UPDATED: Public Mobile response to COVID-19

[Alan_K]

Update as of May 1, 2020: This offer (US Roaming Credit Back) is now expired.

Update as of March 31, 2020: As of April 1st, online SIM purchases will no longer be discounted and will return to their regular price of $10. 

Update as of March 26, 2020: The $5 discount for online SIM purchases will only be available on purchases through publicmobile.ca. Please note that Amazon deliveries may be significantly delayed due to COVID-19. Make sure to check your estimated delivery date before ordering through Amazon.

Hey Community,

At Public Mobile, the health and safety of our customers, team members, and partners are paramount to us. That’s why, with COVID-19 concerns top of mind and rising uncertainty surrounding the extent of disruptions to day-to-day activities for our customers, we will be committing to make it stress-free to stay connected with friends & family. How are we doing that?

US Roaming credit-back

Public Mobile will be crediting back the full cost of US Roaming Add-Ons as account credits.

• Eligible customers: Customers who have purchased and used any US Roaming Add-On from March 13 to April 30th, 2020. Note that usage of a US Roaming Add-On is mandatory.
• Account credit will be applied to accounts within 7 business days of usage, beginning March 23. No action is required. Customers will receive a SMS when credit is applied.

$5 off SIM card when you buy online

During this challenging period, we want to ensure that our customers are staying as safe as possible and purchasing SIM cards online, if you need to. 

• For a limited time starting from March 20th, get $5 off when purchasing a SIM card online from us via Amazon or Publicmobile.ca.
• No promo code necessary.

Any changes or updates to these items will be shared on this page. We encourage you to view further details on what we’re doing to help keep you safe and connected by visiting this help article for more information.

We thank you for being a Public Mobile customer, and hope that this helps make things easier during this difficult time. 

Thanks,

-Public Mobile Community Team

[Dunkman]

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@Cottagegirl wrote:

How would I get two voice add ons? 

Im not getting any sound on the phone...it says dialing and hangs up

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@Cottagegirl 

You bought a US roaming data package, not voice or text.  You will need to buy talk roaming package if you want to talk within the United states.

U.S. Talk, Text and Data Bundle
Unlimited Talk, International Text and 250MB Data for just $20 for 10 days.
U.S. Talk and Text Bundle
Unlimited Talk and International Text for just $15 for 10 days.
U.S. Talk Only
Unlimited Talk for just $8 for 10 days.
U.S. Text Only
Unlimited International Text for just $8 for 10 days.
U.S. Data Only
250MB Data for $10, 500MB Data for $15 and 1GB Data for $20 for 10 days.

[Cottagegirl]

How would I get two voice add ons? 

Im not getting any sound on the phone...it says dialing and hangs up

[Cottagegirl]

I don’t think so... it shiws usage from this afternoon... just my text works

Name	Data Limit* (MB)	Data Used** (MB)	Remaining Data (MB)	Status
1GB Promo	1024	0	1024	Active
500MB + 500MB at 3G Speed	1024	0	1024	Active
US Roaming - 250 MB Data (10-day)

[gblackma]

@Cottagegirl  do you have 2 voice add ons on your phone now? If you do, it will not work until one is taken off. If you don't, enable roaming and restart your phone.

[Cottagegirl]

I reactivated my phone from suspension while in Florida... today I did the add on for US roaming calls, text and data for our return to Ontario this week.

but my calls aren’t going through to family and friends in Ontario... it days dialing but does not connect... it disconnects after 20 seconds... any ideas what I’m doing wrong? My first time with this.

[HumbleBee]

I hope everyone is staying healthy! Now more than ever we need to connect to one another. Communication is key.

Thank you PM for helping the customers who are stuck in America with a credit back!

Those of us who are isolation need to have access to long distance and data. It would be a very good public image to provide free data(at any speed) and long distance to those who don't have it.

[Pawprints1986]

@CannonFodder I thought of that and decided to order direct through PM, I had heard rumor about amazon being critical things only some time yesterday or the day before.... 

[CannonFodder]

As per @Alan_K 's update, in the 1st post of this thread, I read a blurb, yesterday, on one of my regular tech sites, in which they mentioned exactly what Alan's update is about, i.e. Amazon is switching priorities on items they ship, and stuff that they deem more urgent to their customers' everyday well being, is getting bumped to the head of the line, and getting shipped ahead of things like tech parts, in which PM SIM cards would be included.

[Starshoot]

Thank you for the good gesture!

[Anonymous]

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@Pawprints1986 wrote:

But what if you are home and wish to call the US? Does that use your standard Canadian minutes of your regular plan, as you are in Canada and not roaming? 

Am I going to have trouble calling things like 1800 or 1866 type customer support numbers for credit cards? 

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You can call all the Canada/US toll frees you want (that don't geographically restrict themselves) with all of the plans except the data-only plan.

The 200 and 400 minute add-ons are for non-toll free. Only the $50 plan includes calling US non-toll frees.

Edit: ninja'd

[gblackma]

@Pawprints1986 1800 and 1866 number will be free and not count towards minutes. Since you will sign up for the $25 plan with unlimited Canada wide calls, calls within Canada will not be a problem. However calls to the US and internationally require an addon unless its the $50 US/Canada hybrid plan. TextNow is a workaround to the US. It also allows you to call within and from the US and Mexico to Canada over WiFi for free.

