what if I'm not on autopay and my next cycle is due?

[beehjae]

Hi All,

What happens if I am not on auto-pay and my next cycle is due. Will I lose my number or something?

Looking forward to your replies.

Kind Regards,
Beehjae

[daredogg]

@JaK thanks for the detailed explanation!

This is why I enjoy coming to the community... There is always some lingering question in our heads, and until someone else asks it, you may not know you had the question! lol  In my case, I hadn't thought about switching my sister's phone to PM. Since there's still a balance of $17, I think I'll leave it as is until she returns home next summer.

Thanks also to @Luddite, @ute1978 and @srlawren for your insights.

And to @beehjae, sorry for hijacking your queston! 

[JaK]

Hi @daredogg;

Sorry that my response had that ambiguity, when I wrote "If you do not add money to your account"  I should have wrote "If you do not add enough money to your account to cover renewal" , as I was just trying to cover off that autopay isn't the only way to pay. And if the money is added after the account goes suspended, the new cycle needs to explicitly be kicked off. 

To the specifics of your question, I agree with the others that just having money in your account will not stop it from being deleted if over 90 days suspended.

Unfortunately, PM does not have a good solution for people who just want to park their number for an extended period. There have been several proposals made in Public Lab, PM has rejected them as Not For Us or Not At This Time (which is too bad). So far the best option is as @Luddite has described, to use 10 day plans and the 90 day suspension period to keep the account alive, but that is a workaround at best and a little dangerous if you somehow miss renewing before to 90 days is up.

[srlawren]

---

@ute1978 wrote:

---

@Luddite wrote:

@daredogg My understanding is that funds in your account are used on the expiry date to renew your plan.

---

But this will not work if you don't have autopay activated, am I right? 

---

@ute1978 it depends what funds are in your account.  If you have enough funds in the account on the day of the renewal, the renewal will proceed using the available funds, and you will start a new plan cycle.  If there is insufficient funds to compelte the renewal, your account gets suspended until either (1) you add enough funds, at which point the plan renews*; or (2) 90 days of suspension pass, at which point your account is premanently deactivated (forfeitting any funds you may have in the account at the time).

*I'm not 100% sure if manual action is required to renew a suspended account once sufficient funds are added, as I've never personally been in that state

[daredogg]

@Luddite that's a sneaky work around! I may consider that.

BTW, I didn't realize that $1.25 monthly is taken from funds with SpeakOut. I don't log into my sister's account enough to have noticed. While she's away, I'm tasked with making sure she doesn't lose her number.

Thanks for your insight! 

[ute1978]

---

@Luddite wrote:

@daredogg My understanding is that funds in your account are used on the expiry date to renew your plan.

---

But this will not work if you don't have autopay activated, am I right? 

[Luddite]

@daredogg My understanding is that funds in your account are used on the expiry date to renew your plan. If there are insufficient funds you plan is suspended. After 90 days in suspension your account and phone number are deleted and not recoverable.

FYI: on Speakout funds are depleted at $1.25/month for 911 service. You need a starting balance of $15 to last a year with NO usage.

At PM a year of suspension would cost $33 if you get the timing right, and to be safe renew 5 days before account deletion, as follows:

- day 1 - 85 day expiry of current plan then buy 10 day text plan for $11

- day 86 - 181 then buy 10 day text plan for $11

- day 182 - 277 then buy 10 day text plan for $11

- day 278 - 373 then reactivate actual plan.

[ute1978]

From my knowledge you have to have an active plan. Just keeping money/balance in your account is not enough. If the account gets deleted after 90 days you will not only lose your number but also the balance in that account.

[daredogg]

@JaK you mentioned in your post, "If you do not add money to your account."  

If you add money to your PM account, even if you don't renew a plan, will your account still be closed after 90 days?

The reason I ask, I have a sister on SpeakOut, and if you leave a balance on that account, the funds will be available for 365 days from the date funds were deposited. My sister is working internationally, but she wanted to hold onto her 905 number for when she gets back. I wanted to switch her to PM, but if deposited funds are only good for 90 days, I will probably keep things as is.

Can you please comment, or if you don't know answer, maybe one of the moderators does?

Thanks! 

[JaK · Accepted solution]

Hi @beehjae;

No, you will not lose your number, at least not right away. If you do not add money to your account, your account will first go into Suspended (and you will of course have no service). If you still have not renewed you plan (or started a different one) after 90 days of suspended, then the account will be deleted and you will lose your number.