Fido customers are getting emails about a change that hits the $5 monthly Automatic Payments discount. A copy of the notice shared on Reddit says that after November 20, 2026, the discount only sticks if the bill is paid by pre-authorized debit from a bank account or with a Rogers Bank credit card.
Any other credit card can still be used for auto-pay, but the $5 off goes away. The timing lands just ahead of the 1.6 per cent credit card processing charge Rogers and Fido plan to add on January 17, 2027.
Fido’s message also says it has added a one-month $5 Automatic Payments discount on lines where a recent transaction was completed. The credit is framed as a short buffer before the new payment rules take hold.
Fido’s website lays out the same change, noting that since September 15, 2026, the Auto-Pay Discount only applies when eligible services are paid by pre-authorized debit or a Rogers Bank credit card, while the November 20 date in the notice gives accounts that already have the discount time to switch.
Over on its own site, Rogers lists the same September 15 change for mobile customers, who need pre-authorized debit or a Rogers Bank card to keep the discount if they change plans or payment details on or after that date. Rogers home services made the switch even earlier, on July 23, 2026.
Keep using a Visa, Mastercard or other non-Rogers Bank card on auto-pay and the bill still goes through. Fido’s notice is clear that other payment methods remain available. The Automatic Payments discount simply will not apply once the cutoff hits.
Losing $5 a month adds up to $60 a year per line. Stack it on top of the coming 1.6 per cent fee for credit card payments and a household that likes points cards gets squeezed from both sides. Paying by debit card or direct debit from a bank account avoids the processing charge under the January 17, 2027 rules, which is another reason both brands are pushing bank withdrawals.
Telus has already pushed customers toward bank withdrawals for its own $5 to $10 savings, as iPhone in Canada covered last year. Years earlier, Fido steered people onto auto-pay with a larger break, including a push that raised the automatic payments discount to $10 on some plans in 2024. The eligible payment list is now much narrower.
Autopay eligibility and the credit card fee are separate, but they pull in the same direction. From January 17, 2027, Rogers and Fido will add a 1.6 per cent processing charge when a bill is paid by credit card, including auto-pay. Debit card, direct debit from a bank account and a few other non-credit options avoid that fee. Quebec customers are excluded from the surcharge.
A Rogers Bank card keeps the Automatic Payments discount under the new rules, yet it does not get a free pass on the 1.6 per cent charge based on how Rogers has described the fee so far. Customers weighing rewards against the discount and the fee will want to run the numbers on their own bill before November 20.
In that Reddit thread, the poster called the change an “automatic payment gouge” and asked whether it is “even legal to only accept payment with their credit card.” Others pointed out that the rule only covers the discount, since a bank account still qualifies.
One commenter said the stipulation was added “quietly” and called it “anti-consumer,” noting Rogers keeps the perk for its own card while also adding the 1.6 per cent fee. Another suggested setting up pre-authorized debit and then making a manual payment with a preferred credit card, while others traded notes on the Rogers Bank card’s 5 per cent cash back on Rogers and Fido bills.
The frustration tracks with a year of Rogers and Fido price hikes already landing on existing lines.
Customers can update the payment method in Fido My Account. Updates need to be made well before a scheduled withdrawal so the next bill processes on the new method.
Will you switch to pre-authorized debit or a Rogers Bank card to keep the $5, or drop the discount and stick with the card you already use?
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
