Porting from PM to VoIP - Out of Country

[TinaOrt]

Hi,

I am currently out of the country and will be for longer than I had planned.

I am researching ways to keep my Canadian number as I still need it for work. I am looking to port my number to VOiP.ms service, but how will I be able to authorize the SMS to release my number if I won't receive the text message?

I am in South America, so not even the US Roaming services will be able to help. Any ideas?

Thank you in advance!

[darlicious]

@TinaOrt 

It sounds like you have come up with a solution to fit your needs. Keep in mind you can suspend your pm account up to 90 days ( 85 days is better in case you have an issue reactivating) to save on plan charges. As listed in my original spoiler if you do this via lost/stolen before midnight on your renewal date you will keep your voicemail active and you can use your voip provider to call your pm phone # to access your voicemail while not actually having to pay for service. Just ensure you set several reminders about they date you must reactivate by so as to not lose your number and account. You can also change your voicemail to give out your other phone number if need be.

Enjoy all that yummy South American wines while you are down there....Stay--safe!

To contact customer support click below:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

To pre-verify your account include your full name, address, email, phone # and 4 digit acct pin #

[TinaOrt]

Hi @darlicious, I believe using the Voip.ms as a phone provider was the suggestion that @softech gave, from what I could understand.

I would changes providers from PM to voip.ms and use the Zoiper app as the dialing app for Voip. That would allow me to call from anywhere, as long as I have internet. I think that would work.

BUT - after a few more hours of research I decided to get a Skype number. 😬

Go figure, I thought this company was dead by now. glad is not the case.

In the end I need a number from North America, that I can receive calls as long as I have the Skype app. It'll be a pain in the arse from my employer to call USA - but not really - the company has unlimited US and CA calls. And I get to get a cool Cali number 🏝.

The rates are not that bad - its less than US5.00 a month for the number plus USD0.01/minute and I can set a pay as you go, so the minutes (credit) don't expire.

It is, the more convenient solution, given my situation right now. I'll keep my PM active and when I'm back in Canada I'll decide what to do with all those numbers I now own! - lol.

Thank you all for the help! 

I really appreciate the answers and effort to bring me a solution! 🙂

[darlicious]

@TinaOrt 

In order to call forward your pm number as suggested before....have your friend after sim swapping your pm sim card put the new sim card in their phone and call forward the pm number to the fongo number. You can then get your pm calls on the fongo number. @softech 's idea won't work to call forward the number to your South American number with a voip provider as it won't work to call forward the pm number to a non Canadian number. You have to use the voip provider as an intermediary because you access it via wifi or mobile data so the country you are in wont matter.

To contact customer support click below:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

To pre-verify your account include your full name, address, email, phone # and 4 digit acct pin #

[softech]

@TinaOrt i don't think any VoIP service has international forward.  But, i am not sure if VoIP.ms has it.

But Fongo has app and you can receive text and call on the app.. no need forward.. but only drawback is outgoing text now free 

let us know which service you end up going with.. 

[TinaOrt]

Hi @softech 

Thanks for the suggestion. I just research Fongo and they don't have call forwarding service to other countries than North America. 

What I intend to do is receive the calls here from my Canadian number. - to make calls and text, the data plan and international plan from the local provider are super cheap. 🙂

[softech]

---

@TinaOrt wrote:

Thank you @darlicious your response was very complete.

I have my phone and SIM with me, but with all the information you provided, you gave me an idea.

I could request a new SIM card, ask a friend in Canada to help me out, and instead of canceling the plan, set up a call forward to the local number here.

I am looking into an app that would do this service. If you have one that can recommend that would be great.

---

@TinaOrt   How about Fongo?  It has a $25 fee to port in.  But it is free to port out (when you come back to Canada) if you have been with Fongo for over 3 months.. so pretty much free

Fongo app is decent, not exceptional but ok.  You can receive regular text for free (and only very selected list of shortcode) but you need to pay to make outgoing text

[darlicious]

@BeachNBeer 

Thanks for your explanation. I am assuming that call forwarding of the pm number to the OP's voip number can also be done in conjunction with the text forwarding?

To contact customer support click below:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

To pre-verify your account include your full name, address, email, phone # and 4 digit acct pin #

[BeachNBeer]

Well since I was tagged by @darlicious I guess I have to respond 🤣🤣

@TinaOrt  If your friend/family in canada has an old android phone that they can use for you until your return to Canada. Get them to go to a Walmart or London Drugs and buy you a sim card. Tell them NOT to have it activated it has to be brand new. 

