2 Messages
why can't AT&T use my Autopay?
I was notified on 8/8/2023 that the card used for my Autopay was about to expire. On 8/9/2023 I updated my Autopay information.
However, it was shown as "not active" later, and the payment that should have been charged on 9/5/2023 wasn't, so on 9/7/2023 I updated it again.
On 9/30/2023 I received an email that said my account had a balance due. The Autopay should have been charged on 10/5/2023, but on 10/9/2023 I received a bill that included charges for the previous month.
On 10/25/2023 I once again updated my Autopay information.
But again it was not used on 11/5/2023, and on 11/30/2023 I received a notice that I had a balance due.
I went back online again today, made a payment, and then updated Autopay yet again.
I then tried to use the "chat" feature to find out why AT&T is not using the Autopay. But I couldn't, because it insisted I choose from a list of the type of service I'm inquiring about ... and none of them are "home phone"; it won't go past that without a selection. (The closest was "digital phone", which I don't have!).
So I called and managed to get a "customer service" representative. He told me that when you update Autopay it takes 2 or 3 months before it takes effect. I informed him that the web site says it takes a couple of days, but he says that's not right. I then informed him that I update the Autopay back in August, but it's still not being charged. He told me that every time I 'update' my Autopay, the 2 or 3 months starts over.
But that's okay, he said, because you can go online and pay your bill directly without any extra charge!
Which still doesn't address the Autopay issue.
Note: I've been using the same credit card for Autopay since 2016 ... all I needed to do was to update the expiration date.
Remarkable incompetence that I've never experienced with other autopayment accounts.
ATTHelp
Community Support
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232.9K Messages
7 months ago
Thank you for reaching out to us. We're here to help with your autopay, @CabbageKing.
You can use your bank account, debit card, or credit card to sign up for AutoPay.
It can take up to two bill periods for AutoPay to start. Pay as usual until you see AutoPay is scheduled for (date) in one of these places:
We recommend you remove and add the payment method:
Good to know: If the payment method you choose is the same as you used before, the update takes effect immediately. If the payment method you choose is a different payment type, the change may take up to two business days.
Let us know if this helps.
Bruce, AT&T Community Specialist
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.9K Messages
7 months ago
@CabbageKing Did you change your autopay from a credit card to a debit card or ETF? AT&T announced a change in the Autopay method where they are no longer offering the credit for using a credit card and want you to use a debit or ETF method to maintain the discount for AutoPay along with paperless billing.
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CabbageKing
2 Messages
7 months ago
As I said in my original post, the problem isn't with any discount or anything else. It's the fact that the autopay isn't being used.
Autopay was already on, and had been successfully used for years.
Once again ... all I did was update the expiration date on my credit card that I've used for many years for the autopay.
According to the information on the web site, and reiterated by AT&T Bruce above, that should take effect immediately. Even if I changed to a different payment type, it (and Bruce) says it should take effect in a couple of days.
Understand ... I am NOT turning off autopay, and turning it back on again. I'm simply trying to update the expiration date on the credit card ... something that I'm sure is done thousands of times per month.
But according to the customer service rep I spoke with, it takes 2 to 3 months for it to take effect. And every time I "update" the credit card information, that 2 or 3 month period starts over (that is simply updating the expiration date only).
That isn't mentioned anywhere that I can find. And I can't see any reason why updating the expiration on a credit card should require several months to process.
And to be charged late fees for that is insulting. Granted, they aren't much, but it's still very frustrating.
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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24.9K Messages
7 months ago
@CabbageKing You should change your autopay to your debit card or ETF because AT&T has been discouraging customers from using credit cards, like a lot of providers and carriers are doing. Removing the discount was a gentle way of enforcing that. Credit card fraud and other credit card-related issues are a big issue for these companies now so the trend is to not encourage the use of them. Comcast did the same thing. AT&T et al just doesn't want to deal with the credit card companies anymore on recurring monthly fees. That could be why they are saying 2-3 months for the expiration date to take effect. Which admittedly is weak but it's their call unfortunately.
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