T-Mobile upgrades through Apple will soon be subject to the DCC. | Image by Fox 4 Kansas City
T-Mobile continues to stray from its Un-carrier movement, which aimed to revolutionize the wireless industry by addressing customer pain points. A few days ago, the company stopped offering the prized Google One for T-Mobile membership. And now, it's applying the infamous Device Connection Charge (DCC) to another channel.
Apple users are no longer exempt
The DCC will soon be applied to Apple purchases. | Image by The Mobile Report
The DCC applies to most activations, but purchases made through Apple were among the transactions exempt so far. That's changing, with The Mobile Report claiming that purchases made at Apple, whether in-store, online, or using the Apple Store app, will be charged the $35 fee.
The DCC won't be charged upfront, but will instead appear in the following month's T-Mobile bill. That's because Apple doesn't let carriers add fees through its system.
The change will go into effect on March 27, despite the fee already showing up in online carts. If you have been contemplating buying an Apple device, now is the time to do so if you want to avoid the fee.
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.
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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.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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