FAQ

FAQ

I'm an exisiting TELUS customer, how do I switch to this rate plan?

If you have less than 12 months left on your 3-year contract or less than 2 months left on your 2-year rate contract, you can upgrade now to our rate plan without any penalty and we will also waive the $35 activation fee.  

Why do we only have electronic billing?

This is the only way for us to keep costs low for our members to ensure that we are maximizing your savings.

Can the packages be changed or customized?

You cannot remove items from the voice & data plan as this is a discounted bundle offer, however there are some optional features you can add for an additional fee. Most options are already there though as you can see.

What happens if you still have an existing contract with another wireless provider?

If you have an existing contract with another provider, find out how much time you have left on your contract and find out what their termination policies and procedures are. We provide you with a bill credit and often an additional bonus offering to make it easier for you to switch over and take advantage of our discounted monthly rates earlier. You can also bring your wireless number with you. This is a free service and is called “porting” your number. If you are ready to switch and want to port your number, simply indicate this in the space provided on our online order portal.

I want to keep my current cell phone number, how do I do that?

If you are ready to switch over to the BCPhA TELUS plan and want to transfer/port your current phone number from another provider, be sure to indicate that you wish to port your number when you sign up on our online ordering system. You will need your wireless account details to complete this process. Once you activate your phone with us, your phone plan with your old provider will be cancelled so do not cancel direct with your provider.

I need help with using my device, who can help me?

If you want to read online, there are a lot of support and training materials online that are very useful. We also have a list of tips and tricks that may be useful. 

If you prefer in-person training, you can also book a free training session online with a trained TELUS support person or if you have an iPhone, Apple provides free workshops at their store. Click here to find out more about all these resources.    

Travelling abroad with your phone

Although we have discounted rates for US long distance ($0.25/min), you must take into account that there is an additional US roaming fee ($0.50/min). This means the cost will actually be $0.75/min, which can actually add up quite quickly. 

Data roaming fees are very expensive at $5/MB, and if your data roaming feature is turned on, your phone will automatically start consuming data once you leave Canada. Many apps run in the background even if you are not using them, so we suggest that you always have your data roaming feature turned off.  For example, if you check the map it will general use 8MB, so it would cost you $40 just to look up one map. If your phone is setup to check email and make updates automatically, you can be charges far more in a very short amount of time.

"Data Off While Roaming"

If you are not sure how to set your device to "Data off while roaming," please try these quick tips:

iPhone (this will vary depending on the version of the operating system you have installed)
Go to Settings --> General --> Network --> Data Roaming --> Turn your setting to OFF.

BlackBerry (this will vary depending on the version of the operating system you have installed)
Go to Options --> Network and Connections --> Mobile Network -->Data Services -->While Roaming --> Turn your setting toOFF.

Andriod (this will vary depending on the version of the operating system you have installed)

Go to Settings --> Wireless and networks – More…--> Mobile network -->  Uncheck Data roaming.

Alternative travel solutions

Travel roaming passes for the US

We suggest purchasing a US Travel Passes if you plan to use you phone in the US.  These passes are only valid for 30-days and then expire automatically.  

Data roaming

The most expensive roaming charge by far is data roaming. By default your device has data roaming turned off and you need to actually activate it before it starts to work. We highly recommend purchasing a US Travel Pass if you plan to use data roaming. Please refer to the details above regard passes available.  

Unlocking your phone and purchasing a local SIM card

You can now unlock your phone through an authorized TELUS dealer for $35 to $50 depending on your agreement if you have a device that uses SIM cards. Once your phone is unlocked through one of our authorized TELUS dealers, you will be able to use your device in many countries when you purchase a pay-as-you-go SIM card when you arrive. These cards can also be reloaded and can include both voice and data service at reasonable rates. 

Purchasing a local device at your travel destination

Some countries have inexpensive devices that you can purchase with pay-as-you-go service. The rates are generally quite low for making calls locally. These devices will likely not have any data applications however.