Once they have that get the sim card number from them. Log into your account and click "change sim card" to put your account and number on the new sim card. You may have to get the verification code to change the si via email. 

Once the sim card is changed to the new sim they have in Canada have them put it in the old android phone. Now your plan and everything is working in Canada again. Then have them go to the Play store and download/install Mightytext.

Have them do all the setup of mightytext on the phone. Then leave the phone on and plugged into an electric outlet.

Then while you are in South America you can go to Mightytext website from your phone, laptop /tablet and you'll be able to receive text, reply to texts can even make calls from your Canadian number.

[CountyDownIeUk · Accepted solution]

@TinaOrt wrote:

Hi,

I am currently out of the country and will be for longer than I had planned.

I am researching ways to keep my Canadian number as I still need it for work. I am looking to port my number to VOiP.ms service, but how will I be able to authorize the SMS to release my number if I won't receive the text message?

I am in South America, so not even the US Roaming services will be able to help. Any ideas?

Thank you in advance!

---

For now change to $15 plan upon renewal....not the now option.  

Keep in mind you are not moving mobile to mobile but mobile to voip. Might be different. 

Contact a CSA and ask what the process is. 

Do same  at voip.ms.  Voip.ms has chat but I would do by email or if you already have a voip.ms account open a “ticket” and ask. Open an account is free. 

Using voip.ms is a good choice!

I believe the port to voip.ms is free.  And ask someone for a referral code for voip.ms. It will give  you $s as per pic below. Top up minimum at voip.ms is $15 USD. And the DID cost is 85 cents a month USD. You can then get the Zoiper app for smart phone and make calls using your ported number and/or your South America number(s). And you can have multiple caller IDs.  I can help you with that. With voip.ms you have lots of low cost wifi calling available. Voip.ms has texting  too, but I have not tried it yet.

You could do a SIM change first and then do the port out/test response if you liaise with some one in Canada using your new SIM in a phone here in Canada. . If you don’t have a family member or friend to help,  I (or someone else here) could help as I have a couple of back up phones.  <== which you have mentioned that you can get in place. 

[darlicious]

@TinaOrt 

To call forward your pm number it has to be to a Canadian number from a voip provider as mentioned like textnow or fongo. It will then ring thru to your phone while on wifi or mobile data. You can use the voip number to call the US or Canada for free as well as text anywhere. Having a local sim will allow you any local calling or texting you may need as well. Data rates should be much cheaper where you are than they are here in Canada.

I could suggest some Text forwarding apps but I have no personal experience using them however @BeachNBeer has used them successfully when travelling so he could give you some first hand advice that you could pass on to our friend if you wish to set up text forwarding as well.

It would be a shame to port out and lose your rewards and loyalty that you have built up since they have grandfathered the rewards program and new customers only get the new less financially rewarding points program. If you have more questions feel free to ask.

https://canadiancellsupplies.com/collections/latest-products/products/public-mobile-multi-sim-card-3...

Depending where your friend lives CCS ships via Canada Post in 5 business days or less. I have purchased from them many times over.

To contact customer support click below:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

To pre-verify your account include your full name, address, email, phone # and 4 digit acct pin #.

[TinaOrt]

Thank you @darlicious your response was very complete.

I have my phone and SIM with me, but with all the information you provided, you gave me an idea.

I could request a new SIM card, ask a friend in Canada to help me out, and instead of canceling the plan, set up a call forward to the local number here.

I am looking into an app that would do this service. If you have one that can recommend that would be great.

Thank you for the help and ideas.

Have a great day.

[esjliv]

@TinaOrt  - 

Are you relatively new to Public Mobile? If you have been a customer for some time, note you will lose any rewards/public points (loyalty, refer-a-friend, etc), any addons, any available funds, everything with Public Mobile, when you port to another provider.

Were you wanting to port it to a service that is usable in South America?

If so, then see if CSA can assist in the porting process, as mentioned.

OR, were you just trying to keep your Canadian number for when you come back to Canada?

If so, you can let it go into nonpay/suspended status for up to 90 days before losing your phone number.

Make sure to make a payment before the 90 days is up, then let suspended again, and repeat...depending on how long you are away.

