Overview
The CRTC Wireless Code is a legally binding code of conduct for all wireless carriers in Canada. Two of its most powerful — and least-known — provisions protect you at the start and throughout your wireless contract: a 15-day no-penalty trial period and a 24-month cap on early cancellation fees.
The 15-Day Trial Period
When you activate a new postpaid wireless plan, you have 15 calendar days to try it and cancel with zero penalty — as long as you haven’t used more than half your monthly data allowance.
What you can do during the trial:
- Return the phone and cancel the service contract completely
- Keep the phone and switch to a different plan (if the carrier offers alternatives)
- Get a full refund of any activation fees paid
Conditions:
- Must be within 15 days of activation
- Must not have used more than 50% of your monthly data
- Phone must be returned in near-original condition
Extended trial for customers with disabilities:
If you have a disability, the trial period extends to 30 days and you can use up to 100% of your monthly data during the trial.
The 24-Month Early Cancellation Cap
No matter what term you signed — 24 months, 30 months, or anything else — your early cancellation fee (ECF) drops to zero after 24 months. Carriers cannot lock you in for longer than 2 years on a subsidized device or plan.
How the ECF decreases:
Your ECF is capped at the amount of the device subsidy (the difference between the full device price and what you paid upfront). That amount reduces linearly each month:
- Month 1: Full device subsidy owed
- Month 12: 50% of original ECF
- Month 24: $0 — you can leave freely
What this means in practice:
If you have been on your plan for 2 years or more, you can cancel at any time with no early cancellation fee, regardless of what your contract says. Carriers count on customers not knowing this and continuing to pay month after month.
Activation, Cancellation, and Plan-Change Fees — Eliminated June 2026
A new CRTC rule effective June 12, 2026 eliminates activation fees, cancellation fees, and plan-change fees across all carriers. If your carrier charges these fees after that date, they are violating the Wireless Code.
What Most People Don’t Know
- Carriers don’t tell you about the 15-day trial at the point of sale. Sales reps are incentivized to close the sale, not inform you of your cancellation rights. Ask explicitly when you activate.
- Month 24 = free exit. Many Canadians stay on expensive subsidized plans well past 2 years paying the same monthly rate — not knowing they can cancel, renegotiate, or switch for free.
- MVNOs are fully covered. Fido, Koodo, Virgin, Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile, and all other resellers are bound by the Wireless Code exactly like Rogers, Bell, and Telus.
- The CCTS can help if a carrier won’t comply. If a carrier charges an ECF past 24 months or refuses to honour the 15-day trial, file a complaint with the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecom-television Services at ccts-cprst.ca — free, independent, and binding.
Legal Basis
- CRTC Wireless Code — Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2013-271, updated by CRTC 2017-200.
- CRTC Decision 2026-43 — Elimination of activation, cancellation, and plan-change fees effective June 12, 2026.
- Telecommunications Act (S.C. 1993, c. 38) — CRTC statutory authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my phone if I return it within the 15-day trial — do I get a full refund?
Yes. If you cancel within 15 days, return the phone in near-original condition with original packaging, and have used less than 50% of your monthly data, you are entitled to cancel the service contract with no penalty and receive a full refund of any activation fees paid. The carrier cannot charge you an early cancellation fee.
Does the 15-day trial apply to prepaid plans as well as postpaid?
The Wireless Code’s 15-day trial applies to postpaid contracts that include an early cancellation fee (ECF) — i.e., subsidized device plans. Prepaid plans typically don’t involve a contract with an ECF, so the formal trial provision doesn’t apply in the same way, but there’s also no cancellation penalty on prepaid plans.
My contract is for 36 months — does my early cancellation fee really drop to zero at 24 months?
Yes. Regardless of what term you signed, the CRTC Wireless Code caps your ECF at zero after 24 months. Your ECF starts at the full device subsidy amount and decreases linearly each month — by month 24 it is $0. Any carrier charging an ECF beyond 24 months is violating the Wireless Code.
Do MVNOs like Fido, Koodo, and Virgin have to follow the Wireless Code?
Yes. All wireless carriers operating in Canada — including all mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) like Fido, Koodo, Virgin Plus, Public Mobile, and Lucky Mobile — are legally bound by the CRTC Wireless Code and must provide the 15-day trial and 24-month ECF cap.
What do I do if my carrier refuses to honour the 15-day trial or charges an ECF after 24 months?
File a complaint with the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) at ccts-cprst.ca. The CCTS process is free, independent, and its decisions are binding on carriers. Most disputes are resolved within 40 days.