What is AutoPay?

[Mansi_G]

AutoPay is a free service that allows you to pay for your wireless service automatically using a credit or VISA Debit card.

With AutoPay, you never have to worry about missing your payment. Even better, if you are on a Rewards Eligible plan, you can start earning a recurring AutoPay Reward that will bring your plan cost down. Here’s more on the AutoPay Reward.

How does AutoPay work?

On your payment due date, AutoPay will automatically charge the amount owing or a pre-selected amount of your choice from your credit or VISA Debit card.

How do I set up AutoPay?

You can sign up for AutoPay when you activate or you can do so anytime online using your Self Serve account.

First, you need to register your credit card. Find out how to do that here.

After your credit or VISA Debit card has been registered, you can now set up AutoPay. To do this, please follow the steps below:

1. Go to the “Payment” tab
2. Click on the “AutoPay” tab
3. Place a check mark on "Yes, I want to register for AutoPay”
4. Simply add your payment method information
5. Click “Register for AutoPay” to automatically calculate your plan cost minus any Rewards.

Note: If you signed up for AutoPay prior to August 2015, you can change your AutoPay settings so that your credit card is charged the amount owed vs. the set amount you originally enrolled with. To switch, simply remove AutoPay in the same AutoPay tab by clicking on “Remove AutoPay” and then re-register.

[Vanguard]

"Account Suspend"  message disappeared!  All's Good.

Thank you.

However, I manually made a payment when I saw that message, so I should have a credit of $120 in my account?  I shall check later both my credit card transaction and PM account here.

Thanks for the prompt reply

[stonechucker]

Credit card charged at 9:54 am Toronto time.... wow, 13 hours later than it was originally.

Still working, $120 in available balance now.

[stonechucker]

Oh I know... I'm just trying to show that I know this is a common thing that happens, and hopefully by showing that I'm not concerned about it, it should be okay and dandy sometime today.

But it is concerning in my mind, only becuase when I first signed up, the credit card was charged between 9 pm and midnight on the payment date.   It's now almost 8 am the following day, and it still hasn't been charged.

It appears to me, either there are a lot more accounts to be processeed on this cycle than ever before, or the process is being run at a completely different time than it used to.

[Rockdaddy22]

Nothing to worry about

[stonechucker]

So, it's 7:44 AM Toronto time, and I see AutoPay is running really slow for my renewal this new cycle.  I have phone service, but I'm writing to tell everyone that my self serve shows a huge box at the top telling me to ignore if I'm on AutoPay.  I look deeper, and I have a balance of $28.00 (rewards from last 90 days), and my credit card has yet to be charged.

Plan is listed as expired - but the phone is still working.

90 days ago, it was about 2:00 AM Toronto time my credit card was charged, so it's at least 4 3/4 hours behind today.

[Rockdaddy22]

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@Vanguard wrote:

I started this message when I first had the glitch with autopay in my account.  It was fixed then, and the next two autopay went smooth.  However, I changed my credit card info in my account (it was changed at least a week ago), and once again having the same problem, home page shows Account Suspended.  What can I do at this time to fix this problem?  Please advise.

Thanks.

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If you’re phone works, please ignore that message, it’ll disappear in a couple hours. It part of the normal transition on the morning of the payment. 

If your phone is not working, you should contact a mod ASAP 

[Vanguard]

I started this message when I first had the glitch with autopay in my account.  It was fixed then, and the next two autopay went smooth.  However, I changed my credit card info in my account (it was changed at least a week ago), and once again having the same problem, home page shows Account Suspended.  What can I do at this time to fix this problem?  Please advise.

Thanks.

[Luddite]

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@Spazcakes wrote:

So for autopay, had I not paid in advance, it would have just charged my credit card on file on the due date? So basically the same end result? 

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Yes, well actually the day after your expiry date, as seen when you click My Rewards.

[Spazcakes]

So for autopay, had I not paid in advance, it would have just charged my credit card on file on the due date? So basically the same end result? 

[srlawren]

@Spazcakes just to confirm what @Rockdaddy22 mentioned, I also always pre-pay for my renewals a few days early (out of straight-up paranoia--it really isn't required!) and continue to receive my AutoPay rewards as well.  You're all good.

[Rockdaddy22]

Don’t worry, I always pay early because I use vouchers and I’ve never experienced a problem getting my $6 autopay. Just make sure you have a valid credit card loaded to your account and autopay is turned on. 

[Spazcakes]

Hi there. Can someone take a look at my account? I have set up auto pay with an old credit card. It was due for Dec 20,2017. Today I changed my credit card and paid early  by accident. Will this affect my $6 off reward for 3 months paid? 

