Target now charging taxes/fees on T-Mobile pre-paid cards.

[zigner]

I'm seeing several people posting that there are now 911 fees and sales tax charged on T-Mobile prepaid card purchases at Target. I just tried putting one in my cart, and see the same!

[Serial Port]

Sign of the times. If you haven't had to pay previously, welcome to the jungle where postpaid has been paying since I had a postpaid phone from the late 80's, early 90's.

[ecs0013]

I'm seeing several people posting that there are now 911 fees and sales tax charged on T-Mobile prepaid card purchases at Target. I just tried putting one in my cart, and see the same!

Yep, while not surprising, it seems that loophole is finally closed (part of me is surprised Target let it go on as long as it did). In my area, it's $1 E911 and standard sales tax. To Target's credit, whoever made the change was also smart enough to leave taxes/E911 off of tax-inclusive provider refills like Cricket (or they've only applied the change to T-Mobile and Tracfone so far). I recall Best Buy getting into trouble a few years back and had to issue refund checks because you'd be "double-taxed" - once at checkout, once "included" with your monthly plan.

The only part where this breaks a little is that in my area, prepaid Mobile Internet plans on T-Mobile haven't had any kinds of taxes or fees even when you refill directly with a credit/debit card, so in theory, a Target refill charging E911/tax is collecting something they shouldn't.

FWIW, it doesn't seem that they're doing it with AT&T, Verizon, Boost, Total, or Simple Mobile (yet? Maybe load up at the next sale if you can?) They are doing it with Tracfone.

[zapjb]

Last time I refilled at the TM website it only charged me sales tax I think.

[AnciusD]

Last time I refilled at the TM website it only charged me sales tax I think.

No sales tax or fee when I bought them back in July. Today, .55 e911 fee plus sales tax in cart.

[jet1000]

I went back to CallingMart.com. Even though they charge $1 service fee for T-Mobile prepaid refills, there's no sales tax nor e911 fee. So they work out less for me for what I'm buying. Plus I accumulate points for additional discounts.

[monkeyboy]

Callingmart claims that if you schedule your refills with the auto purchase feature, they won't charge the $1 service fee... trying it out...

[cljung]

Did CallingMart.com change their website? It looks completely different and it didn't recognize my previous credentials. Also, they don't offer refill PINs anymore. Now they have direct refills where they credit the phone number directly with the money.

Has anyone tried CallingMart recently and what was the experience like?

[usera]

came here the same as my gold plan neeeds to be renewed shortly and calling mart interface is different but early this year their schedule refill autopurchase didn't work for me and I had to buy manually. where do you guys get pins or refills now?

[jet1000]

where do you guys get pins or refills now?

Target if I can get a discount. Or I just refill directly on T-Mobile's website.

[stanleystankas]

went to buy my refill card for the month and always use cash. when i first went with simple mobile i was buying them from the local dollar general (near chicago btw). was always charged the activiation, 911 as well as the tax. then low and behold i went across the street to a target and no tax, no fees whatsoever of any kind. the reps from another company were there the next time and said oh target is doing it right and dollar general is doing it wrong or using an old system. i continued to buy from target for at least a year plus. now two months ago i go in and no simple mobile cards whatsoever. now buying from family dollar near by and the fees and taxes are all back. so thanks for these posts as i was going to go back into target this time to see if things updated. looks like this is a permanent thing that target recently caught on to. thank you all. newbie here although have had an account.