Dubai: The UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in a tweet on Thursday demanded Etisalat to stop sending SMSes and email alerts to customers about applying a Dh25 late-payment fee.

The Abu Dhabi-based telecom operator on Wednesday sent SMSes and emails to some subscribers that it will charge Dh25 for not paying the bill in full before the due date.

“Etisalat needs to submit documents that authorised the operator to apply them (the fee) and await their response to take necessary procedures,” the TRA said in its tweet.

An etisalat customer care representative said the late-payment fee will be applicable from December onwards, adding that this was the first time the operator was going to charge a customer for non-payment [by due date].

“Usually, the due date for a landline bill is 15th of every month and if a customer is not paying by the due date, he/she will attract a late payment charge,” etisalat had said, adding that the late-payment charges would be applicable both to the landline as well as mobile subscribers.

A du spokesperson, meanwhile, said they were not going to charge any late-payment fees.