The fee, which will amount to ₱50, will be applied to mobile postpaid, broadband postpaid, and Platinum subscribers who fail to settle their bills by the due date
Globe explained that the implementation of the late payment fee is a standard practice in the telecommunications industry and aims to encourage timely payments from subscribers. The company also noted that even government agencies, such as the Land Transportation Office (LTO), charge late payment fees for overdue payments.
Darius Delgado, Globe’s Vice President and Head of Consumer Mobile Business, stated that the late payment fee has been part of the company’s postpaid subscription agreement for a long time. However, Globe had deferred charging the fee until now.
Delgado also pointed out that the new policy will only affect a small portion of Globe’s subscriber base, as prepaid subscribers still account for the majority (95%) of telco users.
Meanwhile, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro expressed concern about the additional burden that the late payment fee will place on Filipinos, who are already facing rising costs of goods and services. She also announced plans to call for an investigation into Globe’s new policy and may extend the investigation to other telecommunications companies and utility firms.
Globe’s decision to implement a late payment fee has drawn mixed reactions from subscribers. Some understand the company’s rationale behind the policy, while others believe that it will only add to the financial strain of many Filipinos.
It remains to be seen how the new policy will impact Globe’s subscriber base and whether other telecommunications companies will follow suit.
