Public Mobile vs Fizz: Plans, Networks, and Both Referral Programs Compared
Two different networks this time
Our Koodo comparison opened with “same towers, different deal.” This one is the opposite: Public Mobile and Fizz share nothing. Public Mobile is TELUS’s prepaid brand and runs on the TELUS network, which reaches about 99% of Canadians — every province and territory. Fizz is Vidéotron’s digital brand, and it sells service in exactly five provinces — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia — on Vidéotron’s network, extended by partner agreements outside its Quebec home turf.
That makes geography the first filter, and for many readers the only one. If you live in Saskatchewan, Atlantic Canada, or the territories, fizz.ca simply won’t sell you a plan, and publicmobile.ca will. Comparison over. If you’re inside Fizz’s five provinces, keep reading — from here on it’s genuinely a matter of preference, and we’ll say plainly where each carrier wins.
One speed note before the money: Public Mobile sells 5G on its $35-and-up plans and 4G below that, nationwide. Fizz offers 5G in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and B.C., but its Manitoba service is LTE-only.
The two referral programs, side by side
You’re on a referral-code site, so here’s the centrepiece up front. Full disclosure: the same independent team runs both guides — this one and our Fizz guide — and holds an active plan with each carrier, so everything in this table is first-hand on both sides.
| Public Mobile | Fizz | |
|---|---|---|
| Code format | 6 characters | 5 characters |
| Where it goes | Its own “Referral Code” field at Step 4 (Payment) | One shared “Promo or referral code” field at the end of checkout |
| Stacks with a promo code? | Yes — the two fields are separate | No — one field, one code |
| New-customer credit | $10, one time | $40 outside Quebec / $25 in Quebec |
| When it arrives | 4–8 weeks after activation | At your two-month anniversary |
| Forgot to enter it? | Recoverable — support can add it retroactively | Lost forever — first activation only, never retroactive |
| What the referrer earns | 1 Public Point ($1) every 30 days per active referral, uncapped, indefinitely | $25 once per referral, no cap |
| Minimum plan | Any plan | $20/month or more |
Read that honestly and neither program “wins” — they’re built differently. Fizz’s headline number is simply bigger: $40 outside Quebec (we verified it in a real Ontario cart on July 16, 2026 — the order summary read “Referral: -$40 applied to your 3rd payment”) or $25 in Quebec, against Public Mobile’s $10. If the size of the welcome credit is all that matters and you live in a Fizz province, Fizz pays more. No spin changes that.
Two of the three mechanics still favour Public Mobile — timing is now a tie. Timing: Public Mobile’s terms put the $10 credit on your account 4–8 weeks after activation, against a Fizz credit that lands after your second monthly payment — call it a wash. Forgiveness: forget a Public Mobile code and a support ticket adds it retroactively; forget a Fizz code at your first activation and it’s gone permanently — Fizz allows one referral per person, ever, and never after the fact. Stacking: Public Mobile’s referral and promo fields are separate and both apply (how to use a code shows exactly where); Fizz makes you choose one.
Plans: a fixed menu versus a plan builder
Public Mobile sells a set menu. As of August 2026 it runs from $20 for 1GB to $50 for 175GB of 5G data with Canada–US–Mexico coverage, and the lineup gets reshuffled near-monthly — our current offer page tracks it with dates. After activation, Public Points accrue: 2% back on payments plus 5 points each anniversary.
Fizz hands you a builder instead: pick your coverage (province, Canada, or Canada–US), your data, and your minutes, and the price assembles itself. Three Fizz perks deserve honest credit because Public Mobile has no equivalent: once activated, your price stays put for as long as you keep the plan; unused data rolls over for two months; and you can gift data to other members. Fizz also offers a 15-day free trial with no credit card, a free eSIM, and no activation fee, plus its own My Rewards program. One catch that matters on a referral site: Fizz’s cheapest builds — $14–17 talk-only — don’t qualify for the referral bonus, which requires a plan of $20/month or more. At Public Mobile, every plan qualifies, including the $20 entry plan.
On SIM logistics they’re close: both offer eSIM, and Public Mobile also sells physical SIMs at Walmart and on Amazon.
Where Fizz genuinely wins
- The welcome credit. $25–40 versus $10. For a new customer, that’s the biggest single number in this comparison.
- Price lock. Public Mobile’s lineup changes constantly; your grandfathered plan usually survives, but Fizz makes stability an explicit promise.
