Account Top Up and Credit Card Questions

[vgen_2000]

Hello,

I've been using Public Mobile for many years and we've always use the payment method of making a lump sum payment which would lasts for a few months.

However, my credit card has expired and when I try to update it, it now said I have to agree to autopay. We do not want to do autopay. 

One of the Agents I've communicated with previously indicated that he can make it so that we don't have to do autopay and just pay a specific amount each time with a credit card. Would you be able to help me with this please?

Another question: Would Public Mobile accept Koho Prepaid Credit Cards and PC Prepaid Credit Cards to use for payments?

Thank you for your help and we look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,
Vivian

[vgen_2000]

Wonderful! Thanks @Grinch 

[Grinch]

Exhausted = zero balance.  
And best if has not yet reached its expiry date. 

[vgen_2000]

Thank you very much @Grinch and @slusagm ! 

By an "exhaused prepaid credit card," do you mean a prepaid credit card that has $0 balance on it? Tx.

[Grinch]

Exactly. But you need to know that auto pay does, occasionally fail, unbeknownst to the customer. 

[Grinch]

That’s 100% false. Their policy along with Telus prepaid is payment comes from balance first. 

Not the only way..,,also put an exhausted prepaid card on your auto pay set up….. will work for this purpose. 

[slusagm]

@vgen_2000 if you worry about payment error, as long as you have an active card on the system, PM can still charge you even you too up ahead

Only way to avoid is to remove card and pay using voucher. 

[vgen_2000]

Hi @Grinch , thank you very much for your detailed explanation about autopay. The reason why we don't want to do autopay is that we don't want any unexpected/error funds being charged to our accounts. In other words, we want to maintain control of our funds and where they went.

No worries about the double spacing. Your message is still clear.

[Grinch]

I think that most long term customers that use the lump sum prepayment do have auto-pay set up as the previous rewards program gave $2 off your monthly payment just for having auto pay set up.

Paying in lump sum has its pros. 
1. Pay ahead and not worry about having auto pay fail and have an unexpected loss of service and time to rectify. 
2. You have a period of time to not worry about payments, especially if you are away. 

The cons are.

1. Loss of bank interest.☹️

2. Loss of funds if you port out.
3. No reassurance that if you port out that your credit card on file doesn’t get compromised. 
4. Must manage your lump sum payments. 

Conclusion is. I do same as you, but have no concerns about auto pay being in place. If and when I need to port out or no longer require cell service I will put an exhausted prepaid credit card on my account for auto pay. Or a funded prepaid  card, then use it in full,  for groceries or gas. I guess you could also suspend service first, if you don’t port out. 

And do keep in mind payments always come from your balance first, and before your auto pay credit card set up. 

Sorry about the double spacing….is a PITA and not done by me. 

[vgen_2000]

Hi @hTideGnow and @Handy1  I wonder if a Prepaid Visa card from USA would work? I've received one of those from some volunteer work that I've done.

[vgen_2000]

Hi @hTideGnow , thanks! What an interesting thought. If I add a Prepaid credit card to My Account, I would like to use it for actual payments. Tx.

[vgen_2000]

Hi @hTideGnow and @Handy1 . Thanks! I think I will play it safe and not turn "subscribe/subscription" off since I may not remember to pay in time and I don't want to get to the point where I don't have any more funds in my account and service got cut off. 

[hTideGnow]

hi @vgen_2000 some wise men from before will suggest you to add a $0 prepaid credit card on the system so the autopay will not success.  But at the same time, you cannot use that to load money ahead of renewal so you need to use voucher to pay instrad

[hTideGnow]

hi @Handy1 

this is confusing I know. But from what I understand, turning off Subscribed means to opt out renewal and not the same as turning off Autopay in the old site

[vgen_2000]

Thanks @hTideGnow . This is helpful information. I will see if a Public Mobile Agent will offer me another method as well. Tx.

[Handy1]

@hTideGnow  And @vgen_2000  its my understanding that with auto subscribe off if you have funds loaded to the account it will still renew . It’s just if you don’t have available funds loaded and auto pay off it won’t renew . But even if it didn’t renew you have 90 days to make manually payments payment and resume services and be able to keep you plan and number . Correct me if I’m wrong @hTideGnow 

[hTideGnow]

hi @vgen_2000 yes, don't turn off Subscription, it won't renew 

if you don't want autopay but want the service still, you need to manually top up ahead of time using the credit card on the system

another way is to ask agent to remove credit card, then use voucher to load money ahead of renewal 

 the two card you mentioned above will work  for payment.  But again, don't turn off Subscribed 

[vgen_2000]

Thank you very much Handy1. If I turn off the subscription, wouldn't that mean that I am no longer subscribed to the plan that I have since many years ago - i.e. a cheaper plan that they don't offer anymore? Tx.

[Handy1]

@vgen_2000  You can agree then turn auto pay (subscribe ) off and make manually payments or buy payment vouchers from shoppers and load it *611  and for pre paid I know pre paid visa and Mastercard should work not sure about the other you mentioned 

Turn auto subscribe off/on