Telus will not be able to charge additional fees when paying for regulated home phone services by credit card, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) ruled Thursday.
The telephone company had started charging customers who paid by credit card a 1.5% fee last October, in areas where the services are not regulated by the CRTC.
This decision thus includes wireless and Internet service customers outside Quebec, particularly in Alberta and British Columbia.
“Telus did not need CRTC approval to add the additional fees to its unregulated services. However, the CRTC is very concerned about this practice since it goes against affordability and the interests of consumers,” the CRTC said in a press release on Thursday.
The regulatory body has therefore taken the opportunity to warn Telus and other telecommunications service providers who are considering implementing this type of fee.
“If the practice continues, the CRTC will consider all available regulatory options,” it said.
Telus had not yet reacted to this decision at the time of this writing.