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

[JamJam2]

That's exactly what the Bobs at Telus Corporate want. They want you to move from Public to Koodo. Move to PC mobile, Freedom, Lucky. Lots of good deals without rewarding Telus.

[Chops888]

• I have $6 in friend referrals. So it seems I can earn 6 points every month. So in a year that's 72 points.
• For my plan, your math is saying the $34 x 5% = 1.70 points. So in a year, I can earn about 20.4 points.
• And anniversary points would be 10 points.

For a total of 102.4 points = $102.40 of potential discount if I don't do anything else. Correct?

Old: $21 x 12 months = $252
New: $34 x 12 months ($408) - $102.40 discount = $305.60
Difference: $53.60 increase

[Crashtestdummy]

Been an ambassador to Public Mobile for over 5 years. Was their marketing department. Tech and general support when forum or referrals needed help. Steady revenue stream for the company from me, my referrals and their referrals and this forced upon inferior points system is how we get treated! Unbelievable!! Please consider how much your company will have to spend to get your loyal customers back once they leave!! 

You are making a big mistake Public Mobile!! 

[softech]

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@Chops888 wrote:

So what should I expect to see when my plan switches to Public Points?

My Current Plan and Old Rewards are:

• $34, 5G 
  
• $13 in rewards per month, leaving me a bill of $21.
  

Do I at least get $13 per month worth of value upon entering the new rewards (besides the one-time data bonus?)

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@Chops888 depends on how much friend referrals you have now.

The $2 autopay and the loyalty rewards will be gone.  But you will get the same friends referral rewards in points (assuming no change to the number of active friends).  You will pay the full $34 and earn 1.7 points (unless you have money in Available Funds now).  Once you have 15 points, you can redeem for $15 bill credit and bring down the next bill by $15

[Korth_]

@Chops888 

Points can be cashed in for $1 each. And you'll get 5 Points as a "Welcome Present".

You'll also get 5% of your spending back as Points. So you can effectively get the equivalent of your old $13 Rewards by spending $260 each billing cycle.

[Chops888]

So what should I expect to see when my plan switches to Public Points?

My Current Plan and Old Rewards are:

• $34, 5G 
  
• $13 in rewards per month, leaving me a bill of $21.
  

Do I at least get $13 per month worth of value upon entering the new rewards (besides the one-time data bonus?)

[ShawnC13]

@Zahir_h, I doubt that could be taken as the comment that PM put on the Fall  Promo where they said the price would never change.  Just says there were no plans to force people to migrate 2 years ago.  Plans change I guess

[Wolfcore]

I wasn't referring to buying data directly from them. There are far better options once you enter the US. Could just buy a cheap sim card with plenty of data for example.

Fizz promo ends after 6 months, but their regular price is almost identical to PM, so you're really just saving some extra money for 6 months.

Freedom ends after 24 months, but as we all know, a lot changes in 2 years, so by then, there will be a new plan to switch to anyway.

[computergeek541]

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@fixin wrote:

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@Nikkk wrote:

I have the 5G plan yet my phone hasn't gone to 5G once.  s20 5G if you're wondering. 

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Ohhhh, Public Mobile released 5G after the S20 lineup got its last major update. LTE-A is just as good as 5G speeds. Some people reported that LTE speeds in GTA were about the same as 5G (TELUS users say that they get 510mbps on LTE-A & 550 on 5G SA.)

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I've got a result of 920Mbps before on LTE.

[Crashtestdummy]

Congrats Public Mobile!! 

The legacy rewards were sufficient that I never felt the need to shop around for a better plan from anywhere else - I've just periodically switched to a better PM plan whenever I saw one. I will now be regularly looking to competitors for a better deal. I've also downgraded my plan in the meantime while shopping. 

No incentive for loyalty and your subscribers marketing referrals on your behalf means you get none from our friends and family.

Wish you luck. 

[Zahir_h]

 No T&C about is.  So I am assuming that this should be sufficient for a CCTS.  The only way we can communicate with PM is via this forum.  And that J-PM is a representative for PM one can take this at face value that they will not convert existing clients to the new rewar site. 

[Anna320]

I have been a loyal customer for over 5 years. You promised that every year, we'll get another $1 off and eventually our plan will be free. When you rolled out your new points plan, you said we could keep our existing reward plan.

I have $9 in loyalty & referral rewards a month. You're taking this away. I will be switching away from Public Mobile, as are everyone I ever referred. What the heck do you think you're doing??

[fixin]

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@Wolfcore wrote:

Yeah, I didn't mention the $34 because not everybody got that plan. I simply used the current and cheapest available plan that includes US data.

Regardless, same sentiment stands. Even $5 is $60 a year. Depending how many times you visit the US, you may not even use $60 worth of data. Anyway, like I said, I don't believe that there's a large percentage of PM users that are traveling to the US this frequently, and using $60-120 worth of data anyway, so the extra money isn't worth it for most people.

As for PC being owned by Bell, and them laying off workers, I think once we start expanding the goalposts to external factors like that, it would just get messy. Telus isn't any better, and don't get me started on the sham of "bell let's talk", and all the corruption behind that either.

PC is also just one option, there are plenty of others out there, and I'm sure more will come as a result of this situation, and there being a ton of disgruntled customers. Other companies are definitely going to step in and try and scoop these subscribers up.

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Freedom & Fizz are total deal breakers for US data at a low price, other than that they both go up (6 months on fizz & 24 months on Freedom.)

PC is good, they did just introduce 5G plans. May be a dealbreaker for some people.

[ninjastar]

I have no reason or desire to visit the US. If I go anywhere international, I buy their local sim card and done. 

[Wolfcore]

Yeah, I didn't mention the $34 because not everybody got that plan. I simply used the current and cheapest available plan that includes US data.

