Globe Telecom Inc. announced that it will begin charging a minimal late payment fee of P50 for mobile and broadband postpaid customers beginning Dec. 1.
In a statement, the telecommunication firm said the fees will be enforced “to encourage on-time payment of monthly dues and ensure uninterrupted services.”
Globe noted that its late payment fee is not a new fee, but “has been part of the Globe subscription agreement with its customers,” and charging these fees is “standard practice for services with monthly recurring bills like banks and credit card companies.”
The firm clarified that the P50 amount is a one-time late fee per month, meaning the penalty will not be charged per day that the bill has not been settled.
The fees will apply to mobile postpaid, Platinum and Globe At Home broadband postpaid accounts.
The firm released the statement in response to Bayan Muna group led by Chairman Neri Colmenares who raised the issue of Globe’s additional fees, noting its financial burden to Filipinos amid the current high prices of goods and services.
The group said their statement was issued after Globe subscribers reached out to them upon receiving text messages regarding the late payment fee scheme.
Globe Vice President and Head of Consumer Mobile Business Darius Delgado said the firm had “deferred charging the late payment fee even though this is included in the terms and conditions of our postpaid subscription agreement.”
“With today's business environment when other sectors and even the government are charging late payment fees, an example is the Land Transportation Office (LTO), we believe that the telco sector may follow suit. In our case, only postpaid customers who comprise less than 5 percent of our total mobile customer base will be charged,” explained Delgado.
Globe postpaid customers can process their payment transactions using the GlobeOne app and GCash. Customers can also settle their bills through automatic charges processed directly from their bank accounts.
“Our customers don’t have to worry about the late payment fee if they pay on time. This fee is not meant to burden them but to encourage them to make prompt payments for uninterrupted connectivity services. We want to veer away from the usual practice of disconnecting services over unpaid balances,” said Delgado.
The firm advised customers to pay their bills before the due date in case payment deadlines fall on weekends or holidays.
Customers who have been mistakenly charged with late payments may contact the firm’s customer service team via their official Globe Facebook Messenger account. Inquiries on their respective billing status and information may also be entertained by Globe’s team.