Canada's CRTC will count daily roaming fees toward the C$100 cap
August 9, 2026. Canada's telecom regulator has changed its Wireless Code so daily fixed-rate roaming options, including services that let customers use their home plan abroad for a daily fee, count toward the C$100 data-roaming cap. The amended rule starts on April 13, 2027. It does not cap daily roaming fees on a trip taken in 2026.
That date explains an apparent contradiction travelers may find online. The CRTC's amended Wireless Code says daily fixed fees will count. A current Rogers Wireless Code page says its Roam Like Home daily fee does not count toward the C$100 cap. Both statements describe different periods: the carrier page reflects the rule before the amendment takes effect.
The practical answer: For travel before April 13, 2027, read the current carrier terms and do not assume daily fees stop at C$100. From that date, covered Canadian wireless providers must include daily fixed-rate data-roaming charges in the cap, warn at C$50 and suspend further data-roaming charges at C$100 unless an authorized person expressly agrees to more.
What the CRTC decided
The CRTC decision published April 13, 2026 revises the bill-management section of the Wireless Code. The regulator said the change responds to confusion over whether daily roaming options count toward the existing C$100 cap.
From April 13, 2027, the amended code requires providers to:
- notify the account holder and affected user when data-roaming charges reach C$50 in a monthly billing cycle;
- count daily fixed-rate roaming options and plans that let a customer use a home plan abroad toward the C$100 data-roaming cap;
- count paid additional data-roaming add-ons and data overage charges toward that cap;
- apply the cap to the whole account, regardless of how many devices are on it; and
- suspend national and international data-roaming charges at C$100 unless the account holder or an authorized user expressly consents to more.
The CRTC gave providers 12 months to update their systems, customer material and sales practices. That implementation period is why the announcement date and traveler protection date are one year apart.
| Traveler question | Before April 13, 2027 | From April 13, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Do daily use-your-plan fees count toward the C$100 data cap? | Check the current carrier terms; some published guidance excludes them | Yes, when the service is subject to the Wireless Code |
| Is there a C$50 data-roaming warning under this amendment? | Do not rely on the future amendment for a 2026 trip | The provider must notify at C$50 |
| What happens at C$100? | Existing carrier implementation and the current code apply | Further national and international data-roaming charges are suspended unless an authorized person consents |
| Is the amount per phone line? | Read the current carrier policy | No, the amended cap is per account across its devices |
| Can charges continue above C$100? | Current terms apply | Yes, after express consent from the account holder or an authorized user |
Why current carrier pages appear to disagree
Rogers currently tells customers that its Roam Like Home daily fee does not count toward the C$100 data-roaming cap. Its roaming billing examples also show how one call, outgoing text or use of mobile data can trigger a daily charge, depending on the plan and destination.
The CRTC's new wording is future-dated. It should not be used to rewrite a 2026 bill or to promise that a carrier's system already applies the new calculation. Carrier pages will need to change before the April 2027 deadline, but each provider can publish its implementation details on its own schedule.
Travelers should save a dated copy of the applicable roaming terms before departure. If a bill later differs from those terms, contact the provider first. The CRTC Consumer Protections Action Plan points customers to the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services when a complaint cannot be resolved with the provider.
What the C$100 roaming cap includes
The exact label matters. This is a data-roaming charge cap, not a C$100 ceiling for every charge on an international mobile bill.
The amended text specifically brings these items into the data-roaming calculation:
- a daily fixed-rate option for using data abroad;
- a daily fee for using a home plan while roaming;
- paid add-ons that provide more roaming data; and
- data-overage charges incurred while roaming.
The CRTC also says the provider must notify both the account holder and the device user at C$50, where the provider can identify the user. At C$100, more data-roaming charges require express consent from the account holder or an authorized user.
The decision does not explain how every carrier will display a partial final day if a full daily fee would cross the cap. Check the carrier's updated implementation before April 2027 rather than assuming a fee will be prorated.
What the cap does not guarantee
The amended cap should reduce data-roaming bill shock, but it does not make every part of a mobile bill predictable.
- It does not create free roaming.
- It does not make the first C$100 refundable.
- It does not state that ordinary roaming voice calls, SMS charges, long-distance charges, taxes or device financing are included in the data cap.
- It does not prevent a customer from expressly consenting to charges above C$100.
- It does not give every line on a family account its own C$100 allowance.
- It does not replace a carrier's destination list, fair-use policy or excluded-network rules.
Rogers currently says pay-per-use voice and text can continue after data roaming is paused. That is a carrier-specific example of why travelers should check calls and messages separately. The calls and SMS guide explains how data-only travel plans differ from a home line with carrier voice service.
What Canadian travelers should do before April 2027
Use the settings and written terms that apply on the day of travel:
- Check whether the destination is included and what action triggers the daily fee.
- Save the current daily rate, billing-cycle limit and excluded-network terms.
- Turn off data roaming on the Canadian line if it should not provide travel data.
- Disable automatic cellular-data switching if the phone might fall back to the Canadian line.
- Choose the intended eSIM as the mobile-data line after installation.
- Check whether answering a call, sending a text or using WiFi Calling abroad can produce a separate charge.
- Keep offline copies of the hotel address, ticket and first route in case neither line connects.
