TELUS confirms the removal of the $35 activation fee and the $25 equipment exchange fee, will charge $10 for a SIM

Right on schedule is TELUS with the removal of both the $35 activation fee and the $25 equipment exchange fee. In a press release this morning TELUS noted that they are “the first of the established brands to eliminate activation fees.” It’ll only be a matter of time before Rogers and Bell hop on the train and also cancel these fees from existence. However, the newer carriers, such as WIND Mobile, Mobilicity and Public Mobile, have never implemented an activation fee… so it seems their impact may have made a level playing field.

With the $35 and $25 fees axed, TELUS also said that they plan to recoup some revenue by charging $10 for SIM cards. This will go into place November 1st. Here’s the details from the presser:

“As part of its clear and simple pricing initiatives, TELUS is continuing its journey to be fair and transparent and help customers understand when they are paying for tangible products or value added services. Effective November 1, TELUS will begin charging $10 for SIM cards to cover the product cost that was previously included in their renewal and activation fees. With the new SIM card charge factored in, new and renewing customers can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they will see a net upfront saving. A new SIM card is only required when customers don’t already have a compatible TELUS SIM card for their device.”

So the removal of the $35 activation fee and the $25 equipment exchange fee starts today, but the $10 SIM charge will be effective November 1st. This charge is for new customers who are activating a new device. For renewing customers, many will already have a compatible TELUS SIM and will not be charged, but if you decide to grab a device that has a different SIM, say the iPhone 5s nano-SIM, you’ll need to fork over $10.

In the end it’s a bit of savings and more money in your pocket.

Source: TELUS