[Yummy]

Honestly, easiest way will be to downgrade your plan to $15 and either autopay it every 30 days or suspend plan and renew/pay close to 90th day not to lose number.

And then sort it out when you are back to Canada.

[BKNS27]

@TinaOrt 
You must keep up with your monthly PM payment to keep your number if you are away longer than 90 days.

It will better for you to change your plan to the $15/month plan if you are on a higher plan.

My recommendation is to download the WhatsApp app and use your current PM number. There will be 2FA verification code sent either by phone call or email. If the code won’t reach you by call…just pick email after a minute.

[softech]

@TinaOrt usually you have to be here and receive the text and reply YES to complete the porting.

You can first try to open a ticket with PM support to see if they can assist with a verbal authentication. 

If they can't help, your only option would be to ask a friend for help.  Have your friend to buy a PM SIM here, then you request to change SIM card.  Once the account changed to the SIM card your friend got it here in Canada,  your friend can then reply the YES to the text for you. 

To open ticket with PM support:

  1  . If you have access to Self-Serve My account:  For faster response (2-48 hours) , Click on the bubble in the lower right to request CS Agent assistance, or use this direct link: https://publicmobile.ca/chatbot.  

          Start with typing "Submit a ticket", click  "Contact Us", click "Other" from the choices, click "Click here to submit a ticket".  Then follow to complete the ticket submission.     

 2 .  If you don't have access to My Account or have trouble with above method:  you can Send a private message to the CS Agent here:  https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

**Monitor your Community inbox, envelope on the top right, after ticket is opened.  CS Agent will reply and work with you  via messaging there

[darlicious]

@TinaOrt 

You may be able to "verbally" authorize the port by contacting customer support. Do you have the pm sim card with you? Or did you leave it in Canada? Do you have significant rewards in your account? If your sim card is in Canada then a trusted friend or family member can authorize the port for you.

You could also get a friend or family member to help perform a sim swap for you by ordering a sim card from pm ($5 currently) or CCS ($3) and you can recieve the 2FA verification code by email. Once swapped if you want to port out the friend can reply YES to the PAT porting authorization text or they can perform call forwarding of your pm number to your voip number allowing you to recieve pm calls on your voip number. Using an SMS forwarding app the same can be done for texts if the pm sim card is left in a working phone left connected to the charger. This could all be done on the $15 plan if you would prefer to keep your pm account and rewards intact when you return to Canada. You can also suspend your account for 88 days and reactivate for 30 and suspend again and so on.....if you want to maintain the phone number and account for a minimal $45 or less for the next year.....

Here are some options to consider but ultimately if you want to port out contact customer support to see if my first suggestion is possible.

Spoiler

1. You can turn off autopay and allow the account to suspend at the of your current 30 day cycle but this is your least advantageous option. Pay and reactivate by day 85 or so.
2. If you have an account balance that exceeds your plan amount then you need to suspend via the lost/stolen feature in your account before midnight eastern on the evening of your renewal. Then on day 85 or so resume your service to pay and reactivate.
3. Suspending via lost/stolen before midnight eastern will keep your voicemail active allowing you retrieve voicemail and any verification sent by phone calls. However your rewards will not be applied to your account. Moderator/CSA contact after paying and reactivating is necessary to have the rewards applied manually.
4. Voicemail can be accessed by calling your pm number from a different phone by calling your phone # and pressing * once connected and entering your 4 digit voicemail pin #.
5. If you don't have an account balance or enough balance to cover your plan amount you can suspend via lost/stolen after midnight but before 2 am eastern on the day of your renewal. Once your rewards have been applied (usually by 12:15 am et) then suspend your account. Voicemail access will be lost.
6. Switching to the $15 plan with rewards helping to cover a partial or full amount of your plan allows you to call forward your pm number to your fongo number  before you leave Canada.. Now any incoming calling to your pm number will ring thru to your fongo number while on wifi or mobile data (w/a local or global sim card) You can access your fongo voicemail for all voicemail messages.

Most important mark on your calendar day 85 of your suspension and day 90. Do not forget when you must unsuspend your account via lost/stolen and/or pay and reactivate your service so you don't lose your phone number and account. Happy travels and Stay--Safe!

To contact customer support click below:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

To pre-verify your account include your full name, address, email, phone # and 4 digit acct pin #.