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- calendar_today October 22, 2026
Rogers to Implement Credit Card Processing Fee for Bill Payments
Rogers Communications has announced that it will introduce a 1.6 per cent credit card processing fee for customers who pay their bills using a credit card. The new charge is set to begin on January 17, 2027, and will apply to both auto-pay and one-time credit card transactions.
Details of the New Payment Surcharge
According to the company, the credit card fee will be added each time a customer pays their Rogers bill with a credit card. This includes payments made via auto-pay or through individual transactions. Rogers stated on its website that this telecom payment fee reflects the costs the company incurs from credit card processors. Other payment alternatives, such as debit card, online banking, cheque, Rogers gift cards, prepaid cards, Debit Mastercard and Visa Debit, remain free of the surcharge.
Exceptions to the Charge
Rogers clarified that several customer groups will not be affected by this new billing policy. The fee will not apply to customers in Quebec, those holding certain specialized plans, or former Shaw Mobile customers who migrated to Rogers after its 2023 acquisition of Shaw Communications. The company stressed that non-credit card bill payment methods would continue to be available without the additional charge.
Industry Context: Payment Surcharges on the Rise
Rogers explained, "If you choose to pay your bill by credit card, it's increasingly common across many sectors for a credit card fee to apply." This move aligns with a broader trend among businesses in Canada to offset credit card processing costs by passing them along to the customer. The company highlighted that the new surcharge applies only to bill payments made by credit card, and not to any other payment methods.
Telus' Experience with Credit Card Fees
Rogers is not the first Canadian telecom to introduce such a fee. In 2022, Telus sought regulatory approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to add a 1.5 per cent surcharge on certain landline bills paid by credit card. The CRTC did not approve this request for regulated landline services, but Telus still imposed the fee for mobile and internet customers. However, Telus scrapped the credit card fee in 2023 after a settlement allowed businesses to pass merchant processing costs to consumers. The brief Telus credit card fee episode demonstrates evolving industry approaches to payment surcharges.
Available Payment Methods for Rogers Customers
Rogers customers have several alternative payment methods to avoid the new telecom charges. These include debit card payments, direct banking, cheque, Rogers gift cards, and prepaid cards. Credit card payments will incur the new 1.6 per cent payment surcharge starting January 17, 2027, with the exception of those in Quebec, specialized plan holders, and former Shaw Mobile customers.
Source: cbc.ca.
