Rogers and Fido increase connection fees, now charge $45

Rogers and its flanker brand Fido are the latest carriers to increase connection fees.

The two followed Bell and Virgin Mobile, which increased fees on October 1st. Like Bell and Virgin, Rogers and Fido now charge $45 for what they call a “Setup Service Fee.” Unlike Bell, Rogers and Fido still offer to waive the fee for customers who upgrade or activate online.

It’s worth noting, however, that customers who order online but then go into a Rogers or Fido store to get help setting up their device will still need to pay the $45 fee.

Before the change, Rogers and Fido charged a $40 connection fee. While a $5 increase isn’t huge on its own, coupled with several years worth of price hikes, the fee has grown significantly. Back in 2018, Rogers only charged a $25 connection fee.

Rogers’ customer help page explains that the Setup Service Fee is a one-time charge that appears on customers’ bills after they activate a new line or upgrade their phone. The carrier charges the fee per line, so if you activate or upgrade multiple lines at once, you’ll see a $45 charge on each of them. Rogers charges the fee for tablet and smartwatch activations as well.

With Rogers and Fido upping their connection fees, four of the six main national carriers now charge $45 connection fees. Telus and Koodo haven’t increased their fees yet, but typically when one carrier charges more, the rest follow suit shortly after. Shaw-owned regional carrier Freedom also increased its connection fee on October 1st, but only to $30.