The CRTC's travel roaming guidance also warns that apps can use data in the background and that phones near the Canada-US border can attach to a US network. A manual network selection can help in a border area, but the selected Canadian network must still be available.
If you plan to use a travel eSIM, check whether the phone supports eSIM and when to install it. Installation alone does not guarantee that the phone will use the correct line for data.
Home-carrier roaming or Roaming eSIM?
The CRTC amendment improves a safeguard, but it does not decide which connection is best for a trip.
| Decision | Canadian home-carrier roaming | Roaming eSIM |
|---|---|---|
| When it works best | Short trip where keeping the normal number and avoiding setup matter most | Trip where prepaid data visibility and route-specific coverage matter most |
| Cost structure | Often a daily fee or pay-per-use charge under the carrier's current terms | Package price, allowance and validity shown before checkout |
| Normal Canadian number | Remains the active carrier line | Usually data-only; keep the home line separately if normal calls or SMS are needed |
| Multi-country choice | Depends on the home plan's destination list | Country, regional and global plans can be compared before departure |
| C$100 amended cap | Applies to covered data-roaming charges from April 13, 2027 | Does not depend on the future Canadian roaming-cap change |
| Main setup risk | An unintended call, text or background-data session may trigger a fee | The wrong data-line or roaming setting can prevent the travel eSIM from working correctly |
🏆 Roaming eSIM wins when the traveler wants cost visibility before departure: the selected package shows its data, validity and coverage before purchase, and the traveler does not need to wait until April 2027 for the new daily-fee protection. Home-carrier roaming can still be the simpler choice when native calls, SMS and the usual Canadian number are worth its current price.
That advantage is limited to the travel-data choice. A Roaming eSIM does not stop a home line from creating voice, SMS or roaming charges if that line remains enabled and is used. Follow the travel eSIM versus roaming guide to configure both lines deliberately.
Which Roaming eSIM route fits the trip?
The four cards below use the live catalog, so their current details are more reliable than a price copied into an article:
- Compare Europe coverage for a trip contained within listed European destinations.
- Compare Asia 20 Areas when all planned Asian stops appear on the current card.
- Compare North America coverage for a Canada, United States and Mexico route when the listed countries and package terms fit.
- Use Global 120 Areas only when its current country list matches a route spanning more than one region.
Check the selected package's activation rule, hotspot support, supported networks, speed policy and reloadability before paying. Do not assume every package can be topped up. The country versus regional eSIM guide helps narrow the choice.
Ten questions Canadian travelers are asking about the roaming cap
When does the new CRTC roaming-cap rule start?
The amended Wireless Code provisions start on April 13, 2027, exactly 12 months after the CRTC published its decision.
Does the new daily-fee protection apply to travel in 2026?
No. A 2026 trip is governed by the current Wireless Code and the carrier terms in force at the time. Do not use the future amendment as a 2026 spending limit.
Will daily Roam Like Home-style fees count toward C$100?
Yes from April 13, 2027, when the plan is subject to the amended Wireless Code. The code covers daily fixed-rate options and plans that let customers use a home plan abroad.
Is C$100 the highest my entire wireless bill can be?
No. It is a cap on covered national and international data-roaming charges in a monthly billing cycle. Other plan, device, voice, SMS, long-distance, tax or consented charges may still appear.
Are roaming calls and text messages included in the cap?
The amended section is written around data-roaming charges. Do not assume voice calls or SMS are included. Check the carrier's separate voice and messaging terms for the destination.
Is the cap C$100 per line or per family account?
The amended code says C$100 per account, regardless of how many devices are associated with it. A family with several lines does not receive a separate C$100 data-roaming cap for each line.
What happens at C$50 and C$100?
From April 13, 2027, the provider must notify at C$50. At C$100 it must suspend further national and international data-roaming charges unless the account holder or an authorized user expressly consents to more.
Can someone allow data-roaming charges above C$100?
Yes. The account holder or an authorized user can expressly consent. A device user who is not authorized on the account cannot provide that consent under the amended wording.
Why does my carrier still say its daily fee does not count?
The new wording is not effective until April 13, 2027. Current carrier pages may describe the existing rule. Recheck the page before each trip and expect providers to update their material as the deadline approaches.
How can I keep my Canadian number while using a Roaming eSIM for data?
Install the Roaming eSIM, select it for mobile data and turn data roaming off on the Canadian line. Keep the Canadian line enabled only if its current terms make the calls and messages you need acceptable. Disable automatic data switching, then test the data-line selection before relying on it abroad.
Sources and updates
The rule, scope and effective date came from the CRTC's April 13 decision, the amended simplified Wireless Code and the regulator's public announcement. Current setup cautions came from the CRTC roaming page. Rogers was used as a dated carrier example, not as evidence for every Canadian provider.
Recurring concerns included whether old day limits still apply, fees on Canada-US-Mexico plans, successful charge disputes, C$160 and larger bills, what activity triggers a day, data-off charges, eSIM configuration and whether WiFi or incoming messages create fees.
Update policy: We will recheck this story when a major Canadian carrier publishes its April 2027 implementation, the CRTC changes the effective date or scope, or official guidance explains how a daily fee is handled when it would cross C$100. Carrier prices and Roaming eSIM package details can change, so the current carrier page and live product card remain the source of truth.
