Does it cost money to accept international calls?

[KatyWaters]

If an Australian number were to call me, is it free to pick up? Im on the $25/month plan. Thanks

[Korth]

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@Community_QA wrote:

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@WoozyPolarBear wrote:

In some parts of the world, like the UK and Australia for instance, the person receiving a long distance call does pay long distance rates

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but it is like collect call and they know before they pick up?

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Whatever the answer might be, it isn't relevant for Public Mobile customers. We cannot accept collect calls - even if, somehow, we provided permission to a phone operator/etc - because there is simply no way to transfer the cost of the call to our accounts. It would violate PM's Terms of Service.

I'm unaware of any services in Canada which can accept and forward collect calls (and their costs) to your number on your behalf.

[Community_QA]

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@WoozyPolarBear wrote:

In some parts of the world, like the UK and Australia for instance, the person receiving a long distance call does pay long distance rates

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but it is like collect call and they know before they pick up?

[KatyWaters]

Thank you everyone! 😊 

[Korth]

All current Public Mobile plans (including the $25 plan) have unlimited incoming calls from anywhere in the world (including Australia) to anywhere in Canada.

All current Public Mobile plans also have unlimited incoming SMS texts from anywhere in the world to anywhere in Canada. And unlimited outgoing SMS texts from anywhere in Canada to anywhere in the world. And unlimited MMS (photo) attachments on these texts.

There were some legacy plans with limited incoming calling. There were some legacy plans with Province-wide and Canada-wide calling or texting. There were also a couple of legacy plans with limited texting. But new customers won't have access to any of these old plans with old restrictions.

Calling from Canada to Australia requires minutes from an International Long-distance add-on. $15 for 300 minutes. Unused minutes will continue to rollover across billing cycles until they're fully consumed and the add-on falls of the account. Note that Public Mobile has given free 400-, 500-, and 1000-minute International calling add-ons in recent years, usually as an xmas holiday gift - not as an obligation but it has become something of a pattern (and expectation).

On the flipside, Public Mobile doesn't provide any way for subscribers to accept collect calls.

[WoozyPolarBear]

In some parts of the world, like the UK and Australia for instance, the person receiving a long distance call does pay long distance rates, but in North American, on the NANP system, there is no added long distance fees for receiving calls. Some providers do charge you active minutes, but that would be the same if it was someone calling you from across the street or from around the other side of the world. With Public Mobile, incoming calls aren't deducted from your minutes.

[computergeek541]

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@softech wrote:

@KatyWaters   It won't cost you anything extra to receiving incoming calls from overseas or from Canada.  Free incoming calls for all plans

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There are some old plans that customers could still have that don't include any calling or don't include unlimited incoming calls.

[computergeek541]

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@KatyWaters wrote:

If an Australian number were to call me, is it free to pick up? Im on the $25/month plan. Thanks

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It never matters where the other person is calling you from, on any plan, at any carrier. 

[softech · Accepted solution]

@KatyWaters   It won't cost you anything extra to receiving incoming calls from overseas or from Canada.  Free incoming calls for all current plans

update; as advised by @computergeek541 , some old plans have  limited incoming minutes.  In such case, incoming calls from overseas will be using the same limited minute bucket like a Canadian incoming minutes, still no difference overseas or not