Rogers will add a 1.6% processing charge to eligible bills paid by credit card, shifting a company expense to customers who choose that payment method.
The charge will apply to both one-time payments and Auto-Pay. Exempt customers include those in Quebec, customers on select specialized plans such as Connected for Success, and former Shaw Mobile customers on migrated plans.
Customers can avoid the charge by using direct debit, online banking, cheques, Rogers gift cards, prepaid cards, Debit Mastercard or Visa Debit. Rogers describes the fee as a way to recover its payment-processing expenses.
A Rogers spokesperson told Global News that the company’s processing costs had risen nearly 40% since 2020 and reached about $150 million a year. Rogers’ customer notice says the charge reflects costs it pays to credit card companies.
Canada’s Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) generally requires providers to obtain approval before charging fees for regulated services. Mobile and many internet services generally fall outside that approval process, though the commission has flagged processing charges on unregulated services as a concern.
In 2022, the CRTC rejected TELUS Communications Inc.’s request to charge credit card processing fees for regulated services in Alberta and British Columbia. The order said providers did not need commission approval for fees on unregulated services and cautioned that such charges could affect affordability.
A separate CRTC policy took effect June 12, 2026. It bars defined fees for starting or changing cellphone and internet plans, as well as certain early cancellation fees when no subsidized device is provided; it does not address Rogers’ card-processing charge. Rogers’ fee is scheduled to take effect Jan. 17, 2027.
