Social media has been buzzing with concerns from industry insiders that China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom are planning to scrap online agency card sales, shifting all digital sign-up authority to their own official channels. China Telecom was the first to confirm this move, announcing on July 29 that starting August 1, third-party internet platforms will no longer offer China Telecom SIM card services. China Unicom and China Mobile have yet to release similar statements.
A check of e-commerce and private domain platforms shows third-party stores still actively selling cards, though some have posted notices that "online number selection and data card services will be fully suspended by the end of July." Store customer service confirmed this was a new rule from the carriers. Agents indicated that existing plans remain unaffected, but new card sign-ups may soon be blocked. "We've seen a surge in customers lately, but as long as they activate before the new rules take effect, everything is fine."
The catalyst for user anxiety over losing affordable plans was two circulating images online, suggesting that to standardize network channel security and curb "rat-race" competition, all three carriers would fully eliminate network agency card sales by July 31, 2026. This includes third-party agents, official brand stores on external platforms, live-streaming rooms, mini-programs, official accounts, and vertical partnerships like those with DiDi drivers or Meituan riders. In essence, future card purchases will only be possible through official offline outlets or the carriers' own apps and mini-programs. "If I can't do this anymore, I don't know what else to do," one agent lamented, "so I'm just making money while I can."
Beyond agents' panic, users fear losing access to cheap cards. Ms. Chen, who often buys "high-data" cards via live-streaming, noted that official store products are pricier. "My China Unicom plan costs 89 yuan for just 15GB monthly, but through third parties, I can get 150GB for 29 yuan." Indeed, carrier app prices are steeper: China Unicom offers 19 yuan for 3GB and 100 minutes, while China Telecom charges nearly 100 yuan for 20GB and 400 minutes. In contrast, third-party channels provide over 100GB and 200 minutes for under 30 yuan monthly. However, Ms. Chen admitted to past deceptions, where advertised "big data" wasn't all general-purpose, highlighting existing chaos.
The news of a total ban on agency channels has left users worried about future access to affordable plans. Agents corroborate this, reporting a spike in inquiries and sales—each selling about 20 cards daily. On July 28, inquiries to the three carriers yielded mixed responses: China Mobile and China Unicom claimed no knowledge, while China Telecom confirmed a policy that "e-commerce platforms will no longer sell new card products." The next day, China Telecom issued a formal notice. China Unicom and China Mobile remain silent as of now.
From a strategic standpoint, tightening sales channels and enhancing ecosystem governance makes sense for the carriers. Around 2015, they faced peak mobile internet dividends and slowing user growth. High-cost, low-coverage offline stores prompted a shift to online outsourcing through campus agents, ground promotions, and eventually e-commerce and live-streaming. While low-cost, high-data cards drove customer acquisition, this broad expansion created a "volume without revenue" dilemma. As competition turns to retaining existing users, all three carriers are spending more but gaining fewer customers. Q1 2026 financials reveal simultaneous profit declines: China Mobile's net profit dropped 4.2% to 29.3 billion yuan, China Telecom's fell 17.08% to 7.35 billion yuan, and China Unicom's sank nearly 20% to 2.137 billion yuan.
Multiple factors contribute to this downturn, but 2025 annual reports show that agency card sales have reached a tipping point in profitability. China Unicom reported "sales channel expenses" of 27.549 billion yuan (74% of sales costs), China Telecom spent 42.573 billion yuan (79%), and China Mobile paid 48.094 billion yuan (86%). Online agency costs, though a small portion, eat heavily into margins due to high commissions and platform fees. Agents report earning around 100 yuan per card, with 20 daily sales yielding significant income. Fu Yifu, a special researcher at Suzhou Bank, noted that agency channels attract scattered, low-quality users with poor retention rates. "It's like spending money to patch holes" in a stagnant market, rather than exchanging cash for market share during growth phases. Poor regulation also plagues online card users, with over 50,000 complaints on Black Cat Complaints about "unexplained deductions," "product mismatches," and "unusable data." Senior consultant Dong Peng highlighted that "channel cost black holes combined with user value exhaustion" are key drivers for tightening third-party sales. He added that "a total ban isn't accurate; regulators and carriers are planning a purge and contraction of online agency channels."
The "new vs. old user unequal rights" issue is widespread. On July 20, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's spokesperson emphasized strengthening market order governance, rate management, and marketing channel controls to curb irrational competition and protect user rights. Dong Peng believes the most immediate impact will be on small agents and card sellers dependent on online traffic, facing "a business model reset." Carriers will also experience pain from channel restructuring, but it pressures them to upgrade official platforms and offline networks. "For average users, short-term convenience drops, but long-term transparency benefits existing customers." However, if carriers fully reclaim agency channels, they'll face pressure, especially regarding ecosystem building. Social media is rife with complaints about "customer killing" behavior, where new cards offer cheap, high-value plans unavailable to loyal users. Users share tips like "complaining to the MIIT to force customer service to honor deals," which fuels distrust in official outlets. Fu Yifu argued that while official channels are standard and stable, they lack agents' flexibility and cost-effective acquisition. "Short-term, canceling agency channels will likely cause a phased decline in new user data."
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