WhistleOut fast facts
- Public Mobile announced all customers would be migrated to its Public Points program.
- The Public Points program is significantly less lucrative than its predecessor, the popular Rewards program.
- Customers expressed their outrage on the Public Mobile Community forum and the carrier's subreddit, with many saying they were leaving the Telus flanker.
Last week, Public Mobile announced it would be discontinuing its popular Rewards program and migrating enrolled customers to its Public Points program starting in May 2024. The carrier said the move is "part of our commitment to continuously evolve our products and services" and explained that customers being migrated to Public Points would receive bonus data by March 31.
While the change appears to be a cost-cutting measure, Public Mobile isn't struggling. The carrier's parent company, Telus, reported record growth at the tail end of 2023, due in part to Public Mobile’s new 5G plans.
Public Points are the new norm
The Public Points program was rolled out in January 2022. Although it was similar in some ways to the original Public Rewards program, it was less generous and required less action. The original Public Rewards program provided monthly credits for loyalty and auto-pay alongside credits for referrals and posting on the Public Mobile Community forum. The Public Points program, meanwhile, provides smaller and less frequent rewards for loyalty and requires more active participation to accumulate Points.
Originally, customers enrolled in Rewards were permitted to continue accruing credits as they had before. The announced migration to Public Points, though, is not optional: all Public Mobile customers will be enrolled in Public Points starting in May 2024. Customers with Rewards credits will earn one Public Point for every dollar of Rewards.
Customers frustrated, considering new carriers
Public customers were not happy to learn the news about their treasured Rewards program, heading to the Public Mobile Community forum and Public Mobile's subreddit to lodge their complaints. Some argued Public had reneged on a 2022 assurance that they would not be forced into Public Points. Others lamented this as one more example of the sorry state of the Canadian telecom market. One reddit user, u/carnewbie911, said, “unless we have more competitors, this will continue to happen. [Public Mobile] doesn't need to win, they just need to barely beat the next cheapest and they will still retain all the customers!”
We followed up with u/carnewbie911, who said they plan to switch to another carrier once their accumulated Public Mobile rewards run dry. While they hope to find a better deal from another carrier, they believe the marketplace is in desperate need of regulation. "The CRTC is just a public showcase for the government to show they tried to do something. Actually, the government has been heavily lobbied by the Big Three tele companies to maintain their monopoly."
Another Reddit user, u/Busy-Wolf-7667, told us they were hoping Public Mobile reversed course following the customer backlash. "I'm sticking with [Public Mobile] for now," they said, "waiting out till they actually pull the old rewards system."
More than anything, many customers online expressed a desire for another flanker with affordable prices, reliable coverage, and rewards. There are some options: Fizz and Virgin Plus both offer rewards programs, including offers for entertainment and dining, while Freedom Mobile and Fido have referral programs that offer discounts for inviting friends and family to the service.
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