Rogers to begin charging customers without text messaging plans for incoming SMS

By on May 5, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Services May 5, 2009

More news on the messaging front is coming down from Rogers Wireless today as the company prepares to makes a few text-related changes to its service offerings. There has been a rumor going around for quite some time regarding the elimination of free incoming SMS for customers without text messaging plans and it looks like Rogers is finally getting ready to implement the new policy. Beginning July 7th, incoming SMS will run plan-less subscribers 15ΒΆ per message — the same rate as outgoing texts. Customers with text messaging plans will continue to receive unlimited free incoming SMS. Rogers customers will find information to this effect circulated via bill inserts that will begin going out today.

Now before you start to get all crazy, we’ll repeat that this change only applies to those of you without a monthly messaging bundle; leaving the overwhelming majority of you unaffected. In fact, 94 percent of messages sent and received on Rogers’ network will not be affected by this news. Those of you currently without a messaging plan might want to consider catching up with the times; if you send and receive a combined 34 messages or more each month, it would now behoove you to snag the $5 bundle. Two related notes: Rogers is running a promo that provides unlimited free incoming tweets via SMS — whether or not you’re on a text messaging plan — for the remainder of 2009. Also, this policy change does not apply to Fido customers.

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  • nima

    I have to agree with you guys, canadian cell plans are probably the worst i have even seen. They charge for everything and have fees for every little thing you can imagine. It is all due to lack of competition. If you notice we are paying more for wireless and internet than we did a few years ago and their rates increase, whereas everything else with technology generally decreases as technology gets older.

  • http://rogers.com Keith McArthur

    @howard It’s correct that Rogers didn’t have plans to charge for incoming texts a year ago. But we’re constantly reviewing our business and adjusting to reflect usage and trends. Text messaging doubled in Canada from 2007 to 2008 (20.7 billion texts compared with 10.1 billion) according to the CWTA. And as you note, this is common business practice by major carriers across North America. We do however, offer text messaging packages for as low as $5 that will include unlimited incoming for Rogers Wireless customers.

  • plamen

    @keith, please do not come with this ‘as low as $5′ nonsense..
    $8 ‘call display’, $7 ‘system access fee’, $5 ‘msg plan’… what’s next – $5 ‘connect to 3G network fee’? $3 ‘turn on your phone’ fee?..
    you guys suck big time…
    if you want to charge for incoming msgs – you have to provide me with choice to accept the message (read it) or not.. just like incoming call.. the short number you mentioned is not solution, as it will ban all messages sent from that number to me…

  • LIV

    IT IS ONLY FOR ROGERS NOT FOR FIDO , SO ALL CLIENTS WELCOME TO FIDO :D

  • Henry

    It’s not about .15$ only. Rogers just pisses you off every now and then. Why I should pay for something that I do not necessarily wish for? You know what happens then? You’ll start receiving tones of text messages from unknown sources (i.e. Rogers!)
    They have the worst support and the most costly rates. I am switching out as soon as I finish my current credit on my pay & go.

  • Filip

    God, I hate Rogers. Wireless, landline, tv and internet services in Canada are all run by basically the same two companies – Bell and Rogers. What is it going to take to break these companies up. There is obviously no competition going on when they can raise fees at their whim. Considering Canadian taxpayers subsidized the construction of the infrastructure, we deserve a lot more than this. Too bad the beaurocrats in charge are such cowards, and Canadians are so complacent.

  • screwed

    just saw my rogers bill and the charges for received text messages. wtf.

    f.
    f.
    f.
    f….

    F.

    needed to vent.

  • http://none kevin

    Woo Hoo, know what this means? Rogers is changing their terms of service. That mean you have a legal reason to break your contract with them. In other words, no cancelation fee. Finally I can get out of this damn contract!

    YAY

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