Using my credit card to pay for a relative's subscription

[MdeA]

Hi,
We just got a new SIM card for my nephew (who doesn't have a credit card), then proceeded to create an account for him using his email address and name, but when we tried to pay using my credit card info we get an error (Payment Failed!😞

It doesn't say why it failed, but since the billing info doesn't ask for the name in the credit card I'm assuming that it's submitting the payment to the credit card using his name (please correct if it is wrong assumption) and at this step in the registration process it doesn't allow you to change the name in the account.

Therefore, we tried creating another account with another email address I have and using my name, but still I get the same error when trying to pay. For this payment I'm using the same credit card that I already have registered in the account I have with Public Mobile for many years, so I have no reasons to believe that there's anything inherently wrong with that credit card which I use daily.

Please help!

Thanks.

[Waterplay]

With Wise (formerly Transferwise) there are no fees to open an account, add a Canadian account to Wise and load it in Canadian dollars by sending push electronic transfers (I use Tangerine so no fees).  Once the funds are in your Canadian account at Wise, you can create up to three free virtual visa debit cards and pay your Public Mobile fees.  It does take a few business days if you are starting from scratch, but I paid absolutely no fees.  Hope this helps!

[hTideGnow]

Great tips @Waterplay 

but the fees is not good 🙂

[Waterplay]

We had the same issue trying to set up an account.  We ended up requesting and using a digital visa from our Wise account.  Once we remembered they had the option to do this, it was very easy and fast - only took a few minutes to get the digital visa and then apply it as our payment on Public Mobile.  Also, there was no $7.95/$9.95 activation fee that is required when you use a prepaid visa gift card.

[MdeA]

@softech I used this one because I wasn't sure it was going to work:
single used card

The rechargeable option was this one:

rechargeable card

[softech]

thanks @MdeA for the update.

So, this is a single load card which is different from the Canada Postd reloadable Visa?  How much service fee they charged you?

FYI, after activation, you can now use a voucher to load to your My Account ahead of renewal date. 
Buying voucher from stores is free.  Best to buy from SDM/711/Shell/London drug as their voucher can be used immediately (Vouchers from other stores could have a 24 hours wait time). 
After you got the voucher, you can load it via My Account or via *611.  But the key is buy and load the voucher ahead of the renewal date, and keep in mind PM is running on a 30 days schedule and not monthly, so the renewal date will shift up one day after a 31 days month.

[MdeA]

As a recap, we got it to work using a Canada Post VISA single load prepaid (I supposed rechargeable would work as well). When registering the card it didn't ask for card holder name or address, so it used the default and failed the first time we tried it. Then, we changed that in the profile of the card to match the name in PM account and also the postal code and after that the payment went through.

Thank you all for your help.

[softech]

@MdeA 

you can activate first and then message support and ask them to remove the card

8r you can also get a Prepaid Credit card from store and use that instead 

[dust2dust]

Get a visa gift card type card and sign up with that. You can use any valid postal code known to Google. As for your card, the postal code you enter needs to match the billing address of the card. Test your address with Google. Unfortunately this place made the stupid lazy decision to use Google rather than CanadaPost.

[MdeA]

I installed the app and went through the steps, but it looks like I would have to store my credit card info in someone else's phone and I'm not ready for that...I don't even do it in my own phone as I do all this via web.

Does anybody know of a way to make ad-hoc payments without storing the credit card info? I remember that registering a credit card used to be optional and one got extra points for that, but it wasn't mandatory.

Thanks.

[MdeA]

Ok, we'll give that a try, have to start by installing it on Android, which I've never done before...will keep you posted, thanks.

[MdeA]

I tried using my wife's and same problem, but it's just a different number for the same credit card account, we don't really have another credit card, however, that is the credit card that PM charges regularly...thanks for the suggestion, though

[softech]

@MdeA now, you need to use the app to subscribe. Even you start with browser, you need the app to complete it 

So, does it work when you use the app?

[EdwardSim]

use a different card. sometimes it may be an internal issue with your bank which you can't really control, and ive had my card decline lots of times for basic things like movie tickets

[MdeA]

Thanks @softech , but I'm not using the app. I do it on the web like I've done before for myself and then for my wife. There, it doesn't even ask for an address, any workaround using the web interface?

[softech]

@MdeA 

Please try to use the app to run through the activation again

Since PM is a prepaid provider and do not do address check or so, you can use your name and address to setup the account first so they match your credit card.  If you like, you can change the name back after the account is setup