T-Mobile is making a major change to how customers can manage their bills when they fall behind, and it's forcing everyone onto its app. Starting today, T-Mobile will no longer allow customers to set up a payment arrangement over the phone, in a retail store, or through the automated phone system.

If you want to make a payment plan to get back on track, you have to deal with the online system. This is a huge shift, removing the human element from a service that many people rely on during difficult financial times. The main issue is that sometimes a bill is due before your paycheck clears, and you need to make a payment arrangement.

This move seems like part of a much larger, aggressive strategy from T-Mobile to push all of its customer interactions through the T-Life app. Forcing customers to use a single app is problematic, especially for those who aren't tech-savvy. However, the problem is even worse when that one app isn't perfect. The T-Life app constantly has issues, from what I've seen in my own use of it. This is a scary prospect when it's the only thing standing between you and a service suspension.

The main benefit of a payment arrangement is that it stops your service from being suspended, keeping your phone on while you get your finances in order. While this isn't a bill extension, it's important to get it done quickly and easily, and the app is mostly easy to use when it works.

To set up a payment arrangement, first open the T-Life app and navigate to the Manage tab, which is usually located in the billing section. From there, choose the "Set up a payment arrangement" option. You can then edit the payment amount, select your preferred payment method, and choose a new payment date. Once everything is set to your liking, select "Agree and submit" to finalize the arrangement. That sounds simple, and hopefully it is that easy.

Keep in mind that setting up an arrangement has very strict rules. You must be a postpaid customer, and your account must be less than 30 days past the due date. If you have an older balance that is 31 or more days past due, you must pay that portion before you can set up an arrangement for the rest.

This also messes with your AutoPay. T-Mobile's policy states that AutoPay will pause while you're on an active payment arrangement. You will also lose any AutoPay discounts for the period your account is past due. Even worse, if your payment arrangement fails for any reason, T-Mobile will unenroll you from AutoPay completely.

This change isn't entirely surprising, as T-Mobile already discourages customers from using human support for payments. The company charges a $5 in-store payment support charge and a $10 payment support fee for customers who choose to make a standard bill payment with an agent's help. This new move just takes it a step further, removing the option completely instead of just charging for it.

Even with this change, your account is still considered past due, and late fees may still apply to your account. This is strictly a last-resort tool to avoid disconnection, and now T-Mobile is making it harder to access.

Source:T-Mobile,The Mobile Report