US Roaming information needed

[reallyjustme]

My son is travelling to the US in a couple of weeks. I'm looking at adding a US Roaming package to his phone. In the 'Terms and Conditions' section at the bottom of the page with all of the roaming add-ons, it says that 'Calls must originate from Canada to the US' (footnote 6). Is there no way to make calls from the US on Public? Do I need to purchase a US Sim card for him? Also, if we are calling him while in the US from our Public phones, will that count as a call to the US, even though his number is Canadian? Wondering if I need to buy US minutes to be able to call him?

[mellondon]

Yes that’s is right. 

[computergeek541]

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@HALIMACS wrote:

@computergeek541 @AE_Collector 

Now I'm starting to wonder how I wrote that. 🤔

What the statement meant was that if a public mobile customer is physically in the US with a US roaming add-on, family members or friends back in Canada who wish to call them with need a US long distance calling add-on to reach them while they are in the US.

Is this NOT the case or can anyone in Canada call anyone in the US if the US bound individual has a US roaming add-on active?

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I think I know what happened here.  I  read "Also, if we are calling him while in the US from our Public phones, will that count as a call to the US, even though his number is Canadian?" as the parents being in the U.S. as that sentence doesn't actually specify who is in the U.S. by saying "while he is in the U.S." or "while we are in the U.S.".  I'll admit that the the top does talk about the son travelling, but the parents could also have been travelling (although it didn't say that).  

[darlicious]

@ShawnC13 

So you say I devalue a bravo when someone makes me laugh and I bravo them but misinformation can get 20 bravos and I'm Rodney Dangerfield over here? Lol....now that makes me laugh!😅

To contact customer support : Submit a support ticket via SIMon the chat bot Click here 

Or if you cannot submit a ticket via SIMon then Click here   ....for additional member supplied info.

[HALIMACS]

Yes, clear as ‘dust’ now.  😉

[dabr]

@dust2dust    Thanks, I edited my post after reading the replies again..

[dust2dust]

Et tu @dabr ? 🙂

Someone in Canada can call any Canadian number. Someone in Canada can buy those add-ons and call others (non-Canadian numbers) in those other countries.

When that Canadian number (device with sim) goes beyond the Telus network then they are not reachable. They can be called and it will go to voicemail. They just won't be reached. If that Canadian number (device with sim) buys a roaming add-on (as we know only for the US) and they're in the US then the person calling them from Canada will reach them.

The caller from Canada doesn't need to do anything else to call a Canadian number.

[dabr]

@reallyjustme   Looks like you've been a member since 2020 and would have received PM's holiday gifts of data and LD international minutes over the last couple of years.  If you still have any of those gifted minutes left, then those can be used to call your son as calling to US/Canada is facilitated with those LD minutes.

Edit:  hmm...after reading through some of the other replies again, it seems you don't need any US minutes to call his number while he's stateside.

[HALIMACS]

Not what I meant, but thanks @dust2dust 

Does the individual in Canada need any add-ons to call a public mobile customer in the US who is getting service with a US roaming add-on?

The majority of posts seem to suggest “No”, which is great!

[dust2dust]

It is your last or clause. It's just calling a Canadian number. With no talk roaming the call would not reach the person in the US. No add-on will help that. The call should get to voicemail.

[HALIMACS]

@computergeek541 @AE_Collector 

Now I'm starting to wonder how I wrote that. 🤔

What the statement meant was that if a public mobile customer is physically in the US with a US roaming add-on, family members or friends back in Canada who wish to call them with need a US long distance calling add-on to reach them while they are in the US.

Is this NOT the case or can anyone in Canada call anyone in the US if the US bound individual has a US roaming add-on active?

[computergeek541]

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@darlicious wrote:

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@computergeek541 wrote:

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@AE_Collector wrote:

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EDIT:   YES, you will need a US Long Distance add-on to call a PM user while they are in the USA. 

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This isn't correct.  Any roaming add-on that includes calls while in the U.S. also includes calls to any Canadian phone number.

