Free perks used to be a nice little touch that we all enjoyed, but now, they’re starting to disappear way too quickly. Companies have cut those extras and turned them into add-ons or upsells, perhaps even “premium features” (whatever that means). Here are ten once-free perks that you now have to pay for. How many of these have snuck up on you without you realizing?
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Kid’s Meals With Adult Entrées
Plenty of restaurants used to keep it simple by saying that if you bought an adult meal, you’d get a kid’s meal for free, with no need for a special code or app. These days, it’s all over the place, as some locations only do it on certain nights while others want you to sign up for their rewards program. They might even require you to make a minimum purchase. Of course, the majority of restaurants do still have some kind of kid-meal deals occasionally, but the timing depends on your location, and you even have to ask your server directly.
Unlimited Refills at Some Restaurants
Speaking of restaurants, at a lot of places, you probably refill your drink without thinking about it, although perhaps you should. Quite a few chains are going European and are now charging per refill in many locations, and some places with self-serve machines are cutting people off after the first pour. Unfortunately, you’ll probably only find out when you go back for more and someone steps in to stop you.
Account Sharing on Streaming Services
In 2023, Netflix clamped down on password sharing, which meant that having a “shared family account” became impossible, as pop-ups started asking who lives where. Disney+ and others are heading the same way, so if the person using your login isn’t in your house, they’ll have to get their own account. Some services also track your IP addresses or device usage to flag unapproved sharing. Either way, the days of passing around one login for the whole friend group are basically over.
Roadside Assistance with Car Warranties
A lot of drivers didn’t even think about getting roadside assistance because it just came with the car, but that’s changed lately. Several car brands only offer it during the first year or two, and after that, they expect you to buy a service plan or find your own provider. It’s worse if your car’s a base model because it might not come with help at all, and if you break down after the cutoff, you’ll likely be on the hook for a tow.
Store Bags at Checkout
As soon as you finished up at the store, you’d get your items bagged without even asking, but now, those bags cost extra, depending on where you live. Several cities and states have passed laws that require retailers to charge for paper or plastic. While it’s a small fee, usually a few cents, if you’re not carrying your own bag, you’re paying it every time. Chains like Target & CVS updated their systems to ring up bags separately, so you’ll see it right there on your receipt.
Getting a Charger With Your New iPhone
Buying a brand-new iPhone is quite expensive. Unfortunately, starting in 2020, Apple decided not to include the charging brick, which they claimed was to help the environment. That may be true, but if your old charger’s busted or missing, you’ll have to shell out another $20 just to charge your phone. If you want the fast-charging version, that’s a separate cost, and some third-party brands have even raised their prices because so many people need new ones.
Free Bread at Sit-Down Restaurants
There was a time when you sat down at a restaurant and immediately got a bread basket, with no questions and no cost. However, most places make you ask for it now, while others treat it like an appetizer and charge you for it. Some places have scrapped the bread entirely, meaning that you’re sure to be disappointed if you expect a warm roll while you wait. It’s just not fair, really.
Printed Tickets for Events
Whenever you bought tickets online, you used to receive a printed version that was mailed to your house, but now, that’ll cost you. Platforms like Ticketmaster charge extra for delivery, and sometimes even for print-at-home options, which seems quite ridiculous. There are also venues that charge extra to pick up tickets at will call, and some PDF printouts aren’t always free anymore. They may have “convenience” fees added, just for access.
Tech Support on Basic Devices
After buying a new laptop, you have about a month of free help before the company starts charging for support. Seriously. Some brands charge per call, and others push yearly plans, even if your issue is just a loose power cord or frozen screen. Unless you bought the protection plan at checkout, you’ll either have to Google your way out of the problem or pay to ask a human to help you.
Basic TV Channels on Streaming Services
Paying for a live TV plan once meant that local channels were part of the deal, but not anymore because many streaming services treat these channels like premium content. It doesn’t matter if you want to catch your city’s evening news or the Sunday game, as you’ll have to pay a little extra or subscribe to an extra add-on. And it’s not even consistent, as some cities get different channel access than others. It’s not as simple or as generous as it used to be.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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