T-Mobile is trying to make the word "taxes" a bit less painful. In a limited time offer beginning Feb. 1, the company is offering 11.2-percent back (likely more than you pay in taxes on a phone) in the form of a pre-paid MasterCard.
The offer applies to any new smartphone sold directly through T-Mobile, but here's the rub: you have to use its T-Mobile One plan, which allows for unlimited talk, text and 4G LTE data, but limits video streaming to 480p. That plan starts at $70 for one line, including taxes and fees. Additionally, you have to buy the phone on a device payment plan, rather than all at once.
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You also don't get the money back automatically. If you've bought a new phone, you'll need to go to this website and type in the promo code 17DEVICECREDIT. A prepaid card should show up in the mail six to eight weeks later.
Users who want higher-quality streaming will want to shell out another $15 for T-Mobile One Plus, but that plan doesn't appear to be part of this promotion.
T-Mobile calls this a limited time offer, but doesn't list how long it will last, so interested consumers should ask their local stores for more information.
