Caution: AT&T might not be working for Amex wireless credits

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Update: Reader Goosh reports that a payment made through the AT&T app worked. They also report that AT&T was able to refund the original charge. If you’ve had a payment through the website that coded as CONNECTECH, it might be worth trying an app payment instead.

We’ve had a number of reports in our Frequent Miler Insiders group that AT&T has recently made some back end change to how they process charges for online partial bill payments. Unfortunately, the way payments are coding seems to be preventing them from triggering the Amex wireless reimbursements on qualifying cards. If you are an AT&T Wireless customer, you may want to hold off until later in the month to make a qualifying June payment to see how this shakes out.

a sign on a wall

A number of Amex business credit cards are offering monthly credits of $10-$20 for paying for wireless services (enrollment required, see more detail here). Many readers have made partial payments on their wireless bills in order to trigger these credits. Reimbursement is automatic and typically happens within a few days of making the charge. For example, here is a recent $15 payment I made on my T-Mobile bill and the associated reimbursement.

a screenshot of a phone

AT&T charges have long coded as coming from AT&T Mobility. However, this month, charges are not posting coded as AT&T Mobility but instead as “CONNECTTECH STOREFRONT DALLAS TX”. The charge looks like it is coming from an AT&T Store in Dallas.

a screenshot of a computer

Unfortunately, several readers have reported that with this new coding, they have not received wireless reimbursements this month. Another reader reports that an Amex chat representative has said that this merchant (CONNECTECH) is not classified as a wireless services provider but rather as “Communication” and therefore is not eligible for the wireless credit (also note that those using a card that earns bonus points for wireless service providers are not receiving the category bonus with this change).

a chat box with text

There are additional data points on Flyertalk reporting the same problem.

This is obviously some sort of glitch in the way that AT&T is processing payments and there will undoubtedly be many unhappy customers over this change. When I first saw these reports earlier this week, I thought to myself that we sometimes see a bottleneck in the processing of Amex reimbursements and I assumed that perhaps people were panicking too soon. However, since the charges from CONNECTECH are not triggering additional points from the wireless services bonus category on cards that ordinarily bonus AT&T charges, I think that this is indeed a problem that will prevent the credits from posting automatically for the time being.

I have to imagine that this isn’t what Amex or AT&T intended and it will likely get resolved, but if you are an AT&T customer I’d recommend waiting until later this month before making a payment and/or finding a way to use the credit with another cell service provider (perhaps making a partial payment on a family member’s T-Mobile or Verizon bill) until this gets resolved. That will surely be inconvenient for someone with multiple cards carrying monthly credits, but less inconvenient than not receiving any of the associated credits.

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Unhappy

I paid T-Mobile this month and no longer working, it coded as T-Mobile webupgrade and for some reason it’s not wireless, will have t mobile refund me and repay it

Jung

confirm that payment on 7/28/21 was credited for $15. I paid via home computer.

Sarah Shott

I signed in today to pay my bill and was like.HOLY CRAP why does it show I owe last month’s and this month’s so frantically I’m going through mobile banking looking for AT&T and don’t see the charge so I just paid for both month’s thinking I must have missed it knowing I never don’t pay it its a huge part of my job. Glad I googled this weird charge!

Neil Sweren

Confirming it codes correctly when making partial payments via the app. Pmts on 6/9 via web coded as “CONNECTECH…”, Pmts 6/17 via ATT app coded as “ATT MOBILITY”

ktenorman

Can report that as of 6/15 this is still a problem for partial payments on the AT&T desktop website. Will try app and request AT&T refund the charges that didn’t credit back.

Ed D

I have the same problem on 6/14 using desktop website. I’m wondering whether this is a regional problem. I’m in CA.

YoYoPedro

Same here. Got a refund of my recent $150 CONNECTECH payment from AT&T chat operator with no major issue, other than about 15 minutes of waiting/explaining. Made the payment again from my mobile app and got an instant “Congrats, you’ve used your Amex offer!” email notification.

Jay Rome

Posted 6/6, credit posted 6/8. At&t prepaid autopay thru web not app, still working for me

VMQ1984

Made a $10 online payment on 06/02/21 and it posted as “CONNECTECH STOREFRONTDALLAS TX.”

Made a $13.10 online payment this morning, it’s pending as “ATT STORE.”

I just saw this article and I made another $10 payment through the ATT App and it’s pending as “ATT MOBILITY PAYMENT.” Hopefully I will get the credit.

At least my $300 online payment made this morning using my Chase Ink Cash is still posted as “ATT*BILL PAYMENT.”

Mark

DP: Ipaid a $15 partial payment to AT&T on June 5 using my Bonvoy Business card. Credit dropped on June 8th.

Dominik

Same issue for me. Except I made the payment on 5/30 so too late to get a refund for the May credit.

Grant

Here are my data points:

  • 6/1 – $10 AT&T partial payment online
  • 6/2 – purchase posted as “CONNECTECH STOREFRONDALLAS TX” and did not trigger AMEX Offer email
  • 6/10 – made a second $10 AT&T partial payment online
  • 6/10 – purchase is pending as “AT&T MOBILITY PAYMENT” and I received the “Congrats! You just redeemed your Amex Offer” email.

I’m hoping the credit should post in the next few days.

Last edited 3 years ago by Grant
Sandy

Thanks for head up. DP: I made partial payment on June1 and it did process as AT&T Mobility and received the credit.
I wonder if AT&T made this change after June1. I hope not. I plan to pay the remaining balance later this month.

Chris

same issue! 6/1 paid through AT&T website as I usually do for the bonvoy biz. 6/11 no reimbursement yet.