Add-ons US - 15day consecutive...?

[Orange123]

Hi community!

I am going to the US for 36hrs due to work. I need minutes and data (for personal use). 

When I look up the Add-ons in the US, they always state '15-day'. However, when I read the fine print, I did not see mentioned anywhere that the 15 days is consecutive.... 

Has anyone experience roll-over for data/minutes not used of add-ons purchased for a trip to the US?

If no, is there anyway to be billed for the data/minutes used instead of a pre-defined add-on? If somebody did; was it costly? Haha

Any other suggestions are welcomed!

Thx!

[darlicious]

@Orange123 

I think you've got it. There are no overages or extra billing at pm. So you don't have to worry about that. If something works...great! It's included. If you try something and it doesn't work you know that you either need to purchase the service in advance or it's just not offered or available to pm customers.

Use the textnow option with call forwarding. Set your phone's network mode to 4G LTE only just before you enable airplane mode at departure. Before you leave add some top up funds to your account balance. Try this via 611 so you can not only test that your 4 digit account pin # works but your credit card on file works as well. This way at any time you feel the need to purchase a US Roaming add on you will have the funds available via 611, 1 855 4PUBLIC (and enter your 10 digit phone #) or self serve with both funds in your account balance or access to your credit card.

Otherwise wifi is available nearly everywhere in a large city. Your hotel, the airport, fast food locations, restaurants and bars etc.... so you can probably get by just on wifi.

FYI....for info on the 2G network in Florida it's not great. In Miami the majority of the towers are located in the "downtown core", the airport, the southern end of Miami beach (south of venetian way) and sporadically along the dolphin expressway and biscayne boulevard. Otherwise 2G coverage in greater Miami is poor. Only purchase a US Roaming data add on if you really need to....the talk+text bundle isn't worth it.

[hairbag1]

@Orange123 

if you'll only be in US for 36 hours or so, then no problem buying the add-on just before you leave Canada.

[softech]

@Orange123   yes.. basically yes, 

you can try to connect to X person using other platform using Wifi  like

a) VoIP app TextNow, which you will be sending him text on your new 10 digits number you got from TextNow

b) on other app2app platform like Whatsapp, iMessage, Skype, etc

[Orange123]

Hi,

Thank you for answering my 'basic' questions! Haha

So, in a nutshell, if I don't buy add-ons (tex/call/data), I will:

- connect to T-Mobile once I get into the US (because I can receive incoming texts for free)

- if I receive texts from X, I respond to X person on another platform because I did not buy add-on for texts.

- I will not need to turn any settings off

- I just need to connect to the wifi when there is some for free

- if I receive texts, I repond to Xperson on another platform because I did not buy add-on for texts.

Did I get all that right?

Thx!

Thx!

[softech]

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@Orange123 wrote:

Hi,

Thx for your answer!

If I don't buy anything (add-ons) for my trip to the US, can you tell me:

1- Do I still need to connect to T-Mobile in order to use the free Wifi in X place?

2- Do I need to turn off something so I don't get calls or texts?

3- If I do get calls (which I will not answer) or texts (which I will not respond to): will I be charged for the incoming calls/texts?

Thx!!

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1.  you can certainly use hotel Wifi or mall's free wifi  even without any add-on and no need to connect to any Mobile network. Getting Wifi from airports, hotels, malls, stores, restaurants is  not related with your Mobile service

2.  Even without any roaming, as long as you connect to T-Mobile, you can receive text for free.  But you cannot reply or send text and you won't get incoming call

3.  PM is prepaid provider, if you didn't pay, you won't get the service.  And you don't have to worry you got some service by accident and PM will charge you

Without Roaming, you cannot get incoming calls and you cannot make calls or send texts.  But again, you can incoming text for free

[Orange123]

Hi,

Thx for your answer!

If I don't buy anything (add-ons) for my trip to the US, can you tell me:

1- Do I still need to connect to T-Mobile in order to use the free Wifi in X place?

2- Do I need to turn off something so I don't get calls or texts?

3- If I do get calls (which I will not answer) or texts (which I will not respond to): will I be charged for the incoming calls/texts?

Thx!!

[softech]

@Orange123   Yes, you can try to buy Roaming Talk and Text, but according to some post, you might not be able to connect to T-Mobile's 2G network and hence Voice won't work.  You can buy and try , worst case, open a ticket and PM support will refund you the money

Again, best to download a VoIP app TextNow as a backup.  You can use it anywhere with Wifi.  People cal reach you on the new 10 digits number you got from TextNow.  Now an ideal situation if you need your personal number, but better than nothing

Local Sim= travaveller sim card.  Go to a Walmart or some mobile store, tell them you need a mobile data prepaid sim card and they will tell you which one is best to get. 

[Orange123]

Hi,

What do you mean a local SIM card? From a cie in the US? Can I use it with my actual phone number?

Thx!

[Orange123]

Hi,

Thx for your answers.

Can you clarify the intent of waiting to be in the US to buy add-on? I will only be in the US (Miami) for 36hrs consecutively and not an hour more (in the US) for the next 40days. I need to use my personal number for calls and data when I am not in a place where there is wifi. 

Thx!

[BKNS27]

@Orange123 

Add-on start on a conservative 360 hours once the Add-on is purchased.

Since you only need 36 hours of calling/texting service. Use WhatsApp or TextNow app through wifi for free calling/texting. You can connect to the office or hotel wifi to use.

[darlicious]

@Orange123 

Public Mobile is prepaid so there are no options for pay per use service. If using your pm number is not essential then purchasing a US Roaming data add on is the least expensive option that will maximize your ability to use all services via textnow. As previously mentioned you will be able to recieve pm SMS and incoming calling if you call forward your pm phone # to your textnow phone #. You can use textnow for free on wifi and when not you will use mobile data. The approximate usage is 0.5mb/1min or 250mb=500min.

