Upcoming Changes to our Old Rewards Program

[J_PM]

Hey Community,

We have an important announcement to share with our subscribers who are currently enrolled in our old Rewards program.

We’re making changes to our rewards program and are sharing how these changes impact some of our subscribers. Starting in May, we’ll be retiring our old Rewards program and moving all subscribers to our Public Points™ program. 

We launched the Public Points™ program in January 2022 to provide our subscribers with more ways to earn and spend rewards, with greater flexibility. As part of our commitment to continuously evolve our products and services, it's time to retire our old Rewards program and shift our focus on enhancing our Points program.

To show our appreciation for your continued loyalty, subscribers on our old Rewards program will receive a special thank you. We'll send you a text message when it has been added to your account by March 31st. 

We’re excited to continue providing you, our valued subscribers, more opportunities to earn and spend rewards with Public Points™ moving forward.

To learn more about your move to Public Points, check out our FAQ here.

The Public Mobile Team

[teatime_54321]

This is a massive downgrade in tough economic times for Canadians. We need affordability not pseudo flexibility.

The bonus offer’s conditions really shows the lack of consideration and good will:

“Valid for 150 days…The bonus data will remain active unless your account becomes inactive, you switch to a plan of lower value or to an incompatible plan.”

• Expiring data instead of rollover. 
• Public mobile only offering flexibility if you spend MORE. Not a secret that many people reported the $24/month 4gb “new subscriber only” plan was given as an option for people who were paying $15/month since it would cost them $9 more. People on the $25/month who would save $1 were not offered it. And in this case if you choose a more expensive plan you get to keep the bonus data. Try to downgrade to a less expensive plan? Lose the bonus data.
• If you’re already paying for the unlimited plans you get no bonus data since “incompatible”. Not even that your unlimited throttled speed will get faster speed up until your bonus data is used up. Just incompatible and you can watch it expire.

Make no mistake this is a price increase described as flexibility. You can see this based on the timing of the discontinuation notice of the legacy rewards plan and Public Mobile’s sister brand that starts with a K doing a $6 increase to their $29 Black Friday plans.

[Chalupa_Batman]

Hey @Handy1 

I ordered my Fizz SIM card last night. Porting out the one I did on Monday. I'll keep the other one here as I have 22 referrals on it for now. Guess time will tell what will happen. I'm hoping with enough pressure, they stop this stupid plan of theirs. I doubt but you never know.

[MikeyMcP1]

I will give it a little to see if they retract any of these decisions or offer better plan options to long-time customers. If they don't, I will sign up for Fizz's $29/month for 20GB at 4G speeds with a $14.50/month discount for the first 6 months.

[Handy1]

@Chalupa_Batman  Might be worth porting number out and create new account with the 4GB $24 new activation plan . I also think all user that have referrals should drop there plan down to one that there referrals cover the plan so PM makes no more money off us loyal folks time to boycot the theft 

[Dunkman]

---

@Kel_varnsen wrote:

Also it is not at all clear what you can get for points. I get that it is a $1 bill credit but other than that it is not clear. I found a link to a points catalog but the link is dead. Can you get any good add ons and how much do they cost?

---

@Kel_varnsen 

In the points catalogue, most of the add ons that are purchasable are discounted by about 5 points.

For example,

10 POINTS    1000 US Long Distance Minutes

25 POINTS      Unlimited U.S. Talk, Text and 3GB Data Bundle (15 days)

Most customers do not purchase many add ons, but there is a discount if you do purchase with points. 

[Chalupa_Batman]

I feel betrayed by Telus/Public Mobile. I was on a perfect plan, $25 5GB data. I didn't need any other plan. I didn't need the $34 Can/US plan. However, I got it for convenience and because I had the Legacy Rewards to compensate the difference.  I have TextNow free in the US with their SIM card. Once again, I didn't need the Can/US plan. Only thing that made me switch was because I had Legacy Rewards. If I knew Legacy Rewards were ending when I chose this plan last week, I wouldn't have upgraded. 

[Handy1]

@MikeyMcP1  There’s only one explanation PM dose not value you and you shouldn’t value them . If better deal comes along you should definitely take it . PM will rob and blindside you at every opportunity they get . 

[fixin]

---

@MikeyMcP1 wrote:

Can anyone explain why a new customer gets a better plan than long-time customers? With the change in points, our monthly bill will be higher than someone who signs up today.

---

Most phone carriers in Canada want to attract New Customers, retract existing customers to different providers.

[MikeyMcP1]

Can anyone explain why a new customer gets a better plan than long-time customers? With the change in points, our monthly bill will be higher than someone who signs up today.

[fixin]

---

@golfball wrote:

So if you're on the $15 plan ignoring referrals you only earn 0.75 of a point per month which takes 20 months to add up to 15 points for a bill credit, vs $2 minimum off from the start every month on the old rewards. What a huge downgrade.

---

Yeah, it is. 

Spoiler

I am asking the CSA's to overturn the rule since they will be confused as to why there is no people on PM anymore.

