PTA's 2025 Tariff Rules: Your Mobile Package Cannot Auto-Renew Without Consent, and a Price Rise Needs 7 Days' Notice

Short answer: Under PTA's Tariff for Cellular Mobile Telecommunication Services Regulations, 2025, your operator cannot auto-renew a package without your explicit consent, cannot charge after a free trial unless it told you the exact end date and you agreed, and must give 7 days' notice before a price change takes effect.

A Rs 30 bundle ends on Sunday. On Monday the balance is lower, because the same bundle bought itself again. Most people think this is normal. It is not what PTA's tariff rules say should happen.

We read the regulations on PTA's regulations page. They are notified as S.R.O. 907(I)/2025 in the Gazette of Pakistan, Extraordinary, of 5 May 2025. It is a scanned Gazette file, so we read all ten pages as images. The text below follows that notification.

A package cannot renew itself without your consent

Regulation 15 says the operator shall not activate automatic renewal of a subscription package on its expiry without your explicit consent through SMS, email, USSD or the mobile app. Where renewals recur, it must tell you how to unsubscribe.

USSD is the short code you dial on your phone, such as *123#. Consent must be given through one of those four channels. Silence is not one of them.

If a package renewed without your yes, you have a complaint. Keep a screenshot of the balance before and after, and the operator's SMS. The unsubscribe codes for each network are in our guides for Jazz, Zong and Ufone.

A free trial cannot turn into a paid service by itself

Regulation 17 says an operator shall not charge during a free trial. After the trial ends it may charge only if it told you the exact end date and you gave explicit consent to continue at the notified tariff.

Regulation 18 closes a second gap. A service that used to be free cannot start charging without your explicit consent through email, SMS, app or USSD.

The rule covers promotional free services too. If a "free for one month" service starts costing money, the operator needed to name the end date and get your yes first. The consent rule for any new service is explained in how to stop a service activated without consent.

Price changes need notice before they start

Operators that are not dominant may set and change their own prices, but must inform PTA and consumers in writing at least 7 days before the change. Dominant operators must submit proposals to PTA 10 days before launch and notify consumers 7 days before.

The regulations call a dominant operator one with Significant Market Power, or SMP. PTA decides which operator is SMP in a market. We did not find an SMP list on the page we read.

PTA can modify or revoke a tariff on its own or on a complaint, if it hurts consumers. It must convey its decision on a proposal within 10 days. For a view of today's prices, see how to compare mobile packages with PTA's price tracker.

Usage alerts and roaming limits in the 2025 tariff rules

Regulation 15(2) says operators must send free SMS alerts when package use reaches 50%, 80% and 100%. At 100% the service is suspended and the SMS must say how to restore or renew it. The expiry SMS must state the default rate after expiry.

The December 2025 amendment to the consumer protection regulations uses different percentages: 70%, 90% and 100%. That is the later notification. We could not confirm which set operators follow in practice, so treat the 70, 90 and 100 alerts in the package alert rules as the safer guide.

For roaming, regulation 14 says the operator must get your prior consent before activating roaming, send the tariff by SMS after you select a network abroad, and not charge beyond your security deposit unless you agree. Roaming activation steps are in how to activate international roaming.

What to do when a charge breaks these rules

Gather proof first, then go to the operator, then PTA. The rules lean on consent, so your proof is about what you did not agree to.

1. Screenshot your balance before and after the charge, with the date.
2. Save every SMS from the operator in the week before it.
3. Unsubscribe from the package using the operator's code or app.
4. Complain to the operator and ask for a complaint number and a refund.
5. If it is not fixed, use the PTA complaint steps and name regulation 15, 17 or 18.

Common questions

Can my operator renew my package automatically?

Only with your explicit consent through SMS, email, USSD or the app. Regulation 15 bars auto-renewal without it. Where renewals recur, it must explain how to unsubscribe.

Can a free trial start charging me?

Only if the operator told you the exact end date and you gave explicit consent to continue at the notified tariff. Otherwise it may not charge you.

How much notice must I get of a price rise?

At least 7 days before the change takes effect. A dominant operator must also put its proposal to PTA 10 days before launch.

Can PTA cancel a price change?

Yes. PTA may amend, revoke or suspend a tariff on its own or at the request of affected consumers, after hearing the operator.

Which usage alert percentages apply?

The May 2025 tariff regulations say 50, 80 and 100. The December 2025 consumer amendment says 70, 90 and 100. We could not confirm which operators use.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 13 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the Tariff for Cellular Mobile Telecommunication Services Regulations, 2025 on PTA's regulations page. We could not confirm which operators PTA has declared dominant, whether operators follow the 50, 80 and 100 alert levels, or any refund paid under these rules. We did not test an auto-renewal ourselves.