You can also order a SIM direct from Public Mobile for $10+tax (free shipping). As the others said, there seem to be regular promotions both online and in-store, usually slightly different and one might be better for you than the other. For example, most recently they had an online offer that gave you $25 credit, and an in-store offer of free SIM and 2nd month free. If you were signing up for the $10 plan, the online offer was a better deal. If you were signing up for $40 plan (for example), the in-store offer was a better deal.
No matter what plan you sign up for, you will want to give an existing PM customer's number as a referral when you sign up. But note that after you sign up and try it (and decide you like it), when you sign up your wife as a new customer, you will be the person doing the referring. That way you get both the referrer and referee bonus, if any. The default no-promotions referral bonuses are $10 to the new customer, and $1/mo to the existing customer.
Depending on your urgency (and how much you want to switch) you could consider waiting for a promotion, or just bite the bullet and get a $10 SIM on some plan with a referral.
In terms of testing the service quality (both Fido and Petrocan use Rogers network, Public Mobile uses Bell/Telus), you could sign up for this $40 plan, or cheaper would be the $10 plan (50 minutes + 50 texts + UL incoming texts) and a $10 data Add-On (200MB). But if you like PM, it's $20 wasted. 🙂
FWIW, you mentioned poor service on Rogers-based carriers in Barrhaven. This map is great for seeing where towers are, on PM you will use Telus or Bell. https://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/cancellsites.html
=aw
