What counts as premium text?

[AVancouver]

New user here. I know that international text doesn't include premium text. Does premium text include all short code numbers? In Vancouver, Translink has a free text service that tells you when your bus arrives when you text 33333, does this count?

Thanks for any help.

[bbting]

I have the same issue. I switched over from Rogers to PM on Sep 7. Today is Sep 11. When I used translink 33333, never got any reply. Even weird, the history usage is shown as minutes and not SMS, and I got charged for 6 minutes. Can anyone help me understand this? What is going wrong here?

[SL9]

Also a relatively new user here.  I know this is an old post, but last week when I first signed up to PM I wondered the same thing.  I used the Translink text service you described on a daily basis when I was with Fido, and when I switched over to PM it stopped working.  The SMS would send but I would not get replies.  But about 5 days after switching it suddenly worked without me doing anything.  I'm guessing it takes a few days for things to verify to act as a countermeasure against potential fraud for switching phone numbers (but I read that's only for banks, so not sure why a transit service would do the same)?  Regardless, long story short the Translink 33333 service works with PM.

[AVancouver]

Awesome. Thanks for the help. Unfortunately I can't mark two people as the solution.

[Luddite]

Correct; there are NEVER any extra charges with PM. You have prepaid for all the services provided by your plan.

[AVancouver]

Sweet. You don't get charged for texting it either?

[Luddite · Accepted solution]

Not all short codes are supported. This is the only list I have found: Short Codes. However, if you try a short code that does not transmit, it's not on the list yet. If you have some you would like added suggest them in the Public Lab.

[etsat]

Since I use them, I know the Translink texts work, and I also know the short text codes from companies like Google and Microsoft for two-factor authentication work. 

[AVancouver]

Oh, but on https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/plans in footnote 3, it says "Premium and subscription-based messages are not included". Do normal short code numbers not count?

My previous carrier counted it as premium so I'm just making sure.

[NDesai]

Text on every plan PM offers is the same. There is no such thing as Premium texting on PM. So, as long as that translink texting service is based in Canada, it should work.