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Can't Make a Payment or Update Your Card? How to use a Voucher

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@J_PM 

Given all the trouble customers are having now that "user-friendly" mobile self serve account is up and running with a whole host of frustrating restrictions I am reposting this post on how to purchase and add a voucher without using the self serve account. As far as users have reported the following cannot be done when attempting a payment:

 

  1. Split payments.
  2. Adding a payment less than the amount owing.
  3. Estimated payments that deduct the rewards amount added to accounts at renewal.
  4. Some users cannot update their card details ie. expiry date.
  5. Remove a registered payment card it can only be "replaced".Contact customer support to remove your payment card.
  6. Note: Some retailers no longer sell pm vouchers. See update below.**(Latest update: Nov. 4th '22)

 

Do not attempt more than two payments without waiting out at least one hour or 5 attempted payments within 24 hours or you will likely trigger a fraud lock on your account. The same is true for vouchers otherwise you must contact customer support to remove the fraud lock.

 

Note:

Public Mobile has a list of retailers that excludes some of the tried and true retailers below. Please also refer to the "official" list and report back if any of the following retailers no longer sell pm vouchers so the list can be updated.

 

🧾🧾 Public Mobile Vouchers 🧾🧾

 

Here's info on how you can pay by voucher. They are readily available.

 

You will be given two printouts from the seller. One is your receipt with the $$ voucher amount+tax. The other is your pm voucher $$ amount without the tax paid. It will have the 12 digit PIN # and may have more than one 12 digit code on the voucher but always use the 12 digit PIN #.

 

It's easiest to add vouchers via 611. Once connected press (1) then (1) again and enter the 12 digit PIN #. If added successfully you will get a verbal confirmation followed by a text from 611 confirming you have made a successful payment.

 

Edit: For help navigating the 611/IVR system and site map use this link....          01/13/23

 

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/611-IVR-Menu-System/td-p/934136

 

You only get two attempts at making a payment (successful or not) either thru 611 or your self serve account total combined. You the have to wait one full hour before trying again. There are limits at how many attempts you get within a given time period although that number is not confirmed (play it safe at 5 but maybe up to 12?) before the system will lock you out for 24 hours.

 

Some vouchers take up to 24 hours to become valid and loadable onto your account.

 

⚠️If your account is suspended via lost/stolen it will accept top up payments via 611 but your account services will not be automatically reactivated. Instead the top up payments will be added to your available funds. You must manually login to your account and "remove" lost/stolen by resuming service. (Contact customer support if necessary.)

 

The following retailers sell pm vouchers that are immediately valid and loadable to your account balance. Suspended plans will automatically be reactivated** if the amount once loaded to your available funds equals or exceeds your plan amount. (**except accounts in lost/stolen status)

  1. Shell Stations
  2. London Drugs**️️
  3. 7/11
  4. SDM
  5. TMS**
  6. RCSS**
  7. Walmart** YMMV?
  8. Circle K
  9. Petrocan
  10. Mobil/Esso stations ️ (In addition to RTP-see below)

Edit:

**Update August 7th 2022: Call ahead to your local RCSS or TMS location as it has been reported in Vancouver that my local RCSS/TMS (Grandview) no longer sells pm vouchers.😞

Edit:

**Update August 14th 2022: Confirmed TMS no longer sells pm vouchers however RCSS does still sell pm vouchers at the customer service desk/dept.

 

**London Drugs has changed their LD Extras program to points with a 1% earning rate on purchases vs the 5% earn rate previously with $10 pm voucher/visits (×10=$5 coupon)

 

**Wal-Mart locations may also be affected in addition to RCSS and TMS.

Edit: (Oct. 15th/22) Call ahead to Walmart's phone/electronics department to see if they still sell pm vouchers. The phone department is a subcontracted out so it's YMMV if pm vouchers are available.

 

Edit:

️ Updated confirmed retailers still selling pm vouchers. (Nov. 3rd 2022)

 

➡️Other Methods of Payment ⬅️

 

Instant Top Ups or RTP

 

RTP (real time payments) are available at Canadian Tire gas bars and Esso/Mobil ️stations for a $1 fee and are loaded by giving the clerk your 10 digit phone number. Accounts are updated and/or reactivated almost instantaneously. For $1 this no muss, no fuss method is a great choice.

 

**Note: Canadian Tire also sells vouchers at customer service but they are known to have a validity delay of a minimum 4 hrs up to 24 hrs. Do not purchase if immediate payment is required.

