If I have a credit ($35.00); does that mean I can disregard a text note about payment?

[wsscherk]

I love Public Mobile since I switched from Bell last month.

I got a text telling me that my Pay-by date was in two days. I went to my account and I have a 35 dollar credit. Dumb question, perhaps -- can I assume that the credit will be applied to my charges?

Did I mention that Public Mobile is the best phone plan I have ever had?

William

[JoyLuck]

Pawprints1986,

I searched the solutions and took a screen grab. Read last sentence.

[darlicious]

@Pawprints1986   Unless your renewal or autopay fails or you allow your service to be suspended due to nonpayment there will be no disruption to your service.

[Pawprints1986]

Roughly how long does it take for plan to go from expired to back up and running? Not online account wise but device wise... If you're texting someone working midnights at 2am, how long will it drop out for ?

[gblackma]

@wsscherk  the normal  PM renewal process is expired, then suspended, payment comes out at 2am est (on the self service account date) then the plan resets for the next 30  day cycle. Once your phone is working properly ignore it. Just check for you 611 payment thankyou text message tomorrow, in your case, today.

Also, to save more, add the TextNow voip app and use it via Wifi to make / receive / send calls and texts in Canada and to the United States for free. You can also use it as I do to check my voicemail from my own phone without using the minutes from the PM plan. Simply dial your PM phone number - reject the call when it rings (this sends the call to voicemail) - press the * key to allow you to enter your password. - enter - and viola you are in your voicemail account - Hang up when you are finished. No minutes used. Thank you

[wsscherk]

Dear all who have replied to the original,  I was able to log in to the account  -- and my charges were paid for from my credit today, so all is well. I can definitely report that if you have a credit to cover your charges, payment is automatically applied. 

That said, I got a couple of odd screenshots to share from last night. The various scary 'you are suspended' and so on all disappeared after payment was applied!

Thank you to all you have offered advice. I will not panic next month as I have topped up my credits ....

[Pawprints1986]

ah ok, i keep weird hours normally with working, but unless theres some emergency i cant see being in a call at 2 or 3am... good to know! and for text i imagine, even if service was somehow cut off for a moment in the process, would be delivered upon renewal of your plan?

[computergeek541]

---

@Pawprints1986 wrote:

Sort of related that this made me think of... If you happen to be in a call the night your plan is due to renew at midnight, will you be kicked out of the call? Not that it's a frequent issue but just wondered...

---

The call should continue seamlessly.  However, it's not a factor because plans don't usually renew at midnight, but rather hours later.

[Pawprints1986]

Sort of related that this made me think of... If you happen to be in a call the night your plan is due to renew at midnight, will you be kicked out of the call? Not that it's a frequent issue but just wondered...

[wsscherk]

Thanks gblackma,

The due date is not till tomorrow (March 28), so I will take a deep breath and try to log-in again in the morning with a fresh browser instance ...

I very much appreciate the Community of Public Mobile users.  I had years of hating my cell phone (mostly for all the 1-886 calls) for its sloooooooowness and Bell itself for not offering a less-expensive basic plan if/when I bought a new phone.  So losing my old phone and canning Bell was a pretty darn good solution to Cellphone Hatred.

I will report back tomorrow. In the meantime, hope everyone is safe and sound!

WSS

[gblackma · Accepted solution]

@wsscherk wait 50 minutes, clear your browser history,  go to private/ incognito mode and try again to login.  If you have a $35 credit and your bill is $15 , then you are covered and will be left with a $20 credit for the next cycle renewal date. 

[wsscherk]

The dreaded "Login Disabled" for the actual My Account has kicked in, so I cannot get in to the settings to make sure I have automated payment (some of the answers have said I don't need to do anything for the credit of $35 to be applied to my $15 bill/others say to enable autopay). I have waited for over an hour -- following the directions in the tips from Simon ... but amn't able to get in there so far. I'll take a deep breath and try again tomorrow. I appreciate all the helpful tips in this thread ...

WSS

[wsscherk]

Thanks very much! 

[Daps]

Not a dumb question at all. This is an automated text from PM, just a friendly reminder that your 30 day renewal is coming up. And yup your available funds credit will be applied to your renewal.

Make sure to register your credit card so that you'll qualify for the $2 autopay credit every 30 days even if you have sufficient money in your account's available funds and your credit card doesn't need to be charged.

[Luddite]

@wsscherk In summary the renewal process is:

1. add Rewards to Available Funds 

2. subtract Plan cost from Available Funds

3. if #2 is negative charge autopay card; if no card is registered service is suspended.

BTW: never look at your account during the renewal cycle as the messages are meaningless as long as your phone is working,

[geopublic]

@wsscherk  

The way the PM renewal process works is as follows:

1. Plan will show "expired" sometime before midnight.
2. Rewards get converted to available funds at midnight, rewards reset and account shows Suspended (temporary).
3. In the early hours, if there any available funds they are credited first then if necessary the AP credit card gets charged to cover the plan cost renewal.
4. Plan gets renewed and the account status changes back to Active.

[kselmak]

Hi @wsscherk 

Assuming your plan is 35 ort less you don't have to worry about it

Are you on autopay?

It will lower your bill and give you some (extra) data, and you don't have to ever let it execute you can pay manually and still collect benefits

[Staliger]

@wsscherk You will be always fine if your account has Credits >= your plan cost.

[gblackma]

The credit will be applied  @wsscherk . And as long as you are on autopay,  or the $35 credit is the same as, or more than the cost of your plan. The you are okay.

[popping]

@wsscherk 

If you have $35 available fund in your account, you can use it to renew your plan if your plan fee is $35 or less.

[mpcdesign]

@wsscherk, If you have a credit in your account, do you have Autopay set up too? If so, that's great, and if your plan is less than $35 are good to go. If your plan is more than $35, then you need to pay more!

For example, I have $51 in my account. My plan is $40, and I have autopay and I do nothing!


For example, I have $2 in my account. My plan is $40 but I need to make sure I have Autopay set-up or manually add funds to my account. 

[JoyLuck]

Yes, charge will come off automatically.