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@computergeek541 

Did you? Because it sounds like to me at least that you are referring to the son calling the parents rather than the other way around?

Edit:

My other point is really you should be quoting and correcting the incorrect member rather than the member correcting the incorrect member.

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Yes, I did.  Regardless of who is calling who, a Public Mobile phone will be used to make the outgoing phone call.  A U.S. roaming talk add-on covers phones calls to any Canadian phone number.

I do see your point that I replied to the wrong person do and do apologize to AE_collector.  I simply clicked on reply on the wrong post as it's virtually impossible to see the quote bar (as I'm sure that you already know).

Added:  Also, the message by AE_Collector is inside the quote field making it even more difficult to see while the response looks kind of like a signature because of the horizontal line (and because I that, I skipped it - that part's my fault).

[darlicious]

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@computergeek541 wrote:

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@AE_Collector wrote:

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EDIT:   YES, you will need a US Long Distance add-on to call a PM user while they are in the USA. 

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This isn't correct.  Any roaming add-on that includes calls while in the U.S. also includes calls to any Canadian phone number.

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@computergeek541 

Did you? Because it sounds like to me at least that you are referring to the son calling the parents rather than the other way around?

Edit:

My other point is really you should be quoting and correcting the incorrect member rather than the member correcting the incorrect member.

To contact customer support : Submit a support ticket via SIMon the chat bot Click here 

Or if you cannot submit a ticket via SIMon then Click here   ....for additional member supplied info.

[computergeek541]

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@darlicious wrote:

@AE_Collector 

Nothing like getting singled out for correcting another member and having an oracle come along and quote your quote of a quote thats incorrect and then miss the whole point of the OP's question. But I regularly get ignored and misinformation abounds!

For anyone interested....the OP's question that half of the responses failed to answer.....

Also, if we are calling him while in the US from our Public phones, will that count as a call to the US, even though his number is Canadian? Wondering if I need to buy US minutes to be able to call him?

Assuming that the parents "are calling him while (he is) in the US from our Public phones"....

@reallyjustme 

If I didn't clarify well enough for others perhaps I didn't for you either so just that you are good on this..... You do not need the $15/1000 US long distance minutes add on.  As long as your son has  US Roaming add on with a talk feature or a US Roaming data add on for voip service (or on wifi) you will be able to call his Canadian phone number either public mobile's or a voip provider's Canadian phone number.

I already provided that same informaiton (as did you earlier) with respect to the part that you highlighted. I was simply correcting the post/part of the thread with miguided informaton. Otherwise, the OP would not know which informaiton to follow.  As to rest of the OP's questions, the answers already provided already had the OP pretty well covered, and I didn't feel a need to repeat all of it.

[darlicious]

@AE_Collector 

Nothing like getting singled out for correcting another member and having an oracle come along and quote your quote of a quote thats incorrect and then miss the whole point of the OP's question. But I regularly get ignored and misinformation abounds!

For anyone interested....the OP's question that half of the responses failed to answer.....

Also, if we are calling him while in the US from our Public phones, will that count as a call to the US, even though his number is Canadian? Wondering if I need to buy US minutes to be able to call him?

Assuming that the parents "are calling him while (he is) in the US from our Public phones"....

@reallyjustme 

If I didn't clarify well enough for others perhaps I didn't for you either so just that you are good on this..... You do not need the $15/1000 US long distance minutes add on.  As long as your son has  US Roaming add on with a talk feature or a US Roaming data add on for voip service (or on wifi) you will be able to call his Canadian phone number either public mobile's or a voip provider's Canadian phone number.

To contact customer support : Submit a support ticket via SIMon the chat bot Click here 

Or if you cannot submit a ticket via SIMon then Click here   ....for additional member supplied info.

[computergeek541]

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EDIT:   YES, you will need a US Long Distance add-on to call a PM user while they are in the USA. 

