Cheapest plan to retain phone number

[V12345]

Hello- my plan went up from $10 to $16 but I don’t need it as it is my secondary number. Is there another plan where I can just keep the phone number with no calling and no data needed? Perhaps only receive/send texts if possible (no more than 10 per month). I’d still like to keep the number to use WhatsApp etc. Thank you. 

[LitlLdy]

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@softech wrote:

So, an similar workaround  would be porting into Fongo.  It does has a $25 port in fees, but free to port out if you stay with Fongo for over 3 months

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@V12345 , to add to this information, the list below indicates places where phone numbers can be transferred / ported to the Fongo Network.

Phone numbers that can be transferred to Fongo services:

Alberta | British Columbia | Manitoba | Nova Scotia | Ontario | Quebec | Saskatchewan

If the phone number is not from those locations it can’t be ported into Fongo. I don’t live in any of those locations so my phone number wasn’t eligible.

Edit: I did some research & it looks like Fongo no longer works with Whatsapp.

[V12345]

Preferred to make sure I haven’t missed informing anyone of my new number but not mandatory at this point. 

[V12345]

Amazing! Thanks so much for putting in the effort! 

[Phil_Adelphus]

Good thought @Void  We used Petro Canada Mobility for a while on a spare phone, that was similar to speakout I think, and ran on Rogers.

[Void]

Have a look at speakout 7-11 with just text and talk, no plan (charged per minute and outgoing message).

Minimum top up is $25 per 365 days.

[funpig1]

@V12345 @Phil_Adelphus 

OK. I just suspended my PM account by reporting my phone stolen/lost in the app for the first time. I confirmed that both incoming/outgoing calls and SMS texts stopped working.  I then tested WhatsApp and it continued to work notwithstanding the suspended PM account. After that I resumed the PM service in the app and I confirmed that both calls and texts worked again.

Therefore, if you can live without SMS texts and phone calls and want to save money and preserve your phone number, you can do this and still continue to use WhatsApp. 

Good luck.

[Phil_Adelphus]

A downside to the 90 suspension would be that you want to be able to send and receive texts (SMS presumably), so that would not work while the account is in suspension.  Do you want to be able to receive 2FA texts on that number?

[softech]

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@funpig1 wrote:

@fixin1 @V12345 

Once the telephone number has been ported to TextNow, would there be any need to have any plan at all for WhatsApp to work with the same number?  Would it not be sufficient to just keep the number refreshed on TextNow and not allow it to lapse?

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@funpig1 / @V12345 

you cannot port Canadian number into TextNow:

https://www.textnow.com/blog/textnow-101-porting

First: You need to have a US number. Sorry, Canada and the rest of the world, we can only port numbers that are currently with US carriers.

So, an similar workaround  would be porting into Fongo.  It does has a $25 port in fees, but free to port out if you stay with Fongo for over 3 months

[funpig1]

@V12345  TBH, I have never done it myself.

However, there are numerous threads of people going on vacation and suspending their plans for up to 90 days by just removing the auto pay or clicking that phone is lost/stolen.  And coming back later to restart the same plan with the same account/phone number/rewards etc. You do not have to pay for the suspended months.  Just just make sure you don't go over the 90 days at which point your account and number will be closed forever. 

Just do a search for how to suspend your account to see the other threads.

[funpig1]

@fixin1 @V12345 

Once the telephone number has been ported to TextNow, would there be any need to have any plan at all for WhatsApp to work with the same number?  Would it not be sufficient to just keep the number refreshed on TextNow and not allow it to lapse?

[V12345]

Oh?! My number won’t be reassigned to someone else, and will I have the option to come back to that same $15 plan, and not select an even higher one? Would my payment cycle renew from the date when I choose to pay again? There must be interest payments though for not paying…

[funpig1]

@V12345 

If you want to preserve your PM account, number, any referrals and save up to about 75% a year, you could voluntarily suspend your account 90 days at a time. Just remember to resubscribe before every 90 days lapses. Otherwise, you will permanently lose everything.  I believe that the WhatsApp account would still work with a telephone number that has a suspended account.  But I have not tested that. You could just not pay on your next renewal. Let your account be suspended for a fwe days. Test to see if your Whatsapp is still working and then renew your plan afterwards. Good luck.

[Phil_Adelphus]

@V12345   With some carriers if you did need data at any point you can often get an add on, I used to do that years ago when I had a pay as you go $100 a year with Rogers.  

[V12345]

Will look up Telus, thank you. Yes WhatsApp only on wifi. Looking into Park My Phone but not sure it’s reliable. 

[V12345]

Thanks. Only using WhatsApp at home on wifi. Perhaps something like ParkMyPhone, but need references of someone that has actually used it. 

[fixin1]

@V12345 - No plan here. Although it seems as if you are on the $15 250MB 100min outgoing calls plan. That is the lowest you can go here.

No plans without data for less than $19. WhatsApp needs data, maybe try other carriers like Fizz.

You can get a $11 2GB plan as you want WhatsApp and you can port your number to TextNow.

[Phil_Adelphus]

@V12345  The cheapest plans I know of for that sort of purpose would be the $100 or so per year plans with certain other carriers (Telus $100 Talk & Text for example).  You can just port your number to the new provider.  The lowest cost plan for Public Mobile right now that existing customers can switch to is $19 for 1GB at 4G speed although that may change.  You'll need some data for Whats App though unless you only use it on wifi.