Get a $10 account credit using the code below (or $25, depending on promos).
Tap the code to copy it:
6J7W30Click the button continue the activation process:
How to use the Public Mobile referral code
On the Review & Pay screen which is Step 4 of the activation process, enter 6J7W30 as your “Referral Code” and click the Add button. You’ll get at least a $10 credit on your account to go towards your next phone bill.
Don’t have a Public SIM card?
You can buy an eSIM during the activation process, or a physical SIM card for $10 online or at a Telus Store, Koodo Store, Mobile Klinik, or other kiosk:
How to switch to Public Mobile and keep my phone number?
Switching to Public Mobile is easy. All you need is a:
- Phone
- Credit card (they accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express) or Visa Debit card for payment
- Your IMEI (dial *#06# on your phone) of your existing mobile phone or your account number of your previous service provider
Note: Only the authorized account holder can transfer a number.
To port your existing phone number, don’t call Koodo, Lucky or whoever your current service provider is.
Instead:
- Copy the referral code 6J7W30
- Select a subscription plan
- Create an account and verify your email address
- Select eSIM option
- Enter your payment details and paste the referral code
- Choose a phone number or enter your existing one to transfer it
- Your card will be charged and a Public will submit a request to your previous provider on your behalf. You will likely receive a text message from your previous provider asking you to confirm the request that you must respond to with in 90 minutes. If you do not receive the message, you can contact them to manually release your number.
- Once you agree, you will lose service on your existing SIM card.*
- Take out your old SIM card and replace it with the Public Mobile SIM
- You should receive a welcome text message asking you to restart your phone.*
- Your service will now be active.
- Sign in to your Public Mobile online account and you will receive an text with an authorization code. Enter this in the login process to pair your phone with your online account.
*It can take up to 2 hours to complete the transfer of a mobile phone number and account activation. If you run into any errors or issues, send a direct message (DM) to CS_Agent (PM employee) on the Public Mobile Community forums. They are available Monday to Sunday: 6 AM to 10 PM EST.
Why use Public Mobile?
Public Mobile is a discount, no-frills prepaid mobile brand (MVNO) owned by Telus that offers prepaid phone plans with 5G, 4G and 3G data speeds starting at $15/mo. It competes in the same market segment as Lucky Mobile (Bell) and Chatr (Rogers).
Here’s why I switched to Public Mobile from Koodo:
Public has 5G, 4G and 3G plans
Public has prepaid phone plans with 5G (up to 250 Mbps), 4G (up to 100 Mbps) and 3G (up to 3 Mbps) data speeds. This is more than enough for most applications.
And now that Koodo Mobile is throttling their 4G to a maximum of 100 Mbps, the difference between the two providers has narrowed considerably.
More data for less money
At Koodo, I was paying $45/mo for:
- 6GB of 4G data
- Unlimited Canada-wide minutes
- Unlimited international texts
- Voicemail, Call Display, Call Waiting, Conference Calling
Certainly not the worst, but far from the best deal out there when compared to Black Friday phone deals. However, those are typically limited-duration (6 to 18 months), but I prefer price stability over having to frequently “play the game” of finding the cheapest limited-time deal and contacting a new provider to get transferred over.
Since at least November 2022, Public Mobile has been offering a $40/mo plan that includes:
- 15GB of 4G data
- Unlimited Canada-wide minutes
- Unlimited international texts
- Voicemail, Call Display and Conference Calling
- 3x points for 12 months on add-on purchases
While not the best deal ever, it is seemingly available on permanent/long-term basis, meaning you won’t lose features after a limited time.
Rewards from the Public Points program
In addition to their lower phone plan prices, the Public Mobile points program offers a number of ways to earn reward points where 1 point = 1 dollar:
- Signing up – 5 points ($5)
- Making payments – 5% back in points
- Anniversary – 10 points ($10) per 12 months
- Refer a friend – 1 point ($1) per month a friend you refer stays with Public
- Answer questions on the community forum – up to 20 points ($20) per month
Points can be redeemed for money off your bill, free add-ons, or the chance to win awesome prizes:
No lock-in
Since you bring your own phone provider and only offers prepaid month-by-month service with no credit check. You can leave for another provider whenever a better deal comes along with no fee. No need to wait until you’ve paid off your phone to avoid fees or penalties. Public is perfect if you’re between contracts, phone tabs or other lock-in methods and you want to lower your phone bill.
Changing to Public also means that you may be eligible to receive win-back offers from your previous provider, which are often better than publicly advertised plan deals.
See my full review of Public Mobile here.
FAQs
How good is Public Mobile’s network coverage?
Public Mobile uses their parent company Telus’ telecom network, the largest in Canada. Telus and Bell have a reciprocal network sharing agreement forming what is referred to as multi-operator core network (MOCN) through which Bell lets Telus use their towers in the east of Canada, and Bell can use Telus’ towers in the west.
Public’s download speeds on the network were previously capped at 3G, but they now offer 4G plans with speeds capped at 100 Mbps (same as Koodo) and 5G (up to 250 Mbps) – more than enough for most applications – with the coverage and reliability of the Telus LTE network.
For example, 15 Mbps is recommended to watch 4K Netflix and 20 Mbps is enough for watching 4K YouTube. Streaming live video at 1080p, 60 frames per second from a platform like Twitch requires 6 Mbps.
How to get a Public Mobile referral code?
When signing up for a Public Mobile account and activating your subscription, use the referral code 6J7W30 to get a $10 account credit.
Once you activate your account, you will get your own referral code that you can use to give to friends and family and get $1 off each month for each one that joins for as long as they stay with Public.
How much does a Public Mobile SIM card cost?
On their website, a SIM card typically costs $10. They sometimes drop the price to $5.
Does Public Mobile support eSIM?
Yes, they support eSIM as well as physical SIM cards.
Why is Public Mobile so cheap?
Public Mobile offers some of the lowest rates because:
- You bring your own phone (though they do sell a small selection of certified pre-owned phones).
- Self-serve – everything from activating to buying add-ons is done through your online account on their website.
- Web-based – they do not have a call center. All customer service is provided through help articles, the SIMon chat bot and the community forum.
- No retail stores – though some services are provided through Telus and Koodo locations.
- Limited marketing budget – growth comes from word of mouth and referrals.
Over to you
If you have any questions about the activation process, let me know by leaving a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer them!
