T-Mobile is ending a workaround that allowed customers to get an AutoPay discount while paying with credit cards or Apple Pay by pre-paying their bills early. Starting October 24, using credit cards or Apple Pay for early payments will disqualify customers from the AutoPay discount, which was around $5 per month per line, due to higher processing fees. This change aligns T-Mobile with other carriers that restrict AutoPay discounts to bank or debit payments, removing a competitive advantage for some users.
Valve has confirmed that PayPal payments on Steam are now limited to only a few currencies (EUR, CAD, GBP, JPY, AUD, USD) due to PayPal's banking partner terminating transactions in other currencies, affecting users in various countries and prompting Valve to explore alternative payment options.
Mastercard denies influencing the removal of adult games from Steam and Itch.io, claiming they did not evaluate or restrict specific games, while Valve suggests payment processors citing Mastercard rules may have played a role in the crackdown on adult and LGBTQ+ themed games. Payment processors like Stripe also indicate restrictions from banking partners, with some groups, such as Collective Shout, claiming responsibility for the bans. Valve has since relisted some free games, and Itch.io is seeking alternative payment options.
