COVID-19: Google Fi extends grace period from 3 days to 60

Google Fi, the Google-run wireless provider, is one of many companies extending their normal grace periods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although stocking up on groceries and cleaning products may feel like a reasonable plan, there are other things to consider. One service you do not want to lose access to right now is your cell service.

As more and more U.S. cities go into lockdown or shelter-in-place, having a reliable connection to the outside world is more important than ever. Unfortunately, the same city and/or state ordinances meant to protect us are also having a traumatic effect on the economy. Thousands of people have lost their jobs or watched their income streams dry up in the last week. This means all non-essential bills are on the chopping block. Which services would you let go of first if you lost your job during a global pandemic?

Thankfully, Google Fi is quietly trying making this difficult time just a bit easier on people. The provider usually bills via autodraft with a 3-day grace period. When we reached out to see how they were helping their customers during this time, Google Fi did not disappoint.

“In light of current events, we’re temporarily extending our grace period so Fi customers who may be having trouble with their bills can stay connected. We’re extending our grace period, during which customers will maintain full Fi service, to 60 days from a customer’s missed Billing date.”

The autodraft has to bounce for the grace period to kick in, however, so changing your billing to another account in order to hit a figurative “pause button” appears to be the primary option for grace seekers (from our perspective).

Perhaps one silver lining of COVID-19 is that we are all getting to see which companies, both as customers and employees, care about people and which don’t.