If you are on the points program then consider redeeming points for your US Roaming add ons as they are discounted in the redemption catalogue.

• $10/250mb data=5pts ($5)
• $20/1gb data=15pts ($15)
• $15/talk+text bundle=10pts ($10)

And so on....

Where in the US are you traveling to? Since you will only be in the US for 36 hours you can purchase the US Roaming add on of your choosing the day before you leave as the 15 day expiry will have no affect on your time in the US.

[benfatto]

@Orange123  If calling is critical do not buy the calling add on as service is extremely variable. Better a local SIM, or as already suggested only data with TextNow app. 

[hairbag1]

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@Orange123 wrote:

Hi,

Thx for the infos but I'm not sure I understand correctly. The cheapest plan to buy would be $15 call/text + $10 data (250Mo). I'm not sure how your suggestion is cheaper. Can you clarify how your's would be less expensive?...Not less expensive

1. You mention to 'buy' the add-on talk/text and I will have 360hrs(= 24hrs x 15days) to talk/text. Does that mean I buy *before leaving* the cheapest ($15) add-on from Public Mobile for call/text (for my trip in the US)?...plan your purchase strategically. You'll have 360 hours of talk / text while in US. I used to buy the roaming add-on at the first opportunity in US, I'd find a nearby Walmart, log in to my PM account...then buy the roaming add-on I wanted. That way, I maximized use rather than buying it a day or 2 ahead of time in Canada.

2- When you mention to manually select T-mobile once in the US, do you mean for data?...in your phones setting...manually select T-Mobile as your preferred network. AT&T and Verizon and all others won't work.

3. Does Public Mobile only use T-Mobile in the US? ...yes..T-Mobile only.... AT&T, Verizon and all others will fail to work with the PM add-on.

4. For buying add-ons when I get to a place with free wifi in the US, do you mean buy the cheapest one (250mo = $10)on Public Mobile website?...I mean once you get to Walmart, log in to your account and purchase the 15 Day US Roaming add-on of your choice. (the 15 Day Talk / Text / 3GB Data Bundle is $30)

(You can select on Talk / Text if you want.  You can select Data only if you want) Choice is yours.

Talk / Text will last 360 hours once you successfully "buy". The data will last 360 hours OR until you use up the data amount you've bought.

Thx!

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[Yummy]

US add-on is 15 days in one shot. Use it or lose it. You cannot carry it over and use 3 days one month, 5 days another, etc.

[softech]

@Orange123 PM only uses TMOBILE for roaming

$10 for 250 Mb is the least data you can get. 

If you are in US for not long, i suggest you just get that and use VoIp app for voice.  Connecting data on TMOBILE 4G network 8s relatively easy, connecting voice on TMOBILE 2G is troublesome

[Orange123]

Hi,

Thx for the infos but I'm not sure I understand correctly. The cheapest plan to buy would be $15 call/text + $10 data (250Mo). I'm not sure how your suggestion is cheaper. Can you clarify how your's would be less expensive?

1. You mention to 'buy' the add-on talk/text and I will have 360hrs(= 24hrs x 15days) to talk/text. Does that mean I buy *before leaving* the cheapest ($15) add-on from Public Mobile for call/text (for my trip in the US)?

2- When you mention to manually select T-mobile once in the US, do you mean for data?

3. Does Public Mobile only use T-Mobile in the US? 

4. For buying add-ons when I get to a place with free wifi in the US, do you mean buy the cheapest one (250mo = $10)on Public Mobile website?

Thx!

[hairbag1]

@Orange123 

for the moment you "buy" the talk/text add-on...you have exactly 360 hours of unlimited Canada and US calling while in US. Same applies to send/rec texts while in US.

Be aware that text should be ok, but talk can be kinda iffy at best.

Once you arrive in US, manually select T-Mobile as your preferred network. Depending on where you're headed...service could range from non-existant to sorta ok. I found it to be ok in larger centers but deminishes as you get more into rural areas. Reports from customers in Alaska,...no service at all there.

Make your purchase at first opportunity in US...use free wifi at Walmart to log in to your count to buy the roaming add-ons.  DO NOT buy more than 1 of the same add-on....it'll foul if you do.

Once the 360 hours has expired, wait until midnight to buy it again, if you need to.

[darlicious · Accepted solution]

@Orange123 

15 days consecutive days before expiry that's all that is offered. You can recieve pm SMS texts without any roaming add ons. If you will have access to wifi you can download textnow and choose a Canadian phone #. Call forward your pm number to your textnow number to recieve incoming pm calls while on wifi or mobile data. You must be careful to not connect to a US tower with 2G network as that would erase your call forwarding back to default voicemail. Changing your voicemail greeting to include your textnow number can allow for callers to still contact you if that occurs but changing your network mode to 4G LTE only should prevent you from connecting to 2G.

Voice calls use T-Mobile's 2G network in the US. The 2G network is pretty comprehensive on the east side of the US but is mostly only in urban areas in the west. Check out the info in the following post as well as the original post of that thread that explains US Roaming.

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/US-Roaming-Add-ons-Decommissioning-of-US-...

[softech]

@Orange123 the roaming addons were used to be 10 days and they just changed it to 15 days around 2 weeks ago.  No, there is no shorter period of time 

are you going for data?  would the 1GB data work in your case?  If you are getting the voice, then I guess you can use VoIP app like TextNow and uses it with WiFi to save money.

[Handy1]

@Orange123  US roaming plans are 15 days started from the moment you purchase it and is needed for Pm use while in the USA