How to pause an account for long duration?

[DragonRU]

I have to leave Canada for a long period of time (probably, 1 year or even a bit more). How I can pause my account for all this duration? I know that it possible to disable auto-pay, and reenable it before 90 days, but I do not trust myself to do it every 3 months. Is there any other solution? I'm fine to pay a small sum, like 5$ per month, to keep my phone number while my account is paused, but even 15$ from a cheapest plan is a bit too much to keep it up all the time.

Thanks in advance!

[kav2001c]

To be blunt is your plan really that great?

If out of country for more than a year I would suggest putting your number over on a VOIP server is a better choice

For that matter the question arises whether the phone number is really that important

[Luddite]

I like to think of this as the definitive response. 🤣

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Paying-for-your-service/Extended-Absence/m-p/142735/h...

Although it doesn't include the speakout711 or Fongo/TextNow options. 

[Anonymous]

 @simtre : To keep your account alive...exactly correct. It's what I call my dormant account. Pay every ~4 months. But for some it may not be worth it other than to keep rewards.

[hairbag1]

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@simtre wrote:

I am doing exactly the same thing.  Can someone confirm my thoughts.

(1) I cancel my auto-payment

(2) Public Mobile keeps my phone number for me for up to 3 months

(3) Before that 3 months is up, I pay another $15...Make sure you re-up your plan 85 days after latest renewal expires. At day 90, your plan will terminate for good...you'd need a new sim to start a new account.

(4) and repeat.

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[hTideGnow]

@simtre Yes,  Try to do it on the 85th day or even early like 80th day , just in case.  then it will be good for 30 days,   

Repeat this after 80 something days after the 30th day.

[simtre]

I am doing exactly the same thing.  Can someone confirm my thoughts.

(1) I cancel my auto-payment

(2) Public Mobile keeps my phone number for me for up to 3 months

(3) Before that 3 months is up, I pay another $15

(4) and repeat.

[hairbag1]

@DragonRU...

could you give the sim to a relative here in Canada to use while you're away for the year. Give him use of it as long as he keeps up with payment. Downgrade to cheapest plan ($15) and you kick in $5 monthly...that means he gets the sim for $10 out of his pocket. Win \ Win !!

[kselmak]

You would be paying$15 per 115-120 days, it actually comes to less than $5/month. If you have some rewards like referrals and loyalty you technically do qualify (you may have to contact moderators about it every time if it doesn't show up 24 hours later as credit) which would make it even less. It would be about 45-60 for a year (to be correct $60 for about 460 days depending when you reactivate)

[popping]

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@DragonRU wrote:

I have to leave Canada for a long period of time (probably, 1 year or even a bit more). How I can pause my account for all this duration? I know that it possible to disable auto-pay, and reenable it before 90 days, but I do not trust myself to do it every 3 months. Is there any other solution? I'm fine to pay a small sum, like 5$ per month, to keep my phone number while my account is paused, but even 15$ from a cheapest plan is a bit too much to keep it up all the time.

Thanks in advance!

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Nothing is free nowadays.

Koodo has $15 seasonal hold plan for maximum of 6 months.

1.  But you can port your phone number to Fongo.  But there is $25 one time fee.  The $25 port in fee was the same when I port my landline number to freephoneline.ca.

2.  7-11 Speakout will be cheaper at $1.25/m.  Minimum topup is $25/year.

Edit: If you have referral/loyalty/autopay rewards on your account, it may be cheaper to switch to the $15 plan and let the rewards lower your monthly cost.

$15 - $2 autopay - $1 loyalty after one year with PM etc.

You will have another $1 loyalty reward after your 1 year.

[hTideGnow · Accepted solution]

@DragonRU  , yes, you have to do it every 85 days or so.  Mark your calendar  🙂  For one year, you need to do it at least 3 times.

You can try to port out the number to service like Fongo, it will be $25+tax  

[Triguy]

There is no way to suspend your account for a year.  You could remove autopay to cancel your account.  Upon your return then you could setup a new account with a new sim and email.

[Anonymous]

 @DragonRU : Public Mobile does not offer such a service. There are external services that you can park numbers at but that closes everything here.