This carrier found a way to charge you $40 despite the ban on activation fees

• Bell has introduced a $40 “device handling fee” to replace the connection fees recently banned by regulators.
• Interestingly, smartwatches are currently exempt from the “handling” tax.
• The carrier has warned that the fee amount is subject to change.

It seemed like Canadian carriers were finally moving away from activation fees, but Bell has found a new way to keep charging customers. After a recent regulatory change that banned the usual connection fee, Bell has introduced a new charge called the device handling fee.

Following a recent ruling from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) banning activation and connection fees, Bell Canada has quietly introduced a new $40 “device handling charge” for customers buying phones through the carrier, first spotted by MobileSyrup. This new fee is half the old $80 connection fee, but customers still have to pay extra when getting a new device.