Rogers to charge new fee for bills paid by credit card, says practice is ‘increasingly common’

Jeff Lagerquist · CBC News

· Posted: Oct 22, 2026 11:42 AM EDT | Last Updated: 17 minutes ago

Rogers Communications says it will roll out a new fee early next year for customers who pay their bill with a credit card.

The Canadian telecom giant says a 1.6 per cent “credit card processing charge” will apply starting Jan. 17. The company says this will impact both auto-pay and one-time credit card payments. 

“The charge applies every time you pay your Rogers bill with a credit card,” Rogers says on its website.

“This reflects the fees we are charged by credit card companies.”

WATCH | What to know about a new fee for some Rogers customers:

According to Rogers, the fee is not applicable to customers in Quebec, as well as those on certain “specialized plans,” or former Shaw Mobile customers who migrated to Rogers when it acquired Shaw Communications in 2023.

Other forms of payment are not subject to the new fee. These include direct debt and online banking payments, cheques, Rogers gift cards, prepaid cards, Debit Mastercard and Visa Debit.

“If you choose to pay your bill by credit card, it's increasingly common across many sectors for a credit card fee to apply,” Rogers said.

Telus scrapped similar fee

In 2022, rival telecom provider Telus asked the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for permission to add a 1.5 per cent surcharge to the bills of some landline phone customers who pay their bill using a credit card. The CRTC rejected this request. 

However, the regulator’s approval was only required for a fee on landline services. Telus rolled out a 1.5 per cent credit card fee for mobile and home internet customers.

Telus scrapped the fee in 2023, following a settlement between credit card companies and merchants allowing merchants to pass on the cost directly to customers.