Rogers customers are losing the ability to charge upgrades to their bill

Rogers customers are losing the option to put the sticker price of their hardware upgrade on their next bill, according to an internal carrier document obtained by MobileSyrup.

The carrier is falling in-line with competitors Telus and Bell, both of which require customers to pay for the price of their chosen device at the time of purchase.

Customers will still see a $20 connection fee and any early hardware upgrade fee or FlexTab balance on their bill, but the subsidized amount for the new phone — for example, $199 down on a two-year contract for an iPhone 7 — must be paid at the time of the purchase, whether online, over the phone or in-store.

Employees are encouraged in the document to position the change as a simplification and that customers sometimes “think they need the latest and greatest phone, but when you ask a few more questions about how they plan to use it… A $1200 phone seems unnecessary.”

According to the document, this change will go into effect February 14th.