What T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T all have in common? A very strange obsession with pennies
And yes, it's as annoying as it sounds.
All phone carriers have a special talent: driving people up the wall. Doesn't matter where you live or which one you're signed up with – T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon or anyone else – they all somehow manage to make things more complicated than they need to be.
Maybe it's because we depend on our phones so much these days that we expect everything to run smoothly, or maybe… just maybe, these companies have some kind of secret pact to make things just a little bit harder for everyone.
Now, that is a joke — but after hearing what users are sharing online, you'd think it's actually true. Some of the stories are so ridiculous they're almost funny… almost. Recently, a T-Mobile customer shared online that they were stuck trying to pay 33 cents on their final bill. Sounds easy, right? Nope.
Turns out the minimum payment allowed over the phone is $5. Online? Minimum is $3. And if you try to pay in-store, there's a $5 fee just to do it. So yeah, it's not the setup for a sitcom, it's just reality.
And it's not just one or two cases. Some people end up ignoring the whole thing because, seriously, who has the time to deal with this nonsense?
It's wild to think these carriers are actually spending more chasing these pennies than they're worth. And for what? From what most users say, anything under $20 usually doesn't even go to collections – let alone hit your credit report. But that doesn't stop the flood of reminders, which means your account just keeps hanging around, never fully closed.
And of course, people are starting to fight back… with creativity. Some are suggesting mailing in 33 pennies. Others are writing a check for 34 cents, which then leads to even more mail from the carrier – this time to let them know they now have a 1-cent credit. One person even suggested marching into a store with the exact number of pennies in hand.
But nah – that's not how it works. So expect the cycle to continue: users getting annoyed, switching carriers, or simply roasting them online for these absurd little things that somehow turn into big annoyances.
We've reached out to T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T for a comment and will update the story when we have a response.
Maybe it's because we depend on our phones so much these days that we expect everything to run smoothly, or maybe… just maybe, these companies have some kind of secret pact to make things just a little bit harder for everyone.
Turns out the minimum payment allowed over the phone is $5. Online? Minimum is $3. And if you try to pay in-store, there's a $5 fee just to do it. So yeah, it's not the setup for a sitcom, it's just reality.
Sure, if you get lucky and land a helpful rep in-store or contact T-Mobile's T-Force support team on social media, the fee might get waived. But honestly, the fact that you even have to go through all that for pocket change is just plain annoying.
ATT pulled some dumb stuff like this years ago. Over like 47 cents.
– freedomwider, Reddit, July 2025
Yep I had that happen with Verizon. Mine was 5 cents. After trying through multiple sources I just gave up and never paid it.
– Difficult_Ad_5528, Reddit, July 2025
I have been silently ignoring a similar nonsense bill. So far TMO has sent me 10-15 such letters, so they have spent close to $10 trying to recover $0.33. Such math geniuses working there…
– akhil1980, Reddit, July 2025
It's wild to think these carriers are actually spending more chasing these pennies than they're worth. And for what? From what most users say, anything under $20 usually doesn't even go to collections – let alone hit your credit report. But that doesn't stop the flood of reminders, which means your account just keeps hanging around, never fully closed.
Years ago when I canceled Verizon they hounded me for months sending me a bill for exactly $0.00. I eventually called and had to get to level two supervisor. The first representative actually tried to convince me that I need to make a payment.
– a_PRIORItastic, Reddit, July 2025
Honestly, with all the billing errors, weird fees and shady charges that sometimes show up, wouldn't it make more sense for the carriers to just waive these tiny leftover amounts and let people go in peace?
But nah – that's not how it works. So expect the cycle to continue: users getting annoyed, switching carriers, or simply roasting them online for these absurd little things that somehow turn into big annoyances.
We've reached out to T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T for a comment and will update the story when we have a response.
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