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

[wetcoaster]

---

@RetiredGuy1 wrote:

For potential new subscribers on a tight budget looking for a $15 prepaid plan with 250MB of data, it looks like there is currently only 5 choices now (since the new PM $15 plan has no data anymore):

Lucky - 100 minutes/unlimited text and 250 MB data (with auto pay) at 4G speed                                                                
Virgin - 100 minutes/unlimited text and promo offer of 250 MB (with auto pay) at 4G speed                                                                                                                     
Chatr - 100 minutes/unlimited text and 250 MB data (with auto pay) at 3G speed                            
                       
Koodo - 100 minutes/unlimited text and 250 MB data (with auto pay) at 3G speed

Telus - limited time offer - 100 minutes/unlimited text and 250 MB bonus data (with auto pay) at 4G speed

---

Thanks for the compilation. Was about to go scrape together that information myself.

This means that the grandfathered PM $15/100 outgoing minutes/250MB is the only one that doesn't require autopay? Also, autopay being a requirement with the other providers means that those plans continue to be not as straightforward to suspend and reactivate as the ones here...

Hm, might need to rethink strategy on one account, then... We have one old $15 plan that we intended to abandon after this billing cycle, we don't need to keep the number. It was worth maintaining it for family from overseas for $7 or $8 ($28 - $48/year beating the SpeakOut cost and features (cheapest data plan $25 and no MMS on basic plans)), at $15 (min $60) with expiring data, and their home provider's roaming options being sooo much cheaper now, I don't see the point of keeping it alive anymore. While all data add-ons are all used up, free non-expiring minutes (1500 CW + 1000 international LD, incl. CW = more than 40 hours) remain intact. Just because it's no use to us anymore, it can be a good plan for someone on low usage that needs a bit of data, say for RCS/iMessage/WhatsApp on the road, and isn't in Freedom native coverage...

[RetiredGuy1]

---

@EdN wrote:

We made it 👍🏻

More than 5000 responses before May 1st 

---

While there is a core group of regular posters who contribute to the counts for this thread, the fact that there are now over ONE-QUARTER MILLION views with only 28 bravos speaks volumes towards what has to be one of (if not) the most unpopular announcement any telecom has ever made (certainly for PM anyway)

[fixin1]

@eyes - There may be a chance of the old customers of the $15 plan with 250MB getting offers or transferred over to the unlimited talk text $15 plan.

[fixin1]

@Bester30 - At least people who are on the $15 250MB plan with 100min outgoing calls keep it unless they switch to another plan including the $15 unlimited talk & text.

Also the competition has $15 100min calling but with 250MB when on autopay.

[Bester30]

Removing the 250 mb of data from the $15 plan is absolutely ridiculous PM. You need to do better.

[PrizmalEDM]

Yeah I can't wait to try and use up all my 19472147 gb of bonus data!! wooooo I'll definitely chug away at it

[PrizmalEDM]

I remember seeing this too! Can someone follow up on this information?

[SandyC]

How do we second your complaint or add on to your complaint with the CCTS? 

[PrizmalEDM]

Please let us keep old rewards system, you guys promised to let us keep the old system yet now change is imminent. 😞

[PrizmalEDM]

Yo you got screenshots lined up that's sick. But yeah same where is my "240 GB of bonus data" that they texted they were gonna gift us?? So misleading and full of lies

[ShawnC13]

@Dunkman , the accounts I manage that were on the $29/20 plan I have made the switch as well.  Luckily I have 2 that are on the $29/30.  I agree PM isn't doing anything for the lower cost plans $15-20 and I get the feeling that there is no intention to drive/improve this area for the consumers.

[SailorJay]

Very sad to see you scrapping your loyalty rewards and cutting the auto-pay reward. You're adding more than $60 a year to my bill with this horrible change. I have been a very long-time, loyal customer, but this change will have me switching to another company in the coming months. Shame on you, Public Mobile. Bought out by another greedy big telecom company so bye bye go the rewards for supporting a company with a different way of thinking. Very sad.

[LitlLdy]

---

@ZeroFear3k wrote:

"Here's what to expect on your first day with Public Points.Your existing bill credits will be lost, but we promise to make it up to you."

I have a lot of credit in $$$. You're telling me that's gonna be wiped out?

---

@ZeroFear3k , No, you won’t lose any leftover rewards from the old program. Any credits earned up to May 2024 will remain on your account and be applied to your future bills.

You will no longer earn $1 every 30 days for every year (up to $5 every 30 days) you’ve been with Public Mobile.

You will no longer earn $2 every 30 days when you subscribe and enable pre-authorized charges on your payment method.

You can read about it there ->  “Moving to Public Points” 

[fillione]

@ZeroFear3k that's pretty much it. But you'll be getting a little bit of points instead...

[ZeroFear3k]

"Here's what to expect on your first day with Public Points.Your existing bill credits will be lost, but we promise to make it up to you."

I have a lot of credit in $$$. You're telling me that's gonna be wiped out?

[Dunkman]

---

@fillione wrote:

Sorry if this question has already been asked, but does anyone know what it means to "opt out" when opening a ticket in regards to the transition towards the points program?