[Rockdaddy22]

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@Jovana7707 wrote:

I paid my services many times both manually and autopay and each time, I have problems to get the services activated !!! Thanks for helping right now!!!

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Are you still having problems?

[Jovana7707]

I paid my services many times both manually and autopay and each time, I have problems to get the services activated !!! Thanks for helping right now!!!

[Rockdaddy22]

You need a normal credit card to set up autopay, then you can pay with vouchers or a different card. I use vouchers every time, even though I use autopay.

Pro tip
Buy vouchers at CanadianTire gas bar, using gift cards you can get for %10 off from time to time.

[gulafshan]

Autopay is a great feature. Also it's amazing that you can save $6 off a 90-day plan (or $2/month). Just wondering, Can I use a prepaid voucher/credit card, or a Visa-Debit card for Autopay rather than your standard Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc?

[Mary_M]

Exactly as srlawren said, please don't hesitate to send me a private message. 🙂 @Vanguard

Mary

[srlawren]

@Vanguard yes if your phone stopped working then it's a glitch.  You may want to contact one of the community moderators (PM support staff) via private message to investigate a bit further for you for future renewals.  There are a couple of links at the bottom of this reply that can help if you're not sure how to do so.  Cheers!

[Vanguard]

The Autopay renewal date was March 16.  I didn't log in to my account until this morning (March 17) and the reason I logged in is because there were no service on the phone.  No call out, no receiving, no text, nothing.

I logged into my self serve said insufficient funds to renew. So I clicked on the "Top up now to reactivate account", then the page appeared with my saved credit card info.  I made the payment,  turned off the phone, turn it back on, and the service resumed.

So is this a "glitch"?

The funny thing is after the service resumed, I got a 611 message say : Public Mobile here. Sorry your plan did not renew because we did not receive your payment.  Make a payment at publicmobile.ca/selfserve"

If this problem happened to others already, I think this needs to be fixed.

Thanks for the replies.

[stonechucker]

It's a strange setup for sure.. You need to know (and remember) that your autopay date is the day before your plan actually renews.  Autopay doesn't actually occur until after midnight (ie. early the next morning) Eastern Time.  So, if your AutoPay date is today, it actually won't run until 1 or 2 am Eastern.  I only know this, because I watched mine happen last night for every step.  I know, I know... I should have been sleeping.

Once your credit card is actually charged, everything is put into available balance, until the next process starts to renew and apply payments for your plan  In my case this morning, my phone was working, and the account said suspended (around 4am).

Sometime after that, my plan was back to normal in all respects.

[srlawren]

@Vanguard did you lose ability to use the phone?  Or were you just seeing in the self-serve account that it was suspended?  If your service actually stopped working, then yes your autopay failed for some reason and that's a different issue.  However, if you were looking on the evening of your renewal and saw it was suspended, that is actually "normal" behaviour and nothing to be alarmed about, strangely.  You would not have needed to make a manual payment in that situation.

If you think this is really silly and confusing (like I do, and many of us), please consider reviewing this idea in the idea lab and clickign the Bravo button there to vote-up the idea:

http://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Public-Lab/Ability-to-reactivate-a-suspended-account-o...

[Vanguard]

I have registered my credit card, and My Account settings show I am on auto pay.

However, the plan didn't renew and my account was suspended.

I logged in to Self Serve made a payment and the plan renews.

My question is "What is AutoPay"

Why do I need to make the payment manually when it is called AUTOPAY??

[srlawren]

@Korth for continuity of revenue, I suppose?  

[Rockdaddy22]

That's why I say PM is kinda like a hybrid of the prepaid world. I wouldn't be surprised to see them transition to a post paid company in the next few years. IMHO
Also, I think they just want to make sure payment is made without any disruption in service.

[Korth]

Public Mobile is strictly prepaid; you don't (and can't) get any service until you've paid everything up front.  And you have to bring your own unlocked phone; you can't buy or finance or contract one from Public Mobile.

So I don't understand exactly why Public Mobile is interested in obtaining credit card information.  Interested enough to offer an attractive discount.

[dboxtvinfo]

VOUCHERS MAY BE SOLD IN MONTREAL HERE:

ONTARIO , NEAR PAPINEAU AVE.
I GOOGLED HOW TOO FIND PUBLIC MOBILE CELLULAR VOUCHERS. I SHOULD DRIVE BY THERE SHORTLY!

[dboxtvinfo]

Auto pay does not work prepaid cards. It does the forst time. Now i am trying too renew, does the 30 day begin on that day, or do i owe the balance owed?