PSA: Apple Card Daily Cash Back From T-Mobile Dropping to 2% in July

[MacRumors]

Apple has partnered with multiple merchants to provide three percent Daily Cash back for Apple Card purchases, and T-Mobile has participated in the program since 2019. That's going to end in July, though, and Daily Cash back from T-Mobile will revert to the standard two percent when using Apple Pay.

In its Daily Cash support document, Apple says that starting on July 1, 2025, using Apple Card with Apple Pay at T-Mobile will provide only two percent cash back, instead of the bonus three percent cash back.

Apple Card users get two percent cash back for all purchases made with Apple Pay, so there will no longer be any extra cash back beyond the two percent when transacting with T-Mobile, including for monthly bills.

Apple is still offering three percent cash for Apple Pay purchases from Ace Hardware, Booking.com, ChargePoint, Duane Read, Exxon and Mobil gas stations, Nike, Uber, and Walgreens.

Article Link: PSA: Apple Card Daily Cash Back From T-Mobile Dropping to 2% in July

 

[mk313]

It was nice while it lasted!

 

[Apple MessagePad]

Meh, always put it on my Amex Platinum as it gives you free phone insurance including damage and loss.

 

[P-DogNC]

T-Mobile proving that it is no longer the "un-carrier", yet again.

 

[dandyryan]

sigh.. whatever. take your damn 1%.

 

[Baritone_Guy]

I never thought about using an Apple debit card to pay my monthly bill so when then announced the $5 surcharge for credit cards I switched to another debit card.

I never got the Apple debit card, just the credit card.

Even at 2% it is still better than 0%.

I will look into it.

 

[Gengar]

Well, look at that, the no. 2 US carrier making another carrier move.

 

[Gengar]

I never thought about using an Apple debit card to pay my monthly bill so when then announced the $5 surcharge for credit cards I switched to another debit card.

I never got the Apple debit card, just the credit card.

Even at 2% it is still better than 0%.

I will look into it.

The Apple Card is a credit card, I don’t believe they offer a debit card, but they do have a Goldman Sachs savings account.

Using the T-Life app, you can set up autopay with a debit card to get the autopay discount, but then use Apple Pay to pay with the Apple Card and get 3%.

 

[CopyChief]

I don’t have an autopay discount (plan is too old) so I kept this on my account. Not sure losing $1 is worth getting too excited about, but it’s an interesting development.

 

[Baritone_Guy]

The Apple Card is a credit card, I don’t believe they offer a debit card, but they do have a Goldman Sachs savings account.

Using the T-Life app, you can set up autopay with a debit card to get the autopay discount, but then use Apple Pay to pay with the Apple Card and get 3%

Not sure how that would work. If I pay with Debit I have already paid so nothing to get the 3% on.

However the Apple Cash will function as a debit card. I just checked. I expect that I can use Apple cash to pay the bill within Apple pay to get the 2%.

Apple Cash also has an automatic top up feature to make sure there is enough cash available.

 

[Terrinb]

Not sure how that would work. If I pay with Debit I have already paid so nothing to get the 3% on.

However the Apple Cash will function as a debit card. I just checked. I expect that I can use Apple cash to pay the bill within Apple pay to get the 2%.

Apple Cash also has an automatic top up feature to make sure there is enough cash available.

You actually can use the Apple Card like a credit card for Apple purchases. You can pay for Apple devices like an iPhone over two years at zero percent.

 

[Baritone_Guy]

I don’t have an autopay discount (plan is too old) so I kept this on my account. Not sure losing $1 is worth getting too excited about, but it’s an interesting development.

I gave up the 3% when they would no longer give the discount for cc payments. Just did the math and it was $2.15. You're right though not worth the effort, but darn it the principle of it drove me nuts.

This article just showed me a way to get both.

 

[Baritone_Guy]

You actually can use the Apple Card like a credit card for Apple purchases. You can pay for Apple devices like an iPhone over two years at zero percent.

Apple card is a credit card. Apple cash is a debit card.

I have had one for several years and have used it outside of Apple pay quite a bit.

 

[Gengar]

Not sure how that would work. If I pay with Debit I have already paid so nothing to get the 3% on.

However the Apple Cash will function as a debit card. I just checked. I expect that I can use Apple cash to pay the bill within Apple pay to get the 2%.

Apple Cash also has an automatic top up feature to make sure there is enough cash available.

This article is about 3% cash back from using the Apple Card credit card at T-Mobile.

Apple Cash is just a digital card available to just about everyone with an iPhone or iPad. It’s not an “Apple Card” per se, just a default method for sending or receiving cash. You don’t get any perks for using that.

