Pay Tel vs Cowabunga Hub
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pay Tel
Stay connected with loved ones. Receive instant alerts for messages and notifications. Easily view your balance and add funds, or send photos to inmates in eligible correctional facilities.
- Instant message alerts
- Unread message count
- Current balance visibility
- Add funds link
- Send photos to inmates
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The Pay Tel app provides you with easy access to important functionality: Instant alerts for any notifications from Pay Tel™ or your inteleMESSAGE™ contacts. Current unread messages count indicator. Just press to open inteleMESSAGE™. Visibility to your current balance, and a link to the main PayTel.com site for Adding Funds. Send photos to inmates in eligible facilities.
Cowabunga Hub
Stay updated with the latest news and engage with others in a fun and interactive environment. This platform offers chat, blogs, and valuable resources for members.
- Latest news updates
- Interactive chat
- Member resources
- Blogs and stories
- Community engagement
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Bunga Hub is the ultimate one-stop shop for all partners to get the latest and greatest news from Cowabunga. App users will utilize the app to communicate and engage with others — you'll know what's going on at all times while having fun! The app offers the following features: chat, blogs/news stories, and resources for members to use.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Cowabunga Hub at 3.6 against Pay Tel's 1.7. Cowabunga Hub also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Pay Tel's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (140 vs 8). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Cowabunga Hub holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pay Tel has 140 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Pay Tel ships an update every 2 months, Cowabunga Hub fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pay Tel | Cowabunga Hub |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.7 (140 ratings) | 3.6 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 6.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 140 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | #208 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 74 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pay Tel Communications | Cowabunga, Inc. |
Customer experience
Pay Tel
Cowabunga Hub
Bugs and requests
Pay Tel
Reported bugs
21 issues- App crashes on launch or during use
- Login authentication errors persist across sessions
- Messages fail to send despite payment being deducted
- Messages don't appear in inbox despite being sent
- App logs out randomly while actively in use
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- Typing causes screen to flicker and delete message content
- Blank white screens when trying to view messages
- App won't work when Wi-Fi is enabled (Error 403)
- Incorrect notification counts
- Balance doesn't update after adding funds
- Video call invitations don't pop up or display
- Call connections drop mid-conversation
- Echo/feedback during calls
- Calls ring once then hang up immediately
- Account lockout with 'phone number doesn't belong to account' error
- PIN number errors preventing login
- App won't open on certain devices (iPhone specific issues)
- Messages appear days late
- Duplicate messages being sent and charged
- App freezes when typing long messages
- Website login doesn't sync with app login
Requested features
12 requests- Improved app stability and performance optimization
- Better customer service responsiveness (live chat, phone support)
- Reduced pricing for calls and messages
- Same-day video visit scheduling
- Better message persistence (don't delete on app exit)
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- Improved call quality and connection stability
- Wi-Fi compatibility fix
- Better user interface design and navigation
- Automatic message saving/drafts
- Transaction history visibility
- Refund policy for failed transactions
- Faster fund processing and balance updates
Cowabunga Hub
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pay Tel
No in-app purchases
Cowabunga Hub
No in-app purchases
