US roaming and data

[7611]

I recently upgraded my plan to include unlimited talking and texting throughout North America. Now that we are in the US, we have no access to either the internet or any ability to talk or text. I am now wondering what I signed up for. My partner also has the same problem. If we need to sign up separately for roaming I need to know and how.

[hairbag1]

Are you going to be in US for awhile ? PM only has the 10 Day US Roaming options, for use while in USA. They're good options for your if you're only there for a short while.

Alternative is to get a local sim and a cheap US / Canada calling plan. Check in at nearest Walmart or look on-line.

Other alternative....if you have access to wifi while in US, get a free voip app like TextNow. You'll download that app, select a Cdn number...then using wifi, you can call / text most any US and Cdn number. You'll find free wifi at most motels, resorts, restaurants, librarys...even McD's has free wifi.

[darlicious]

@7611 

Oops! The plan you two signed up for is for calling the US from Canada. You need to add funds and then purchase a US 10 day Roaming add on. The $20 Talk, Text and 250mb of data bundle may be a good choice for you. Once added reboot your phone. Enable roaming and manually choose either at&t or T-Mobile. Read the spoiler below for more info....

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's 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 textnow app for use on wifi are good to use for a back up plan or you could call forward your pm phone # to your fongo # before you leave Canada and use it with mobile data on a locali sim card or WiFi.
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 moderator 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.

You can message contact supported explain your honest mistake and see if they will return you both to your old plans and credit the difference to your account balance.

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]

What plan did you upgrade to? There is an old grandfathered plan that worked in both Canada and the US, but all the plans over the last few years are Canada wide calling and int'l texting if you are in Canada, but you need a roaming plan (10 days) for talk/text/data in the US. I apologize if you do have one of the plans that cover both in Canada and in the US, I believe there were a few ppl who had some trouble with those plans a month or so ago and sorted it out via a CSA

[softech · Accepted solution]

@7611   The current $50, $60 and $70 plans which includee US calling is only for calling US FROM Canada.   They are not to be used when you are in US 

When you are in US, you need to buy Roaming add-on to use talk or text or data in US

These are the different US Roaming Add-ons 

Bundle - US Roaming - Talk Text (10-day) - $15.00 (10 Reward points)
Bundle - US Roaming - Talk Text 250 Data (10-day) - $20.00 (15 Reward points)
Data - US Roaming - 1 GB Data (10-day) - $20.00 (15 Reward points)
Data - US Roaming - 250 MB Data (10-day) - $10.00 (5 Reward points)
Data - US Roaming - 500 MB Data (10-day) - $15.00 (10 Reward points)
Text - US Roaming - Unlimited Text (10-day) - $8.00 (5 Reward points)
Talk - US Roaming - Unlimited Talk (10-day) - $8.00 (5 Reward points)