---

@fillione 

Customers can send a ticket to Customer service agent to discuss the transition from legacy rewards to the points system in May. 

However, legacy customer can't opt out of the forced migration from legacy to points reward program in May.  

After the migration to points system, customers can opt out of the points system, but then the customer will not get any rewards going forward.  

[fillione]

Sorry if this question has already been asked, but does anyone know what it means to "opt out" when opening a ticket in regards to the transition towards the points program?

[RetiredGuy1]

Nope, didn’t miss that, I specifically said for those looking for 250 MB of data. The new PM plan has removed the data. You can add on 200MB of data for $5 but then it becomes a $20 plan in effect

[Wolfcore]

Or if you're on a tight budget, but are good at managing your money, there are also the Freedom yearly plans, which all fall under $15 mark.

[RetiredGuy1]

For potential new subscribers on a tight budget looking for a $15 prepaid plan with 250MB of data, it looks like there is currently only 5 choices now (since the new PM $15 plan has no data anymore):

Lucky - 100 minutes/unlimited text and 250 MB data (with auto pay) at 4G speed                                                                
Virgin - 100 minutes/unlimited text and promo offer of 250 MB (with auto pay) at 4G speed                                                                                                                     
Chatr - 100 minutes/unlimited text and 250 MB data (with auto pay) at 3G speed                            
                       
Koodo - 100 minutes/unlimited text and 250 MB data (with auto pay) at 3G speed

Telus - limited time offer - 100 minutes/unlimited text and 250 MB bonus data (with auto pay) at 3G (?) speed

[on2wheels]

@ATHENS I would not rely on those being applied again. That screen you see could easily be the rewards applied on the current bill period. Besides I doubt we'll get that lucky.

I noticed there's a $21 plan on the PM front page now. But Freedom mobile has annual plans for much cheaper than we've ever had here, seems like a good alternative once our discounts end.

[RetiredGuy1]

The CCTS just released their Mid-Year report for the period covering Aug 1/23 - Jan 31/24 (a few weeks before the announcement of PMs forced migration to Points). Rogers was noted as being the leader in complaints. Here is a link to the Media Release:

https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/mid-year-report-2023-2024-complaints-about-phone-internet-and-tv-services-...

Any bets on who will take over that title when they release their 2023-24 Year-End report in a few months?

[DownEast]

Those are the Rewards you have now and were applied to your April 25 bill, but you can expect that on the Next plan cycle you'll be switched to points.

[Dunkman]

Public mobile should have introduced the new $25 plan for 20 GB LTE data earlier ($75 for 60 GB for 90 days).  Would have prevented some customers from leaving Public mobile.  

Most of my managed plans are the $29 plan.  Now I am going to switch to $25 x 3 for 90 days.  Save ]$4/month then from before.  Once the legacy rewards is converted to points in May, I will lose $7/month in monthly rewards.  Then the "price" increase of $3/month is easier to accept than $7/month.  

Unfortunately, these new plans really don't help the $15 legacy plan users who lose $7/month rewards. 

[RetiredGuy1]

@fixin1  Interesting that Telus has a “limited time offer” of a $15 prepaid plan with 250MB data (with autopay) while PM just changed their $15 plan to remove data

[fixin1]

@RetiredGuy1 - Yes, it is odd for Belus (Bell & TELUS) not bothering to take up 1-2 plan cards for a $15 plan.

Also side note that TELUS Prepaid also offers the $15 250MB autopay plan. But it is prepaid not postpaid.

[RetiredGuy1]

Yeah, I agree they delegate it to their flanker brands. I just found it odd that Bell and Telus couldn’t even bother to at least promote it on their own brand websites as the CRTC expects them to do.

[fixin1]

@RetiredGuy1 - They may or may not just carry it over to their flanker brands.

Fido has a postpaid $15 250MB data. A hand-me-down from Rogers.

Virgin has a $15 250MB data plan also. Bell hand-me-down.

Koodo has the $15 250MB post paid plan. Telus hand-me-down.

Also it doesn't apply to Freedom, since Freedom was not listed in the 2021 mandate.

[RetiredGuy1]

@hkjhkj 

Agreed, and for those interested, here is the CRTC backgrounder link:

https://www.canada.ca/en/radio-television-telecommunications/news/2021/04/decision-on-mobile-wireles...

I find this part interesting:

The CRTC expects SaskTel, Bell, Telus and Rogers to offer and promote, on their premium brands, postpaid occasional-use plans that will have the following attributes:

• Maximum $15∕month
• Minimum 100 minutes for outgoing Canada-wide calls
• Unlimited incoming calls
• Unlimited incoming/outgoing text messages
• 250 MB of data
• No data overage charges
• Bring your own device

By interesting, I mean I only see Telus promoting the $15 plan on their own (premium brand) website (“Get 250MB of data for $15 or 3GB of data for $35 at 3G speeds. Available only at Koodo). Bell and Rogers don’t appear to do the same.

[EdN]

When my referrals pack up and leave i probably will too.  After getting shafted by PM for loyalty rewards I'm done beating the drum for them, the price of my plan has effectively been raised by $4/month.