit card rewards while keeping their discount.

That’s over now. Under the new rule, any early payment made with an ineligible method—whether it’s for part of your bill or the whole thing—will cost you the autopay discount for that billing cycle. T-Mobile will send a text message letting you know you’ve lost the discount. If you want to pay early and still keep your discount, you’ll need to use a debit card or bank transfer for that payment too.

The timing is notable since T-Mobile is expected to launch its own credit card soon, which would presumably qualify for the autopay discount. That would bring the carrier in line with competitors like AT&T and Verizon, which typically allow their branded credit cards for autopay. 

Some customers have already tried to beat the new rule by prepaying multiple months in advance with credit cards, though reports suggest the changes may have already taken effect for some accounts.

Source: The Mobile Report