Regardless, same sentiment stands. Even $5 is $60 a year. Depending how many times you visit the US, you may not even use $60 worth of data. Anyway, like I said, I don't believe that there's a large percentage of PM users that are traveling to the US this frequently, and using $60-120 worth of data anyway, so the extra money isn't worth it for most people.

As for PC being owned by Bell, and them laying off workers, I think once we start expanding the goalposts to external factors like that, it would just get messy. Telus isn't any better, and don't get me started on the sham of "bell let's talk", and all the corruption behind that either.

PC is also just one option, there are plenty of others out there, and I'm sure more will come as a result of this situation, and there being a ton of disgruntled customers. Other companies are definitely going to step in and try and scoop these subscribers up.

[GKPublic]

Thanks for the reply, Burdwood.  Just to summarize for everyone else: if you switch plans, your loyalty data is forfeited.

[ShawnC13]

@dabr is this the post you were looking for? https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Introducing-Public-Points-Rewards/m-p/7...

[fixin]

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@Nikkk wrote:

I have the 5G plan yet my phone hasn't gone to 5G once.  s20 5G if you're wondering. 

---

Ohhhh, Public Mobile released 5G after the S20 lineup got its last major update. LTE-A is just as good as 5G speeds. Some people reported that LTE speeds in GTA were about the same as 5G (TELUS users say that they get 510mbps on LTE-A & 550 on 5G SA.)

[fixin]

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@Wolfcore wrote:

U.S roaming is a nice perk, but the reality is that most people aren't traveling to the U.S so often that they need to have this. You're also most likely paying for it on your bill anyway. For example, Let's say you were to go with PC's $29 plan (25GB 5G). Sure, for an extra $10 you can have PM's plan which includes that U.S data (and more data in general), but that's also costing you an extra $120 a year. If the 25gb is more than enough for you, and you only go to the US once or twice a year, then you wouldn't spend anywhere near that $120 per year on data. So in the end, you'll save more by using PC's plan.

Really depends what type of user you are, but I don't think the vast majority of PM's current subscriber base are traveling to the US that often, to justify the extra cost.

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I am going to the states possibly a couple of times this year or next year & I will be outside of Wi-Fi and be doing speed tests, and plus if you got it before march 4th it was $34 for 50GB 5G, only a $60 a year increase from PC mobile.

PC is somewhat operated by Bell, which lays off workers any chance they get. Always during the 'Bell Let's Talk' season.

[Wolfcore]

U.S roaming is a nice perk, but the reality is that most people aren't traveling to the U.S so often that they need to have this. You're also most likely paying for it on your bill anyway. For example, Let's say you were to go with PC's $29 plan (25GB 5G). Sure, for an extra $10 you can have PM's plan which includes that U.S data (and more data in general), but that's also costing you an extra $120 a year. If the 25gb is more than enough for you, and you only go to the US once or twice a year, then you wouldn't spend anywhere near that $120 per year on data. So in the end, you'll save more by using PC's plan.

Really depends what type of user you are, but I don't think the vast majority of PM's current subscriber base are traveling to the US that often, to justify the extra cost.

[Nikkk]

I have the 5G plan yet my phone hasn't gone to 5G once.  s20 5G if you're wondering. 

[LitlLdy]

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@Chalupa_Batman wrote:

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@ninjastar wrote:

Yup, any of the Bell subsidiaries will work. Look at PC mobile. We collect PC points anyway. 

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Only issue is you can't use them in the US. No roaming packages. 

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True but you can get a TextNow SIM, choose a Canadian # or US # and use it for free calling and texting in US without needing to connect to Wi-Fi to use it.

[fixin]

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@Nikkk wrote:

Well I just emailed lucky and told them there is gonna be a bunch of pissed off public clients come May.

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Lucky Mobile is better in one way and worse in two ways

• Lucky Mobile has actual call centres.

But here are the downsides

• No 5G.
• No USA roaming at all.

[terrywkw]

Can't wait to see what they have to offer. 

[Nikkk]

Well I just emailed lucky and told them there is gonna be a bunch of pissed off public clients come May.

[Chalupa_Batman]

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@ninjastar wrote:

Yup, any of the Bell subsidiaries will work. Look at PC mobile. We collect PC points anyway. 

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Only issue is you can't use them in the US. No roaming packages. 

[ninjastar]

Yup, any of the Bell subsidiaries will work. Look at PC mobile. We collect PC points anyway. 

[JamJam2]

Remember to NOT go to Telus or Koodo either when you switch out so the Bob's at corporate don't get rewarded when people switch to Koodo.

Drive traffic away from Telus and their subsidiaries.

[Soon-ex-PM-user]

Looks like Telus is hurting.  Just only 'the strongest fourth quarter on record' as per their tweet 🤫 https://twitter.com/TELUSNews/status/1755928158119891006

[dna20161]

I'm actually quite surprised it took this long for PM to discontinue all the old rewards, I was always wondering when this day would come.  Kind of sad, and somewhat disrespectful, that the bonus data you're offering us loyal customers is only going to be valid for 150 days, would think you'd try a little harder to try and retain these customers that clearly have been loyal to PM for so many years.  But again not surprised of this move, pretty much no different than any other provider.  PM used to be very unique, pre Telus takeover. Maybe part of the plan is to lose business and eventually shut down PM entirely, ever since Telus took over they've tried doing quite a bit to make existing customers angry and disappointed.  But at the end of the day Telus is looking at their bottom line and apparently they feel this change is worth the risk.  I've been with PM for I think over 10 years, once this switch happens I'll definitely be keeping an eye open with other providers (never had to look before), and will be doing the same with all the family members I've helped switch over as well, it's too bad, but this was expected.  Was a fun ride while it lasted, lol.