If you use Apple Pay with an actual Apple Card credit card, you get 3% cash back, and it does stack with the autopay discount if you set up your account to automatically draft from your bank account or charge a debit card on your payment date. You just have to make the payment with the Apple Card to get the 3% before the automatic payment date.

 

[adm58]

It's true T-Mobile took away the autopay discount for credit cards awhile back.

What I did was set up autopay with a debit card, but then make manual payments with my Apple Card via Apple Pay before the due date.

That way, I've continued to receive the $5 discount per line and get the 3% cash back on my Apple Card.

 

[icwhatudidthere]

A lot of debit cards also let you lock them for security reasons. So I lock mine and let the payment fail. That's my monthly reminder to pay by credit card.

 

[Mac-85]

It's true T-Mobile took away the autopay discount for credit cards awhile back.

What I did was set up autopay with a debit card, but then make manual payments with my Apple Card via Apple Pay before the due date.

That way, I've continued to receive the $5 discount per line and get the 3% cash back on my Apple Card.

I will try this month and see. Guessing not enough will think to do this to make TM find a countermove.
Also they added $5 for NOT jumping to whatever new plan they are pushing. So da heck wit em.

 

[TheLocNar]

Stopped using my Apple credit card 3 months ago.

 

[jimscard]

Well, look at that, the no. 2 US carrier making another carrier move.

How is that a "carrier" move? And they're not the #2 US carrier. Why would they continue to pay out a 1% bonus on a credit card payment method when they offer bigger discounts for other payment methods??

 

[jimscard]

It's true T-Mobile took away the autopay discount for credit cards awhile back.

What I did was set up autopay with a debit card, but then make manual payments with my Apple Card via Apple Pay before the due date.

That way, I've continued to receive the $5 discount per line and get the 3% cash back on my Apple Card.

Aren't you afraid of paying twice? How far in advance do you do the manual payment to make sure the autopay doesn't also run? I get better bennies from my Amex cards; thinking of doing this.

 

[minik]

I switched to the AMEX reward checking to pay the bill for months/year.

 

[Macaholic868]

The Apple Card is a credit card, I don’t believe they offer a debit card, but they do have a Goldman Sachs savings account.

Using the T-Life app, you can set up autopay with a debit card to get the autopay discount, but then use Apple Pay to pay with the Apple Card and get 3%.

Even at 2%, as long as you can both get the discount for Auto-Pay but then remember to actually pay it with the Apple Card every month, it’s still extra cash back. The extra 1% was/is nice but it’s not like I can buy a gallon of gas with it (or much of anything really but money is money and it adds up).

 

[31 Flavas]

Well, look at that, the no. 2 US carrier making another carrier move.

You know ... it's funny -- I remember when it was en vogue to refer to T-Mobile as a clown company, even as they were assassinating AT&T and Verizon for their horrible behaviors. "Something something, T-mobile wouldn't have to do this if their network and coverage wasn't ass." "It's all just smoke and mirrors to get suckers to subscribe to their craptastic network." I remember forum members here arguing that they wanted carrier subsidies back - even though the carrier subsidy was -literally- smoke and mirrors for an instant loan that you unknowingly paid back though the base service fee you paid (and that you never got to stop repaying after the 'loan' was paid off). The best you could do to 'stop' repaying that instant loan was to buy a new phone. (but, that said mobile phones were evolving light speed at the time)

Now, no one can criticize T-mobile, in that same fashion, because as you point out they're now the number 2 carrier, having displaced AT&T. Because their network is not a joke and their subscribers are sticking around because they are generally well served. But, it's not lost on me that T-mobile has "lived long enough to be come the villain". That said, if T-mobile is now the "bad guy" while still gaining customers and while still kicking both AT&T and Verizon in the nuts -- Maybe AT&T and Verizon want to "un-carrier" T-Mobile? Because T-mobile -is- going to become the number one carrier.

 

[snak-atak]

Apple is still offering three percent cash for Apple Pay purchases from Ace Hardware, Booking.com, ChargePoint, Duane Read, Exxon and Mobil gas stations, Nike, Uber, and Walgreens.

And Apple of course!

 

[Gengar]

How is that a "carrier" move? And they're not the #2 US carrier. Why would they continue to pay out a 1% bonus on a credit card payment method when they offer bigger discounts for other payment methods??

T-Mobile is the no. 2 carrier in the US with 131 million subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2025. They have more post-paid customers and more pre-paid customers than AT&T.

AT&T is now no. 3 with 118 million subscribers (page 6 of their recent earnings report).

And why not? It was something the competition wasn't doing. Same reason they have other perks like Netflix or Hulu on them. Verizon charges you for streaming perks and AT&T doesn't offer any since relinquishing ownership of Max and ending their AT&T Thanks program.