China's Three Telecom Operators to End Third-Party Internet Card Sales from Aug 1, 2026

On July 31, 2026, China's three major telecom operators simultaneously announced that from August 1, 2026, users ordering phone cards through internet channels will only be able to do so via official operator apps and websites; third-party internet channels will no longer provide related card services. Following the announcements, low-priced data cards were swiftly removed from online platforms, leaving users only official rate plans. Previously, internet-channel data cards sold for as little as RMB 29 for 200 GB or even RMB 19 for 265 GB, while official standard plans offered only 50 GB (including 30 GB of directional data) for RMB 39, and 80 GB (also with 30 GB directional) for RMB 59. In 2017, the national mobile phone user base reached 1.42 billion, for the first time exceeding the total population, and user growth entered a bottleneck. To compete for existing subscribers, operators in various regions launched low-priced data cards in the form of “basic plan + free data package” and authorized third-party agents to sell them. From 2017 to 2025, the mobile user base grew from 1.4 billion to 1.827 billion, with many users becoming dual-SIM subscribers. Data card prices kept falling: in 2021, RMB 29 covered 62 GB of general data plus 30 GB of directional data; by 2023, RMB 29 covered 80 GB general plus 30 GB directional; and in 2026, RMB 29 could buy 200 GB. The global average mobile data price is USD 2.5 per GB, with a median of USD 2, equivalent to RMB 16.87 and RMB 13.5 per GB respectively. In Israel, the average price is USD 0.02 per GB, or RMB 0.14. China's online data card average is just RMB 0.086 per GB, far below the global level. In 2025, China Mobile's channel fees reached RMB 48 billion, China Telecom's RMB 42.5 billion, and China Unicom's RMB 27.5 billion. In the first quarter of 2026, China Mobile's revenue rose a marginal 1.0% year on year, while net profit attributable to shareholders fell 4.2%; China Unicom and China Telecom saw net profit declines of 17.99% and 17.08%, respectively. In July 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology publicly stated that channel management must be strengthened to curb irrational competition among telecom operators. Subsequently, the three operators issued announcements ending third-party internet channel card services. In 2025, China Mobile's total data traffic revenue was RMB 609.7 billion, with mobile internet access traffic reaching 395.8 billion GB, putting the average user fee at about RMB 1.54 per GB, 18 times the average data card price. Existing users on older plans face higher tariffs, such as RMB 40–50 per month for only 10–20 GB, and customer service staff often deflect requests to switch to cheaper plans; some users only obtain discounts through number portability or complaints.