Hey there! Looks like you're blocking ads.
We get it, they're annoying, and we won't stop you. However, consider adding us to your allowlist, or joining our Patreon to support our independent journalism. Tiers start at just $1/mo!
The Device Connection Charge, or “DCC”, is a $35 fee that T-Mobile charges when a customer upgrades their device or adds a new line to their account. It began way back in 2022, where it first started applying to online purchases at T-Mobile.
There have been a few ways to avoid this fee. You could make your purchase via Costco or Sam’s Club, where the DCC is waived as a membership perk, or you could purchase direct from Apple while still using T-Mobile discounts. The latter is about to change.
According to a document shared with us here at The Mobile Report, the DCC will soon begin applying to purchases made in-store or online at Apple’s website or App. The document is shared below.
The fee will work slightly differently to the way it works in other places. Instead of being an up-front $35 fee, the DCC will be charged to the T-Mobile account itself, since Apple does not provide a way for carriers to add fees on their end. This means the fee will be applied to the following month’s bill on the T-Mobile side of things.
Both online and in-store purchases at Apple will have the fee applied to their bill. Unfortunately there’s no way to avoid it now if you want to purchase directly from Apple.
Costco and Sam’s Club purchases, so far, still avoid the fee, but then the Apple device you buy will be the T-Mobile variant, and not unlocked.
The fee has already been showing up in online carts as of March 17th, but T-Mobile won’t begin actually charging it until March 27th. If you’ve been eyeing a new Apple device with a T-Mobile promo, now might be the time to hit that checkout button!
