cricket wireless made a bridge payment on my account and they disconnected my phone the next morning. Nationwide

Cricket is useless the have a new policy for bridge pay if you don't make the second payment you lose what you have already paid. So it's like you've made no payment. I was told it is a new policy implemented by AT&T which just acquired cricket. Nice AT&T I see why there have been so many class action lawsuits against AT&T. I filed a complaint with the FTC. I never signed anything agreeing to this policy as I have been a cricket cuts for over 10 years. I was never notified of this new policy Cricket is unscrupulous. I will be looking for another carrier.

When you talk about a "bridge" payment, that basically says that you were delinquent and this "bridge" payment was not to pay your balance but a fraction so you could delay paying them what you really owe.   So how much do you owe?

You don't say how you paid it or exactly when you paid it.  But based on your actions, I would not be shocked if they told you that you had to pay this amount by 12/16 and you paid it at 11:59PM on the 16th.  Okay..perhaps 11:58PM.  Where you didn't give them enough time to cancel the disconnect order.

As for having your phone service restored.  Really?  So this is your business, and you are loosing money according to you by your phones being off.  Yet, you won't pay (most likely what you owe anyways) to get them turned back on.  Yea...not really a shock why you are in this situation. 

Oh and before you even mention it. No, I do not now or have I ever worked for Cricket or any other Cellular Phone company.