 

Online Voucher Purchases

 

Online payment vouchers can be purchased at recharge.com and ding.com for about an 8% to 26% surcharge. These are not instantaneous and generally the voucher's 12 digit PIN # is emailed to you usually within 3 to 4 hrs but can take up to 24 hrs to arrive (but this is not common.)

 

Muskbird.com is now selling Public Mobile vouchers online once again. Although I have not tested this service it was reliable previously and there have been a couple of customers who have used it recently. As far as I can tell their surcharges are lower than the above to online resellers. (Updated: October 10th 2022)

 

Edit: 01/01/23

How to pay via muskbird.com see here...

 

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/Online-Top-Up-Payments-Muskbird-com/td-p/...

 

Additional Info and Relevant Links:

 

More member contributed info with imput on retailers selling pm vouchers that have delayed validity and real examples of vouchers can be found here:

 

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/Voucher-Catalogue/m-p/479165#M343905

 
Official list of retailers that sell pm vouchers (not all retailers sell vouchers at all of their locations) :
 
 
 
 

To contact customer support : Submit a support ticket via SIMon the chat bot Click here 

Or if you cannot submit a ticket via SIMon then Click here   ....for additional member supplied 

19 REPLIES 19

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@dust2dust 

Lol...I just finished updating and I see I need to update again with your info....

 

I've skipped SIMon for now since he's not working (playing hookey?!!) but I will in the near future when he's prepared to come back to work with the right attitude! 😀😉🤭

dust2dust
Mayor / Maire

The Mobil gas station I went to had started in to selling a voucher. It looks like they also sell vouchers as well as RTP that I went there for.

 

Also an update to the corporate Telus store in my local mall. I asked yesterday and they do now sell sims.

Would still like to see mention of being able to do things in the chatbot.

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@Tyson88 

Here's one from shoppers drug mart with the amount of the voucher followed by the 12 digit PIN code.

Screenshot_20221010-113154~3.png

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@Tyson88 

Unless you gave your phone number to the clerk for a real-time payment or an instant top up then you have purchased a public mobile voucher. You should have received two receipts one will show the amount you paid plus tax. The other will show the voucher amount and the PIN code with a set of 12 digits that need to be entered either in your cell service account or through 611 on your phone. If you click on the link in the original post of this thread for the voucher catalog it will give you examples of vouchers and what they look like. I don't actually have one from  Loblaws as an example but you should get a good idea of what they look like to compare.

@Tyson88- Loblaws sold you what is called a voucher. It would have had a code on it that you then add into your account using either 611 or logging in.

Canceling is as easy as stopping paying or transfering your number to another cell provider.

Tyson88
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I don't understand as our Loblaws has the payment vouchers and supposedly you can pay at their store. Which is what I did. PM however are denying this and I have Loblaws actual paper printout showing this! BTW, how do I just cancel now?

@CountyDownIeUk- To expect 100% from anything in life is completely unrealistic which will always lead to disappointment and frustration. But hey you do you.


@dust2dust wrote:

@CountyDownIeUk- Really? 100%? Is it 100% hassle free to drop your drawers when you need to unload? Some things in life need just a little bit of effort. Nor can one expect 100% error free from minimum wage workers. Life happens. No one is perfect. Even the King needs to suffer some hassles in life.

 

@dust2dust 

Yes really. Set your standards where you like. I know where mine are. And your additional comment was not appreciated. But thanks for your input. 

 

 

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@CountyDownIeUk 

Until July 13th 2022 all the retailers on my list were confirmed to have immediately and loadable vouchers. These were not all confirmed by me but confirmed by regulars on several occasions. I only updated the list after July 13th with the two retailers that I could confirm personally.

 

TMS once removed as a retailer that could do activations removed the sale of their vouchers. It was easy enough to ask at superstore whether they still sold them or not nothing else has changed nor has anything changed at London drugs, SDM, Shell, 7/11. I have yet to have visited any of the others on the list to confirm whether or not they still sell vouchers I don't imagine anything else has changed if they still sell them. I might be hitting Walmart soon as I have a pile of photos to pick up one of these days?

 

More than anything there has only been a couple of issues with vouchers related to a glitch within the payment system twice in the last year and as far as I know never reported it before that but don't quote me on it.

 

Vouchers I would say are less troublesome than credit cards you just can't set it and forget it that's the convenience of use difference. As long as you find out before purchase and load your voucher immediately after purchase while you are still in the store it's a pretty safe bet.

