Circles.Life to more than double platform fee to 70 cents, says new features ‘give more value’

SINGAPORE: From Feb 1, Circles.Life will more than double its monthly platform fee from 30 cents to 70 cents, saying the planned increase reflects new product enhancements meant to "give more value" to customers.

In response to CNA's queries about the necessity of the upcoming fee hike, Circles.Life said on Wednesday (Jan 21) it is the only telecom operator in Singapore that is "running a fully self-developed, locally built digital platform".

The telco added that the increase is necessary to "bring customers smarter and more rewarding services", including access to AI tools, such as the paid models of ChatGPT and Gemini, and its cashback rewards scheme - known as CirclesAI and Circles Zerofy respectively.

Circles.Life also said that it was launching a virtual debit card soon as part of its cashback programme.

The 30-cent platform fee was first introduced in May last year, with Circles.Life citing the need to "develop and deliver enhancements sustainably". 

Checks by CNA found that Circles.Life is the only local mobile operator to impose a platform fee.

Circles.Life said on its website that the platform fee was meant to "support the improvement of overall user experience" and it cannot be waived as it is an important part of ensuring the "continued enhancement" of the telco's services. 

The new 70-cent platform fee will apply to all eligible subscribers.

When asked if Circles.Life customers could expect future platform fee hikes, the telco said: "At this point, there are no plans for additional platform fee increases." 

It added that any changes will be carefully considered and communicated in advance.