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Verizon To Charge Content Providers $.03 Per SMS

Posted by timothy on from the but-there's-no-penny-slot dept.

An anonymous reader writes "It appears that Verizon is going to start double-dipping by charging both consumers AND content providers for SMS text messages. Verizon has informed content partners that it will levy a $.03 charge for messages sent to customers, effective November 1. From RCRWireless: 'Countless companies could be affected by the new fee, from players in the booming SMS-search space (4INFO, Google Inc. and ChaCha) to media companies (CNN, ESPN and local outlets) to mobile-couponing startups (Cellfire) to banks and other institutions that use mobile as an extension of customer services.'"

2 of 260 comments (clear)

  1. Just crazy... by apathy+maybe · · Score: 5, Informative

    I never understood the "pay to receive" idea in the first place.

    Anyway, in Australia (at least with one of the companies), you have two types of message. The ones that someone sends to you, and they pay for it. Then there are "premium" services (such as weather, news, games whatever), which you pay to request.

    Charging to send AND receive? Greedy bastards should be lined up against the wall and shot.

    Viva le revolution!

    --
    I wank in the shower.
  2. I canceled by dj245 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I canceled my Verizon Wireless yesterday (for other reasons). If you want out of your contract with no questions asked, print out This page and take it in with you to the verizon office. Tell them this is a change to your contract and that you would like to cancel. Ask them to waive the cancel fee. Done. You even get to keep your phone (they told me to sell it on Ebay). This assumes that you were a customer back in April.

    --
    Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.