@CountyDownIeUk- Really? 100%? Is it 100% hassle free to drop your drawers when you need to unload? Some things in life need just a little bit of effort. Nor can one expect 100% error free from minimum wage workers. Life happens. No one is perfect. Even the King needs to suffer some hassles in life.

We have heard of people getting the entirely wrong brand voucher. We have heard of people being handed the receipt but not another piece with the code on it. I have only seen vouchers all in one. In your case, learn which store has no delay and then go back again when you need to.

Real time payments is pretty hassle-free. Walk in, ask, pay - bam, done, money in your account.

Buying vouchers online is pretty hassle free. Go to site, choose brand, pay, get email, enter it in. Not xoom though.

Could your list show what retailers produce a voucher that can be used immediately?

After that, I have the second fear that an incompetent or not yet trained person sells me one and it’s not done properly. Did I not see here that the retailer gives you 2 pieces of documentation....a receipt and a second piece of paper that is the actual voucher. Or can that be a variable based on the retailers POS software. Don’t get me wrong....I’m interested......but has to be 100% hassle free. 

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@CountyDownIeUk 

I agree. I supposed to get also come down to their choice of terminal and or the software involved. As far as been reported small business retailers like the corner shop that might sell Public Mobile bunches tend to have black hawk terminals that print p.m. vouchers that are immediately valid. So do retailers who operate in a more grab and go manner like gas stations, pharmacies, convenience stores and grocery stores.

 

But there are many more retailers listed that have not been tested or have customers given feedback in the voucher catalog to have a more complete list as there are many from back east that we have no access to or are listed but don't offer these services here in BC like no frills and Loblaws.

@darlicious 

 

My guess, some point of sale software is Mickey Mouse and requires some kind of maintenance to be run to make the transaction valid, while others need no maintenance. And some retailers took on selling the vouchers with a band aid resolution. Waiting is not an option or trustable in my opinion. 

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@CountyDownIeUk 

That's why I have listed the tried, tested and true retailers whose PM vouchers are immediately valid and loadable upon purchase.

 

The voucher catalogue also gives retailers whose pm vouchers have a delay. I have not yet figured out why some retailer's vouchers are immediately valid and others take up to 24 hours. And some are variable in time which I put down to the time these retailers close for business and remit their point of sale funds to their financial institution.

 

I think it could also explain why there is the 24-hour time period that could on occasion be extended if the retailer does not close out their point of sale transactions. If you've ever noticed on your credit card something you've purchased on a Saturday but remains pending until a Monday or a Tuesday it's because the retailer or the staff has not performed this function. If they're not open on a Sunday or even a Monday as well then I think this is what can cause PM voucher to not to be valid and loadable....yet.

 

I would test out more retailers if I had a reason to purchase a voucher but unless I'm doing a friend a favor I haven't needed to purchase one in a very long time. And obviously there's no point in purchasing them to help activate people?!!

CountyDownIeUk
Mayor / Maire

Great post @darlicious 

 

This is what prevents me from even considering this process. “Some vouchers take up to 24 hours to become valid and loadable onto your account.” 

Does the voucher give a time when it is valid?

Would it not be prudent for PM to only allow retailers to sell only if valid instantaneously. 

I assume some retailers want the commission but have system constraints that require a “job” to be run hourly, every couple of hours or over night. Bottom line if I pay....I want it now! And I prefer to not want to “figure it out”. 

 

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@dust2dust 

Hey I can do that because this post is not a tagged post so I can edit as I have already. Good suggestions. Thanks.

dust2dust
Mayor / Maire

@darlicious- on this great post - may I suggest:

- removing the no longer relevant voucher retailers.

- changing the wording of the online sentence to - Vouchers can be purchased online at....

- a bolded heading under all of the talk of vouchers adding Real Time Payments and then have your RTP sentence there.

- adding that the chatbot has a method of logging in (on desktop or desktop mode 🙂 ) and making payments with a registered card and vouchers (and some other account functions...not all).

 

- changing the last half of the subject line to - Other Payment Methods.

bwurban1
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

I don't renew until September but when I renewed this past June I had to renew by prepaid cards.

Just really frustrating.

I think what I did was confuse my Community password with my Account password and it's totally locked me out of my account.  I had to re-create a new community profile with another email to get it to work.

 

dust2dust
Mayor / Maire

I asked in a Telus corporate store and was stone-walled on buying a sim. All online. No but...all online...right but...all online.

Public is being left out to dry and wither on the vine to irrelevance. Their sim delivery is appalling to the point of utter embarrassment.

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