Apple users are no longer exempt
After the change, Samsung, Sam’s Club, and Costco are the only channels that won't tack on this fee.
They figured everyone was going to Apple to avoid their free money scheme.
LankyEqual8262, Reddit user, March 2026
Just another shameless money grab from the “no longer Uncarrier”.
Nervous-Job-5071, Reddit user, March 2026
Annoying customers, one channel at a time
The DCC fee has long perplexed customers, most of whom believe it's unjustified. In days of yore, T-Mobile used to levy an "Assisted Support Charge" at its stores, which started at $20 and gradually increased to $35. In 2022, it was rebranded as the DCC and expanded to include online transactions. It's charged for every new device that's added to T-Mobile's network, whether by adding a new line or upgrading to a new device. T-Mobile used to justify the charge by saying that customers received personal assistance with setup when activating a device at a store, which is why customers felt that extending it to online orders was unjustified. T-Mobile defended the move by explaining it simplified the system for a more consistent experience. In short, you can almost always be certain that you will be on the hook for the charge, rather than wondering if you'll be lucky enough to avoid it.What are you going to do after this change?
The only way to avoid the fee as an Apple customer
Connecting the T-Mobile account to Apple when buying a new device allows customers to take advantage of T-Mobile promos. The advantage of ordering through Apple is that customers get an unlocked device. While $35 might sound negligible, it stacks up as you add more lines. Unfortunately for Apple customers, cutting T-Mobile out of the equation at the time of purchase is the only way to avoid the fee, which might not be worth it, considering you will lose promotional offers that subsidize purchases.More reasons to buy a phone “ when you need one” directly / unlocked and maybe a trade in but not as an “ upgrade”
Affectionate-Cycle-7, Reddit user, March 2026
T-Mobile isn't alone in charging the fee, and it can be argued that the cost is for connecting the device to the network, so the channel of purchase shouldn't matter. Most customers continue to believe that the DCC is another excuse for T-Mobile to squeeze more money out of them.