[golfball]

So if you're on the $15 plan ignoring referrals you only earn 0.75 of a point per month which takes 20 months to add up to 15 points for a bill credit, vs $2 minimum off from the start every month on the old rewards. What a huge downgrade.

[fixin]

---

@Kel_varnsen wrote:

The other annoying thing is as a loyal customer I don't have access to those really cheap plans available to new customers. Like on the homepage now a new customer can get a 4gb plan for $24 a month. I am stuck with 1gb for $25 and don't have access to that other plan. So I don't get my old rewards (especially my $5 loyalty reward) any more and can't change to a better deal plan, so why shouldn't I switch to another carrier? 

---

Yes, if they remove something, add something in!

[Kel_varnsen]

The other annoying thing is as a loyal customer I don't have access to those really cheap plans available to new customers. Like on the homepage now a new customer can get a 4gb plan for $24 a month. I am stuck with 1gb for $25 and don't have access to that other plan. So I don't get my old rewards (especially my $5 loyalty reward) any more and can't change to a better deal plan, so why shouldn't I switch to another carrier? 

[dwh1]

---

@eJonavin wrote:

Does it matter?. Presumably we’re all already on plans that fits our needs. The temporary data could be unlimited and it won’t matter.

---

Oh, the data matters - but not in a good way.  They are clearly hoping that some percentage of customers will use that extra data by doing things on their phone that they weren't doing, and that will become a habit that will lead them to upgrading their plan and spending more money.

Yes, the "gift" they are giving is the opportunity to spend more money down the road.

[Godzillaz]

Thats exactly why it matters... 99.9%+ of us dont need any extra data

They are removing $$$$ for this (in other words this data you dont need will COST you money... and then to add insult to injury the data expires once you dont use it)

[eJonavin]

Does it matter?. Presumably we’re all already on plans that fits our needs. The temporary data could be unlimited and it won’t matter.

[Godzillaz]

Not only are we losing $$$$ now but check out the FAQ

Our "bonus" reward for losing hundreds of dollars? They will give us a data bonus. That expires in less than a year.

[mikasik2]

So we can't even automatically apply points to our bill?

edteid by comptuergeek541: inappropriate language removed

[Godzillaz]

Public PREFERS points because vast majority of people never redeem them

Esp for older / younger / non-english crowds

A -$1 credit comes off your bill every month and most people never login to check

A +1 point goes on and needs to login, check balance, and remember to redeem. My strong guess is that points will most likely expire after a long enough time (if not yet watch, its coming)

[Kel_varnsen]

Well this is super annoying. I was on the old system and getting $14 of rewards credits each month. It made it super easy to budget when my phone bill was the same $11 a month each month. Plus it was always hilarious when other providers/telemarketers would call me and I told them I was only paying that much. It shut them down super fast.

Also it is not at all clear what you can get for points. I get that it is a $1 bill credit but other than that it is not clear. I found a link to a points catalog but the link is dead. Can you get any good add ons and how much do they cost?

[Godzillaz]

Sighs

Most likely this entire thread is a CCTS complaint just waiting to happen

As we do not receive invoices they have no way of notifying subscribers on bill before change

As we may not be primary user of phone (eg pay bill but give phone to parent or child) they have no was of notifying subscribers via text

As we may have our lines in suspended status or nonpayment status or simply not reading forums for a few months they have no way of notifying...

I cant see how this ends well. People tend to revolt when they lose money and EVERY one of the legacy subscribers was offered (and declined) switching over to new system years ago

[DisappointedWTH]

Why does Public Mobile not publicly state how much money, on average, that each loyal customer will be losing because of this rollover? Why are they trying to frame this like a good thing for me? I've worked out the math and all this does it increase my monthly bill significantly.

Count me out on this one, man. Gonna have to start shopping around again after so many years.

What a disappointment.

[sa7375]

PM! No, you never offered price matching, but please consider adding to your plans something matching Freedom Mobile's offer of  $119 for unlimited talk & text + 15 GB Data for a yearly plan. 

Managing 3 accounts for my family, and losing $7 just for my own account per month, the Freedom Mobile's offer looks attractive, and the next best alternative to my current subscription of $15 a month at PM.

So, please take away all my frills of autopay, loyalty, refer-a-friend etc., and let us start afresh at $119 a year plan. Off the cuff, I offer you my 3 accounts on this plan. Being with you since 2018, I would not just like, but love to continue. Please consider, and consider seriously. 

[mikasik2]

Remember when PM tried to make everyone on the 12GB / 90 Day plan to switch to Koodo?

Pepperidge Farm remembers..

[kylewm]

Yikes! This sounds like a PR nightmare. As a new customer, I never got to experience the rewards system, so this change doesn’t really affect me

[DeaB4]

I have a fairly inexpensive plan, but it will be about 32 percent for me. Total trash.

[szeng123]

A special thank you gift that expires after 150 days? What an amazing gift to your loyal customers.....

[ShawnC13]

The  comment was probably very sarcastic, or it doesn't affect this person.

[computergeek541]

---

@ean wrote:

Great news

---

Great news?  This annoucement is very bad for long time customers who are on the old rewards system.  The end result is customers paying more for the same service.

[ean]

Great news