Canada-wide talk min vs Canada long distance min

[sourdoughgirl]

I have the $13 PM plan that gives me 50 min of Canada-wide talk time and 50 outgoing text.  I normally use less than half of the limits but due to a situation I need more talk  this month. I notice a bonus of 1000 Canada LD min in my account.  Are they not the same as Canada-wide min?  Can I use them to make local calls instead?

[sourdoughgirl]

Thank you Wetcoaster and alphagetti.  I was indeed on the $10 plan until the price hike.  I actually have a $6 discount ($3 loyalty, $2 auto pay, & $1 referral) therefore I am paying $7 for the $13 plan. I stay home full time and we have a landline which I rarely use. Friends and families like to message each other these days and I have other social apps for that purpose. I receive calls mostly when I am in the grocery store when I husband calls to add an item or two on the shopping list. We also have Shaw go wifi that's pretty much everywhere.  When I need the GPS I run it on bonus data collected over the years. For $7, this is a plan worth keeping but so far I don't see any need to upgrade to the $15 plan.  Thanks again everyone for your inputs.  This community is great and I very much appreciate all your support.

[wetcoaster]

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@alphaghetti wrote:

If you're able to switch to the $15 plan and stay on the cash rewards system you may be better off than with your current plan. I have $2 auto pay discount plus loyalty bonus

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But the op gets the same rewards off their $13 plan. So since they, at the moment, don't need more than what that plan provides, why pay $2 more?

[alphaghetti]

If you're able to switch to the $15 plan and stay on the cash rewards system you may be better off than with your current plan. I have $2 auto pay discount plus loyalty bonus

[wetcoaster]

@sourdoughgirl 

One other thing that crossed my mind - and I can't verify that for a bit, while my visiting friend is using my $13 plan - on the off-chance that your call is to government or an organisation:

Try to call on their 1-8xx-yyy-yyyy toll free number.

Consensus around here is that calls to "real" toll free numbers does not deduct from limited minutes. It definitely works that way on my $15 plan.

Edited, typo and formatting

[sourdoughgirl]

Thanks. I agree that PM has the lowest price for the basics. I am aware of the $15 plan and was tempted to get it a while back.  But as I mentioned in my OP I normally use not even half of the limits, this month is the first time I ever need more than 50 min due to an unexpected event, and I have been with PM for years.  Unless I happen to run into similar situation again in the future I will just stick to $12.  I don't see why I want to pay more when I don't even use what I am already paying for.  But thanks again for your suggestions. 

[sourdoughgirl]

Thank you for the reply.  I am aware of the $15 plan and was tempted to get it a while back.  But as I mentioned in my OP I normally use not even half of the limits, this month is the first time I ever need more than 50 min due to an unexpected event, and I have been with PM for years.  Unless I happen to run into similar situation again in the future I will just stick to $12.  I don't see why I want to pay more when I don't even use what I am already paying for.  But thanks again for your suggestions. 

[hairbag1]

@alphaghetti 

I have the $15 plan (had it for a several months or more). I just had a couple of family members call my number... I answered and talked for a coupla minutes. I can see the numbers in my Incoming Call list...but no minutes debited.

[dabr]

@hairbag1    Agree the $15 plan is probably better value overall but OP did say that they barely use even half of their available 50 minutes normally so changing plans would mean at least $24/year extra which is not a huge amount but still just might not be needed for someone who doesn't need the extra minutes every cycle and have bonus minutes to fall back (1000) on.

@alphaghetti   The line for unlimited incoming minutes for the $15 plan can be viewed if selecting Change Plans options in self serve account but that info, for whatever reason, seems to be missing from the plan details elsewhere on PM's website.

BTW, OP seems to be on the discontinued $10 plan (now $13 after last year's 30% price hike) as that plan has 50 minutes total (in/out calling).

edit:  @alphaghetti   BTW, for everyone on old rewards (not new public points system),  receives $2 discount each cycle if autopay is enabled and will get 250MB data regardless of having autopay enabled or not but it was advertised previously that autopay was needed to receive 250MB as a bonus.  

[wetcoaster]

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@alphaghetti wrote:

PS Hairbag, I think the OP is on the old $15 plan. If so I would definitely not switch at this point because the new one may not be as good (the points system definitely doesn't look as good).

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@alphaghetti 

Nope, the op is on a plan that has been discontinued. It used to be $10 for 50 minutes total for in and out, 50 outgoing SMS, unlimited incoming SMS, no data.

This plan for minimal usage saw the unfair steep price increase of 30% to $13 without any increases in the features last year. 

Edited to add: IF their usage pattern changes I'm sure the op will look into upgrading to the $15 plan. Yes, $13 is not as good as $10, but $2 is $2 and those additional minutes they are asking about are going a long way for the occasional time that 50 minutes might not be enough.

Second edit: 

a) You are not autimatically transferred to the points system if you change plans. Changing rewards system needs your active consent. If you are on the old $ rewards don't be tempted to change to points - it's a one way street, no going back to $.

b) There was a version of the $15 plan for a couple of weeks that was definitely less value than the current version. The minutes were province wide vs Canada wide, and incoming minutes were metered as well.

[alphaghetti]

PS Hairbag, I think the OP is on the old $15 plan. If so I would definitely not switch at this point because the new one may not be as good (the points system definitely doesn't look as good).

[alphaghetti]

No matter how much I look at the fine print for the current $15 plan I see no mention of the unlimited incoming calls. 

[hairbag1]

@sourdoughgirl 

you might wanna look at the latest PM plan offerings as that plan you have is kind of limiting.

Consider the $15 plan that gives you 100 minutes of Canada wide outgoing calls and unlimited incoming calls. Plus Unlimited send / receive texts anywhere on planet earth.

As you've been here for some time...you'll get that plan costs down to $13 or less.

[alphaghetti]

Hi Sour Dough Girl. I may have much better news for you than you think. If you have the same plan I do then you have far, far more than you wrote in your post.

If you have the fifteen dollar plan (minus two dollars for auto pay and minus one dollar per month per year loyalty bonus... Not sure how the new points system works yet) includes 100 minutes long distance OUTGOING calls and UNLIMITED incoming calls. Text messaging (MMS and SMS) is also UNLIMITED. Bonus: if you auto pay then you get 250 MB of data (above and beyond what is used for your unlimited MMS).

PS the Public Mobile $15 plan is unbeatable in Canada. There really isn't anything better from anyone!

[sourdoughgirl]

Thank you very much for the prompt reply, dabr!

[dabr · Accepted solution]

@sourdoughgirl    Yes, you can use those minutes and they are the same as Canada wide minutes.