[MetalSnake]

Why is it getting expensive when using the phone as a hotspot, but not when using the iPad or MacBook directly with cellular data?

[nasretdinov]

I think some (most?) carriers in the US charge for hotspot traffic separately from direct access from the phone (by looking at packet's TTL, it's lower by 1)

[actionfromafar]

Mmm the Freedom of US Enterprise strikes again. Such a stupid billing rule.

[freehorse]

Even in that case, there are tethering apps that can bypass this issue.