Rogers Communications has announced that a new charge will be introduced early next year for customers who opt to pay their bills using a credit card. The Canadian telecommunications company stated that a 1.6% “credit card processing charge” will come into effect starting on January 17. This charge will be applicable for both automatic payments and one-time credit card transactions.
According to Rogers, this fee will be incurred each time a customer settles their Rogers bill with a credit card, reflecting the expenses imposed by credit card companies. The fee will not be imposed on customers in Quebec, those on specific “specialized plans,” or former Shaw Mobile customers who transitioned to Rogers following the acquisition of Shaw Communications in 2023.
The company clarified that alternative payment methods such as direct debit, online banking, cheques, Rogers gift cards, prepaid cards, Debit Mastercard, and Visa Debit will not be subject to the new charge. Rogers emphasized that the application of a credit card fee is becoming more widespread across various industries for credit card payments.
In a related development, in 2022, Telus, a competitor in the telecommunications sector, requested permission from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to add a 1.5% surcharge to the bills of certain landline phone customers who settle their bills with a credit card. The CRTC turned down this request. However, approval from the regulator was solely necessary for landline services. Subsequently, Telus implemented a 1.5% credit card fee for mobile and home internet customers.
Telus later decided to eliminate the fee in 2023 following an agreement between credit card companies and merchants, enabling merchants to transfer the associated costs directly to customers.