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@HALIMACS 

This isn't correct.  Any roaming add-on that includes calls while in the U.S. also includes calls to any Canadian phone number.

edited: redirected the reply to halimacs

(A Canadian number is still a Canadian number)

[AE_Collector]

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@HALIMACS wrote:

@reallyjustme 

US Roaming add-ons are for when the PM user is physically IN the USA.   They can call to other US and Canada numbers.

US Long Distance add-ons are for when the PM user is physically IN Canada and wish to call the USA.

EDIT:   YES, you will need a US Long Distance add-on to call a PM user while they are in the USA.   But a better option might be for you to text them and ask them to call you if they have the roaming add-on since international texting is free for you to them while they are in the USA.

————————————-
Hmm, are you certain about your edit @Halimax? I wouldn’t think a PM user in Canada would need the US calling add-on to call another PM user who is roaming / travelling in the US. Normally anyone calling someone who happens to be in the US wouldn’t know the person was travelling in the US. I would think that if the phone that’s in the US is on with a roaming package they are just a local call to someone who is normally able to call the person when they are in Canada.

[dust2dust]

1. "Calls must originate" - More of what could be thought of as ambiguous wording around here. No, that is incorrect where and how it's worded. What would be the point of a roaming talk service otherwise? With the roaming talk yes.
2. You can use the Public sim with roaming. You could also get a local service sim.
3. No you will be using your Canada-wide service to call his number. But if he doesn't have talk roaming then he won't receive the call when he is in the US.
4. No. Just use your service as always.

We can receive texts while in the US without any roaming add-on. Just no outgoing.

[darlicious]

@reallyjustme 

See the spoiler for additional info on US Roaming add ons....You do not need US long distance calling minutes to call your sons pm phone while he is in the US. You are still just calling a Canadian phone number.

Spoiler

Here is some info about US roaming add ons that should help you.....

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 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 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/or textnow app for use on wifi are good to use for a back up plan or you could call forward your pm number to your voip # when travelling internationally before you leave Canada (not an option for the US unless using a local sim card .)
9. All US roaming add ons have either unlimted 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's 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 : Submit a support ticket via SIMon the chat bot Click here 

Or if you cannot submit a ticket via SIMon then Click here   ....for additional member supplied info.

[JL9]

How long is your son going to the US for, if longer than 10 days it may be better to go with a local prepaid option or VoIP apps for reliability as well as cost effectiveness 

[dabr]

@reallyjustme    You need to purchase the roaming option which is for 10 days use only (240 hours) and should be purchased as close to your son's trip as possible as it activates immediately after purchase.

Here's a list of available roaming add-ons, btw you need to add funds and then purchase the add-on as it's a two step process:

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

250MB    $10

500MB    $15

1GB   $20

10 day packages

Important: As of February 22nd, 2022, some United States (U.S) carriers will begin turning down certain 3G/HSPA networks in the U.S. As a result, some customers using U.S. roaming add-ons may be impacted by differences in coverage or service quality (including 9-1-1 calls) when roaming in the U.S. This shutdown will not impact your service in Canada.

[esjliv]

@reallyjustme  - that footnote about calls originating in Canada are for regular addons.

All ROAMING addons are for use whilst in USA. When added to your account successfully they last 10 days. So don't add them much sooner than you need them perhaps.

Some USA Roaming Add-Ons tips: 

• 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 network.
• Additional details found in this help article: https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/us-roaming#:~:text=Troubleshooting%20U.S.%20Roam...

[HALIMACS]

@reallyjustme 

US Roaming add-ons are for when the PM user is physically IN the USA.   They can call to other US and Canada numbers.

US Long Distance add-ons are for when the PM user is physically IN Canada and wish to call the USA.

EDIT:   YES, you will need a US Long Distance add-on to call a PM user while they are in the USA.   But a better option might be for you to text them and ask them to call you if they have the roaming add-on since international texting is free for you to them while they are in the USA.

[iliketotalk]

@reallyjustme hi there are 10 day roaming packages in the add on section that can be used while in the US do not purchase them until you are ready to travel as they start right away