What is included in a bouquet?
A bouquet contains the distinct channels named in the offer. TRAI’s broadcasting and cable FAQ defines a bouquet as a collection offered together and a-la-carte as an individual standalone offering.
The pack name alone may not tell the customer which channels are included. Read the actual list, including the language and version of a channel where relevant, before treating two packs as equivalent.
A familiar category such as “family” or “sports” is a marketing description, not a guarantee that every channel the household wants is present.
How is a-la-carte different?
With an individual offering, the customer is considering a particular channel rather than the whole bundle. That can make it easier to focus on a few named channels, but it does not automatically establish that the total bill will be lower.
| Selection | What to inspect |
|---|---|
| Bouquet | The complete list of included channels and its stated price |
| A-la-carte | Each chosen channel and its individual stated price |
| Complete account | Distribution charges, taxes and any other applicable labelled items |
The comparison must use the channels the customer actually wants and the provider’s current tariff. Do not declare one approach universally cheaper from the definition alone.
Does a bouquet price equal the final monthly bill?
Not necessarily. Programming selection is one part of the television-service arrangement. Network capacity fees and other applicable items need to be read separately from the bouquet’s advertised price.
TRAI’s FAQ defines those components individually. A retailer should therefore explain the whole provider bill rather than compare one pack price with another provider’s all-inclusive total.
If a quotation is unclear, ask whether taxes and distribution charges are included. The comparison becomes useful only when the same components are being compared.
Channel selection and recharge are different actions
A recharge adds funds or completes the applicable payment interaction. Changing the subscribed channels is a separate account action under the provider’s process.
A customer can pay successfully and still be unhappy because the desired channel was not part of the selected pack. Conversely, selecting a new pack does not prove that the required payment has completed.
Our DTH counter guide explains why the account identifier, provider and payment status should be checked. This glossary explains the programming-selection vocabulary used alongside those checks.
An example of comparing two offers
Illustrative example: A customer watches three particular channels and asks the retailer to choose the cheapest-looking bouquet.
The retailer first checks whether all three are included. One pack may omit a required channel; another may contain many channels the customer will never watch. The customer then compares the relevant bundle with the individual offerings and the complete account charges.
The retailer records the selection the customer actually authorised. If the customer later says a channel is missing, the first check is the subscribed list and provider status, not an automatic second recharge.
Questions about bouquets and a-la-carte
Does a bouquet contain every channel in its category?
No. It contains the channels named in the actual offer. Read the list rather than rely on the pack name.
Is a-la-carte always cheaper?
No. Compare the customer’s intended channels and the complete current cost. The definition does not choose the best option for every household.
Will recharging automatically change my pack?
Do not assume so. Check the provider’s selection and payment process. Adding funds and changing subscribed programming are different actions.