[Triguy]

You would need an add-on.  You can purchase 

200 U.S. & Canada Long Distance minutes $8

[Pawprints1986]

But what if you are home and wish to call the US? Does that use your standard Canadian minutes of your regular plan, as you are in Canada and not roaming? 

Am I going to have trouble calling things like 1800 or 1866 type customer support numbers for credit cards? 

[darlicious]

@Pawprints1986  To clarify...at Christmas public mobile gave all customers the holiday 1gb data add on and 400 international calling minutes add on. You had to go into your account and "purchase " each one for $0 to have them loaded onto your account.

[gblackma]

@Pawprints1986   add the TextNow voip app and use it via Wifi to make / receive / send calls and texts in Canada and to the United States for free. Or you can also use Google hangouts and Google dialer combined to make the same calls. 

[zblackma]

Yes @Pawprints1986 , unless you are on the $50 US/ Canada hybrid plan, you can either buy the 200 minute US $8 addon or the 400 minute international $15 addon to call from home to the US.

[Pawprints1986]

One thing I found unclear a few pages back (I'm a newbie) it had said something about adding free minutes so that we can connect with loved ones in the US.... 

Wouldn't it be the case that as long as we are in Canada ourselves, that calling out or taking a call would be free for us (with an unlimited minutes plan)? Do we need to purchase additional products in order to call the US from home ? Doesn't sound right so I'm hoping I read that wrong... Luckily it doesn't effect me right now, but just wondering for future reference

[Mreekster]

Busy signal by phone today again 

[zfx]

Been with PM for a year, never regret! Love PM!

[srlawren]

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@Alan_K wrote:

@srlawren I can definitely clarify. You would need to have pinged a US network and used at least part of the US roaming Add-On during the eligible time period. If you purchased a US Roaming Add-On but did not physically travel to the US, the credit back would not apply.

Customers must still purchase a US Roaming Add-On to get connected if they are in the states; it's not being added automatically for them, but they would receive credit back as long as they connected to a US network.

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Thank you very much @Alan_K.  So, in effect, it's both 1 AND 2.  Yeah that kind of makes sense.

[Alan_K]

@srlawren I can definitely clarify. You would need to have pinged a US network and used at least part of the US roaming Add-On during the eligible time period. If you purchased a US Roaming Add-On but did not physically travel to the US, the credit back would not apply.

Customers must still purchase a US Roaming Add-On to get connected if they are in the states; it's not being added automatically for them, but they would receive credit back as long as they connected to a US network.

[Dave007]

Just want to say thank-you to Public Mobile, for refunding our US Roaming Add-Ons. My wife and I were on our way to Florida a couple of weeks ago. Our trip was cut short due to Covid-19. We're back in Canada self-isolating and doing well (no symptoms). Our US roaming was fully credited today. THANK-YOU!  A big thumbs up to Public Mobile. 🙂

[srlawren]

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@Alan_K wrote:

• Eligible customers: Customers who have purchased and used any US Roaming Add-On from March 13 to April 30th, 2020. Note that usage of a US Roaming Add-On is mandatory.

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@Alan_K thank you for this!  However, I wanted to ask for clarity on the part in bold above, as it could be interpreted in a couple of different ways:

1) You have to actually use the purchased US Roaming add-on(s) (connect to a US tower at least?) in order to qualify for the credit back, OR

2) US roaming isn't being automatically enabled for everyone for free; you must still purchase the US Roaming add-on(s) you need--with a later credit back--to enable the services you need while away.

The two are quite different.  Interpretation 1 would mean you that if your trip got cancelled, you would be out the $'s you spent on any US Roaming add-on(s) during the applicable time period.  Interpretation 2 I do not believe carries that same implication.  

Could you please clarify?  Thank you!

[gblackma]

Yes @Cottagegirl  and don't forget to enable data and roaming and restart your phone. 

[Cottagegirl]

I didn’t know I could buy an add on After I reactivate and make payment.

so I reactivate and pay $20 then go back and add on US roaming? 

[gblackma]

@Cottagegirl  You may reactivate a suspended account online or by calling 611.
Via your account online
1. If you have already registered, or will first register, a credit card, go to step 2. OR deposit a voucher for at least your plan cost and go to step 3.
2. Go to the payment tab, select single payment and  amount due.
3. Select the reactivate account button.
4. Restart your phone.
or You can also use 611 to make your payment.:
1. press 1 to make payment
2. press 2 credit card ( or 1 voucher)
3. press 1 amount due.
4. Restart your phone.

Let us know if it works. Thanks Then buy your roaming addon. 

[hairbag1]

You MUST have an Active plan before you can get any add-ons. Make sure to add sufficient $$ to renew your plan for 30 days. If you wait until 90 days since after last renewal...that account is closed for good. You'd need a new sim and account.

[Cottagegirl]

Yes I’m almost at the end of my 90 day suspension ..reactivate by March 25

[hairbag1]

Log into My Account / Account Status section...scroll down until you find Purchase Add-ons.

Make sure you have sufficient $$ in Available Funds for the desired add-on. If not, put $$ there with your cc...then go back and buy the add-on.

Your base plan ($25) has to be Active for the 10 Day US Roaming add-on to work...so make sure it's up to date as well.

[gblackma]

@Cottagegirl here's an article on buying add ons.  https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/purchase-add-ons-through-self-serve . Is your account suspended? Are your services not working properly? Do you need to reactivate it? Thanks.