So you are suggesting that rather than setting up a few reminders and paying $45 - $$ rewards per year to save their phone #/account/$$ rewards account the OP should abandon it and get stuck with a points account, new number and buy a new Sim card?
It would be a hassle disabling AutoPay and restart payment every -90 days. It is easy switching to the $15 plan but if you are gone so long. I would suggest you close your account and get a new SIM card and new number when you return because no one call or text you while you are out of Canada.
@darlicious- I was going for easy, less hands on. I realize it means forgoing the $2 autopay 3 times a year. We don't know what other rewards the customer is getting to stretch out even more dollars either.
By setting up some reminders on your calendar and alarm to ensure you do not miss reactivation deadline dates (89/90days) you can suspend your account for $45(3×$15)/year (350 - 360 days) or less $$ depending on your rewards. Of course if your plan amount is fully covered by rewards there is no point in suspending your account. Here are your options for suspending your service for up to 89/90 days, reactivating for 30 days and repeating the process.....if you can time it so that you reactivate some time in December you will qualify for the "more is merrier" holiday gifts. Here are your options.....
You can turn off autopay and allow the account to suspend at the of your current 30 day cycle but this is your least advantageous option. Pay and reactivate by day 85 or so.
If you have an account balance that exceeds your plan amount then you need to suspend via the lost/stolen feature in your account before midnight eastern on the evening of your renewal. Then on day 85 or so resume your service to pay and reactivate.
Suspending via lost/stolen before midnight eastern will keep your voicemail active allowing you retrieve voicemail and any verification sent by phone calls. However your rewards will not be applied to your account. CSA contact after paying and reactivating is necessary to have the rewards applied manually.
Voicemail can be accessed by calling your pm number from a different phone by calling your phone # and pressing * once connected and entering your 4 digit voicemail pin #.
If you don't have an account balance or enough balance to cover your plan amount you can suspend via lost/stolen after midnight but before 2 am eastern on the day of your renewal. Once your rewards have been applied (usually by 12:15 am et) then suspend your account. Voicemail access will be lost.
Switching to the $15 plan with rewards helping to cover a partial or full amount of your plan allows you to call forward your pm number to your voip number (like textnow or fongo)before you leave Canada.. Now any incoming calling to your pm number will ring thru to your voip number while on wifi or mobile data (w/a local or global sim card) You can access your voip #'s voicemail for all voicemail messages.
Most important mark on your calendar day 85 of your suspension and day 89/90. Do not forget when you must unsuspend your account via lost/stolen and/or pay and reactivate your service so you don't lose your phone number and account. Happy travels!
OK.....and I have discovered using the spoiler option on the toolbar and your clipboard at the same time don't play very well in the community's sandbox! I will have to go back to the old way of copying my own post. Lol....every option is it's own little surprise! 🎉🎁🎊🎈🤪
Edit:
Ignore all references to $$ rewards if you are on points. Anniversary points are unaffected by suspension but you will only earn "Get back" points for payments. Give back points only if you earned them in the previous month and have active service when they are added to accounts between about the 5th and the 7th of the following calendar month and referral points I haven't quite narrowed down exactly when they are added and how suspension would affect them.
Change down to the $15 plan and then pay every 4 months. You'll "waste" a 30 days of paid service then it'll go into suspension for 90 days. But be certain to make that payment every like 115 days. You lose it all if you go over 120 days.
