Rogers Adds Fee for Paying Your Bill by Credit Card, Says Paying Rogers Is 'Increasingly Common'
Rogers has announced a new surcharge for customers who pay their bills by credit card. The company explained that the practice is "increasingly common," which is true, since Rogers is one of the companies making it common.
The fee will appear as its own line item, right below the System Access Fee, the 911 Fee, the Paper Bill Fee, and a charge that just reads "Misc. (You Know What You Did)." The average Rogers statement now runs longer than a minority government.
Customers who want to avoid the fee can still pay by pre-authorised debit, online banking, or cheque. Rogers says cheques are "warmly welcomed," because no other industry in Canada still accepts them with a straight face.
The company says the fee covers processing costs charged by card networks. Competition Bureau economists noted that this is the first recorded case of a Canadian telecom passing a cost on to customers that it hadn't already passed on twice.
In a statement, a Rogers spokesperson called the change customer-friendly behaviour. "We believe in choice," she said. "You can choose to pay us one way, or choose to pay us slightly more another way. Our competitors offer exactly the same choice, which is how you know the market is working."
Bell and Telus declined to comment, although both were seen taking notes.
At press time, Rogers had confirmed it was also studying a fee for customers who call to complain about fees. That fee, the company said, will be billed in 15-minute increments, starting from the moment you are placed on hold.