The Family Allowances features below allow the Primary Account Holder (PAH) to enable Family Allowances services when added to eligible accounts.
Family Allowances features
What's included
- Allows the PAH or designated Parent Line to manage minutes, messages, and downloads for all lines on the account.
- Taxes and fees for these features are included in the MRC when added to a taxes and fees included plan.
- TI versions: All recurring taxes and fees included with plan.
- TE versions: Taxes excluded for added or upgraded services. Even though the feature may be TE, it can be used with a TI plan.
- Ability to set Always Allowed numbers to enable unlimited calling or texting.
- Ability to set Never Allowed numbers to restrict outgoing or incoming calling or messaging.
- Block usage during certain times of day (conditions and restrictions apply).
- Provides flexibility in account management, but won't prevent overage.
- Customers receive notifications when they are near or have reached the allotment set by the parent line.
- Callers receive a "Caller not available" message when the customer's minute bucket is exceeded.
- The parent line receives a text when an allotment is reached for a line on their account.
- Family Allowances customers can check their available Family Allowances limits by dialing #FAM# (#326#) from their device.
- Numbers set as Never Allowed
- 411 Directory Assistance (however, calls made to "NPX-XXX-1212" are not blocked)
- Blocked, private, and unknown numbers (only when Time of Day blocking is on)
- Limits can be set for calling (excludes Wi-Fi calling), messaging, third-party downloads
- 911 emergency calls
- 1-88 and 1-900 numbers
- Blocked, private, and unknown numbers
- Calls made to "NPX-XXX-1212" are not blocked
- Customer Care calls
- Data usage, Wi-Fi calling and Wi-Fi (such as app access)
- International numbers while outside US Territories, Canada, and some Caribbean nations
- Numbers set as Always Allowed
- iMessage and RCS messages
- Third-party codes (such as mobile banking and voting)
- Video calls
- Time of Day blocking blocks all calls and messages during a set time and includes private and unknown numbers (except Always Allowed numbers, Care calls & 911 calls).
- This function remains enabled until the parent line re-enables the device. Limits return to existing settings once re-enabled.
- Time of Day blocking is based off customer's home location time zone (won't change based on travel).
- Time blocking is unavailable from 2-4 p.m. and 6-9 a.m. (intentionally set to allow family members to communicate when en-route to/from school).
- Custom time-blocking isn't available.
Time of Day blocking can be set for
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Eligibility
Family Allowances for Free
- For use only with plans that included Family Allowances (such as Go5G, Magenta, ONE Plan) with two or more lines only. Refer to a plan's page to see if it's included.
- Customers will see a $5 charge for the feature and a $5 credit each month, making this feature free.
- Charges and credits are pro-rated when adding the feature mid-cycle.
- Not eligible for ONE Plan or Magenta with a single line, ONE Plan 2 lines for $100, or ONE Plan Unlimited 55+ & Magenta Unlimited 55. (Use standard Family Allowances.)
- Not eligible for No Credit Check, Prepaid (including Legacy), Mobile Internet, DIGITS, or LineLink plans.
Family Allowances
- For use with:
- Magenta and ONE Plan tax inclusive (TI) plans with a single line, ONE Plan 2 lines for $100, or ONE Plan Unlimited 55+ & Magenta Unlimited 55.
- Tax excluded plans, such as ONE Plan Voice (TE), T-Mobile Essentials, Simple Choice and older.
- Family Allowances is included with the retired Netflix On Us Standard and Premium SOCs.
- Not eligible for ONE Plan TI plans with two or more lines without the promotions listed above. (Use Free w/ ONE Plan Voice TI.)
- Not eligible for No Credit Check, Prepaid (including Legacy), Mobile Internet, DIGITS, or LineLink plans.
Family Allowances Block Roaming
- For use with individual lines on pooled and non-pooled plans with a Family Allowances feature.
- Prevents customers from domestic roaming only.
- Family Allowances Block Roaming is a subscriber level feature.
- The Family Allowances SOC must be on the account before adding the Block Family Allowances Roaming SOC.
Cost & SOC Details
To add Family Allowances to an account, add the appropriate SOC below to the BAN.
Family Allowances (TI): $5 Free with ONE plan and Magenta Voice TI after automatic discount | SOC: FAMALL10 |
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| Family Allowancs (TE): $5 | SOC: FAMALLOW |
| Family Allowances Free (TI): $0 | SOC: FAMALW0 |
| Family Allowances Block Roaming (TI): $0 | SOC: DISFAROAM |
The $0 Family Allowance SOC can only be added when customers have FamilyMode. Add FamilyMode to the account first before adding the free Family Allowances SOC to the account.
Set Expectations
- Family Allowances service requires the account holder to set up parent and child lines to use talk and text controls. You can find information on set up at Family Allowances support on T-Mobile Support.
- Family Allowances is a BAN-level feature (even for single line accounts) and cannot be backdated.
- Not compatible with Message Blocking or Content Blocking SOC.
- Family Allowances does not block messages on Advanced Messaging, Apple i-Messaging, or other data based messaging apps. Blocking all data blocks this type of messaging.