- Data rollover and gifting. Unused gigabytes live two months and can be given away. Public Mobile data expires with the cycle.
- The free trial. Fifteen days, no credit card. Public Mobile has nothing comparable.
- In Quebec: a household bundle. Fizz sells home Internet and TV there, and the referral code works on Internet too.
Where Public Mobile wins
- All of Canada. TELUS coverage everywhere, versus five provinces — and 5G in all of them, where Fizz’s Manitoba service is LTE-only.
- Referral mechanics. Recoverable and stackable with promo codes; Fizz’s program is unforgiving and exclusive with promos. On timing it’s close: 4–8 weeks versus Fizz’s two-month anniversary.
- Recurring referrer rewards. $1 every 30 days per active friend, forever and uncapped, versus $25 once.
- Cross-border data. The $40-and-up plans include Canada–US–Mexico coverage; Fizz’s builder tops out at Canada–US.
What neither gives you
Both are digital-only by design: no stores, no phone support — chatbots, tickets, and community forums on both sides. Neither offers Wi-Fi Calling: we verified the missing toggle on a live Public Mobile line in July 2026, and Fizz doesn’t offer it either. And both ride real big-carrier networks — TELUS and Vidéotron-plus-partners — so neither is a “discount network” gamble. The savings on both come from the missing service layer, not missing towers.
Referring friends: $25 once or $12 a year
If you plan to bring friends along, the two programs pay on different clocks. Fizz gives the referrer $25 per friend, once, about two months after activation. Public Mobile pays $1 every 30 days per active friend — roughly $12 a year, for as long as they stay, with no cap.
The crossover sits around 25 months. Refer someone who churns within a year and Fizz’s $25 beats Public Mobile’s ~$12. Refer someone who stays five years and Public Mobile’s ~$60 laps Fizz’s one-time $25. Fizz pays the referrer better up front; Public Mobile pays better if your friends stick around. Both statements are true — pick the clock that matches your circle.
Bottom line
Geography first: outside Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and B.C., Public Mobile wins by default. Inside those provinces, it’s an honest split. If a bigger welcome credit, a locked price, rollover data, and a free trial matter most, Fizz is a sound choice — the Fizz guide linked above shows exactly where its single code field hides, and remember its bonus is never retroactive. If you want national TELUS coverage, a credit that forgives mistakes, and referral rewards that keep paying, Public Mobile is the pick: choose any plan, enter the code on this page in the Referral Code field at Step 4 (Payment), and the $10 arrives within 4–8 weeks. Either way you’ll be on a real network — just not the same one.
Frequently asked questions
Do Public Mobile referral codes work at Fizz?
No, and Fizz codes don't work at Public Mobile either. Public Mobile uses a 6-character code entered in its dedicated Referral Code field at Step 4 (Payment) — see how to use a code. Fizz uses a 5-character code typed into a single field labelled “Promo or referral code” at the end of its checkout. Two carriers, two systems, zero overlap.
Which referral bonus is bigger — Public Mobile's or Fizz's?
Fizz's, by a wide margin: $40 outside Quebec or $25 in Quebec, versus Public Mobile's $10. Timing is close to a wash — Public Mobile's terms say bill credits appear 4–8 weeks after activation, Fizz's at your two-month anniversary — but a forgotten Public Mobile code can be added retroactively by support ticket, while a forgotten Fizz code is lost forever.
Is Fizz available everywhere in Canada?
No. Fizz sells service only in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia, and its Manitoba service is LTE-only. Public Mobile runs on the TELUS network across all of Canada. If you live outside those five provinces, the comparison is settled before it starts.
Can I stack a promo code with a referral code?
At Public Mobile, yes: the promo-code field and the Referral Code field at Step 4 are separate, and both apply — see promo codes. At Fizz, no: both code types share one field at checkout, so it's strictly one or the other.
Do Public Mobile or Fizz offer Wi-Fi Calling?
Neither one, as of July 2026. We verified the missing toggle on a live Public Mobile line, and fizz.ca doesn't offer the feature either. If you depend on Wi-Fi Calling for weak indoor signal, you'll need a flanker brand like Koodo — see our Koodo comparison.
Which program pays the person referring more?
It depends on how long your friend stays. Fizz pays the referrer $25 once per referral. Public Mobile pays 1 Public Point ($1) every 30 days per active referral, forever — about $12 a year. Fizz is ahead for roughly the first 25 months; after that, Public Mobile keeps paying while Fizz has finished.