Traveling to US

[Kundi]

Hi, I have the $50 plan and it says includes international texts and US calls. Does this mean I have roaming or do I need to purchase it for my trip. Thanks in advance, KJ

[darlicious]

@OrangeCat 

Read the two spoilers in my post earlier in this thread. They contain many of the answers you likely seek but haven't thought of yet.😉

[OrangeCat]

thanks

[OrangeCat]

This is great to know, thanks!

[dust2dust]

@OrangeCat- Yes you can use lost/stolen to suspend in the account. Deactivate is a different specific word here though. You get a 90 day grace period of suspension before the account would deactivate. Be sure to reactivate a day or two before then.

[esjliv]

---

@OrangeCat wrote:

Thanks.  Is it easy enough to deactivate my PM plan for my time away and then reactivate it when I return?

---

@OrangeCat  - you can be in nonpay/suspended status for up to 90 days without losing your account and phone number. When it is time to get it active again, you just need to make a manual payment to the amount owing or more, then reactivate/resume service (just make sure it is BEFORE the 90 days are up).

[OrangeCat]

Thanks.  Is it easy enough to deactivate my PM plan for my time away and then reactivate it when I return?

[dust2dust]

@OrangeCat- Other than incoming texts, the only thing that will work with Public in the states are roaming add-ons. Roaming add-ons need an active account to work. - adding - and those incoming texts

[OrangeCat]

Hi, this might be a dumb question but I need to ask it: while having a US plan for my travels, do I maintain my PM plan or cancel it?  Thanks.

[darlicious]

@Kundi 

Your $50 plan features only work while you are in Canada with the exception that you will receive incoming SMS texts without a 10 day US Roaming add on. If you joined public mobile after January 24th 2022 and on the points program you may have enough points to redeem for the discounted US Roaming add ons in the redemption catalogue.

For example if you purchase the $20/US Roaming add on bundle w/unlimited talk+text+250mb of data and you consume all of your data by day 5 you could redeem points for the US Roaming $20/1gb data add on=15pts, $15/500mb data add on=10pts or $10/250mb data add on=5pts to carry you thru the final 5 days of your Roaming bundle or bridge the 24 hour waiting period before you can repurchase the same US Roaming add on.

Read the spoiler below for info on international travel and your pm service+plan options...

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 voip number  before you leave Canada.. Now any incoming calling to your pm number will ring thru to your voip 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!

For info on 10 day US Roaming add ons...

Spoiler

1. While you have to have an active plan to purchase and use US roaming add ons the type of plan you have does not affect the roaming add ons features.
2. US roaming add ons start the moment you confirm and submit your purchase in your self serve account and expire 240 hours later (10 days×24 hours).
3. You can pre-load the funds needed to purchase the add ons in your self serve account so you only have to log in, select the US roaming add on and then confirm and submit your purchase.
4. Wait til late as possible to purchase since they are immediately valid so on free wifi at the destination airport or stopping shortly before the border at mcd's or timmy's to buy the add on while on free wifi.
5. If you are staying longer than 10 days you must wait a minimum of 24 hours to purchase the same US roaming add on or contact the CSA/moderators to add it before the waiting period ends.
6. If you have two US roaming add ons with a talk feature that overlap the talk feature basically gets disabled. Avoid this....but you will have to get one removed by a CSA/moderator to get your calling feature back if this happens.
7. After purchase reboot your phone and manually select either at&t or T-mobile to get better reception. Some areas have better coverage by either provider so when travelling around the US you will be better served by choosing the provider with better signal strength by locale.
8. You will recieve incoming texts without any US roaming add ons. Adding the fongo app and textnow app (a voip provider) for use on wifi are good to use for a back up plan or you could call forward your pm phone # to your voip # before you leave Canada and purchase just the US data roaming add on. A voip app also works on mobile data (1 min=0.5mb/100 min=50mb) so you could still recieve incoming pm texts, recieve incoming pm calls to your voip #/app, outgoing calls from your voip # and outgoing texts from textnow(any voip app w/free texts) for free or small fee from fongo. (call forwarding will be cancelled in the US if the pm SIM card connects with a US cell tower this option only works with a local sim card.)
9. All US roaming add ons have either unlimited text, talk or both. Only data has limits depending on your purchase 250mb/500mb/1gb. Once the data is consumed it will just stop you could then purchase different roaming add on, wait 24 hr to buy or contact the CSA/moderators to buy the same US roaming add on again. (* except talk as previously mentioned.)

Happy travels and Stay--Safe!

Please note currently due to the decommissioning of the 3G network in the US by pm's roaming partners at&t has already begun this process but as of March 3rd 2022 still has some areas that are still served by the 3G network. T-Mobile has an end date of July 1st 2022. This will affect the ability of pm customers to send and receive voice calls and emergency service such as 911 while in the US and using pm's US roaming add ons. The current work around is to download a voip app such as textnow or fongo for use while on wifi or mobile data for voice calls when in areas no longer served by the 3G network which will eventually include all areas served by at&t and T-Mobile.

To contact customer support click below:

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

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

[JL9]

Yeah I second, third and fourth some alternatives, especially if it isn't a short trip. Local prepaid options and/or voip options are definitely the way to go.

[Meow]

Service you have works from and in Canada only.

For US you have to buy 10 days worth of US add-on, depending on your need. Please note, US add-on starts as soon as you purchase it and lasts 240 hours. Purchasing add-ons is two step process: 1. add funds to your account and then 2. actually purchase correct add-on. 

Depending on a length of your trip you might consider local SIM.

US Roaming for 10 day packages

Unlimited U.S. Talk, Text and 250MB Data Bundle = $20

Unlimited U.S. Talk and Text Bundle = $15

Unlimited U.S. Talk Only = $8

Unlimited U.S. Text Only = $8

U.S. Data Only for 10 day packages

250MB = $10

500MB = $15

1GB = $20

You don't need to purchase US roaming text add-on to receive incoming texts while in US.

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/us-roaming

[BKNS27]

@Kundi 

Your plan is calling and text to USA from Canada.

As noted by @hTideGnow , best that you get a plan from Mint Mobile or Tello Mobile…a lot cheaper if you are staying for a month or longer.

Orherwise, if you are staying less than 10 days…get the PM USA Roaming.

[Spudster]

@Kundi 

You need to purchase it for your trip.

All current in-market plans have no roaming options built in.   A few years back, they did have an 'all inclusive' plan for use in Canada and the US, but alas, it's gone.

Perhaps with travel becoming more 'accepted', they may reconsider such an option, however with the decommissioning of the 3G network state-side, there may be a couple more hurdles to overcome.

( EDIT: much like @esjliv also just wrote... 😋 )

[hTideGnow]

Hi @Kundi get prepaid data from US instead of roaming. it is cheaper 

[esjliv · Accepted solution]

@Kundi  - all currently offered inmarket plans only work whilst in Canada. And, require to be active but also need a Roaming US addon to be able to use services whilst in the USA.

Unless, you are on that snowbird plan from a few years ago...is this the plan you are on? Then, your plan should work without purchasing additional Roaming addons.

• Make sure data roaming is enabled in your phone settings.
• Restarting your phone should help you connect to the correct network.
• Go to the cellular or network settings in your phone, and check your APN configuration. If possible, manually search and select T-Mobile's or AT&T network.

edit