- Family Allowances and the Block Roaming feature do not function while roaming internationally.
- Family Allowances settings do not work over Wi-Fi or with Wi-Fi calling.
- When changing plans or the Family Allowances feature, set up the service again after adding the bundle. Record their account settings before adding this feature so your setup can be duplicated.
- Carrier Billing (charging Play Store and App Store purchases to a T-Mobile account) is blocked when Family Allowances is active, even if a download limit is set. Customers can still use a credit card or prepaid card to purchase from these stores.
Resources
- Set up to 10 numbers for this category.
- A number must display on Caller ID for Family Allowances to work (1-800, 1-900, 805-Message & 123 can't be added).
- Blocked numbers, private lines, or unknown numbers can't be added.
- Never Allowed numbers hear a "The person you dialed is unable to receive calls at this time." message before the call disconnects.
- Outgoing and incoming calls from 911 are always allowed, even if the customer has depleted their set limit.
- Use ten digits for numbers outside the US. See the Classification, Country & NPA Table pdf attached below.
- Blocks and prevents all talk and text via the cellular network until re-enabled.
- Disabling doesn't prevent or block Wi-Fi access or data over cellular since Family Allowances does not block data.
- Download limits for T-Mobile downloads can be set as any dollar amount, or left as default of 'No Limit.'
- This limits monthly billed subscriptions, like CallerTunes and FamilyWhere.
- Family Allowances blocks carrier billing, so app store purchases aren't affected by the limit. Customers can still use a credit card or prepaid card to purchase from these stores.
- Family Allowances can't monitor third-party apps, like downloaded apps or in-app purchases.
- Data usage can't be managed.
For plans still charged overages, check Abolish Overages. Overage might occur if:
- A line is set at No Limit and its usage exceeds the bucket minutes and results in overage.
- If customers set the total minutes to exceed the shared account minutes in the customer’s bucket.
- All allowance activity (calls, messages, downloads) made while roaming on unsupported domestic or international roaming partners can't be managed through Family Allowances.
- The Family Allowances feature is for domestic use only and doesn't work while roaming internationally.
- Family Allowance usage on supporting domestic roaming partners might not be reported real-time, since T-Mobile relies on the roaming partner to report usage.
- Once customers move off an international roaming or unsupported domestic roaming partner’s network, Family Allowances works again as normal.
- You can add the Disable FA Roaming SOC to the subscriber line they wish to disable for roaming.
- Some roaming partners may not support Family allowances.
- You can set Whenever Minutes and Included Minutes. A system notification appears if Included Minutes limit is reached.
- Message limits include SMS and MMS. Messages sent/received are each counted as one message. Once limit is reached, the only messages that can be sent/received are for numbers on 'Always Allowed' list.
Troubleshooting
- Verify calls appear on bill as 411 calls and not 800, or 888.
- Advise customers the following calls are not restricted in Family Allowances:
- 800 numbers
- 888 numbers
- Explain that charges are valid and do not issue credits.
- Advise customers of the following:
- Family Allowances doesn't allow the addition of an 800/888 number.
- Check your bill regularly to make sure a child is not calling the number.
- If usage was 411 and it was blocked, file a trouble ticket using:
- Service Category: Voice Service
- Service Complaint: Outbound Toll free call failures
- Description: Include that the user is able to make calls to 411 even though it is blocked.
- Inform customers that messages are valid and do not file a trouble ticket.
- Advise customer of the following:
- All text messages are recorded in Pacific Time (PT), and appear this way in the account and on the bill.
- Time of Day Blocking settings are recorded based on local time.
- When reviewing the bill, be sure to account for time zone differences.
- In Samson, verify customers have either feature (refer to SOC tables below):
- FA + FFIM SOC
- FA + 3-Day Weekend SOC
- If First Free Incoming Minute (FFIM) SOC or 3-day Weekend Rate Plan is present on the account, advise customers:
- FFIM and 3-day Weekends are rated as free, Family Allowances include FFIM and 3-day Weekends minutes in the Minute Allowances designated by the parent.
- When setting Whenever and Included Minute Allowances, customers should account for FFIM or 3-day Weekends minutes included in the limits assigned.
Family Allowances and FFIM SOCs
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Family Allowances and 3-Day Weekend SOCs
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- International call issues:
- Advise customers on legacy plans that when they use the voicemail callback function to dial international calls, calls are deducted from minute buckets instead of charging the international rate.
- T-Mobile prohibits the ability to use the voicemail callback feature to dial international numbers.
- Voicemail callback function deducting minutes:
- Inform customers on legacy plans that when they use the voicemail callback function, usage is deducted from minute buckets.
- Advise customers that they cannot use the voicemail callback feature if they exceed the whenever minute allowances.
- Validate usage in Web tool matches Family Allowances Details screen in Samson
- Review System Issues for outages.
- If usage is for Included Minutes, Whenever Minutes, and Messages and Downloads all show zero, transfer Technical Care to investigate Camel provisioning.