OTTAWA – Telus Communications is asking the CRTC to approve revisions to its general tariff, which would allow it to charge customers a 1.5% credit card processing fee.
If approved, new and current Telus customers making a payment by credit card will be charged the fee. The company is proposing this change be effective as of Oct. 17, 2022. If the Commission is not able to issue a decision in time, Telus is requesting the effective date be set at three weeks after the Commission’s decision is released.
In its application to revise its tariff, Telus notes in 2018, there was a class action lawsuit that was settled, “resulting in Visa and Mastercard agreeing to modify their “No-Surcharge Rules” to allow merchants (such as TELUS) to surcharge their customers up to a cap, starting October 6, 2022.”
In a breakdown of what this would look like, the company explains a customer in Alberta spending $100 on services would be charged $5 in GST, bringing the amount due up to $105. If Telus’ application is approved by the CRTC, the customer would then pay an additional $1.58 credit card processing fee on the $105 charge, plus an additional $0.08 fee for GST on the credit card processing fee for a grand total of $106.66.
Telus’ application was posted on the CRTC’s website this past Monday. Those who wish to submit an intervention to the Commission on it must do so by Sept. 7, 2022.
As of today (Wednesday, Aug. 10), the CRTC has posted 16 interventions from individuals on Telus’ application online. None of them were filed in support.
“The latest proposal for additional fees is another attempt by Telus to make it more difficult to access, use, and pay for mobile, tv, and internet services,” one intervention reads.
The intervenor goes on to ask the CRTC to deny Telus’ application “on the grounds that it is unfair and unnecessary for consumers – particularly in an inflationary environment – and that the fee is confusing and unjustifiable, and a blatant attempt to extract more money from consumers using a back door at a time when they can least afford it.”
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