Keeping my phone number

[reynold334]

I will be leaving Canada for around 3 to 4 months, and I will not be choosing any phone plans. What can I do in order to keep my phone number?

[rzhevskii2000]

OK, good to know, that is exactly what I needed to find out - whether I keep my phone number as long as I am with PM, even though without talk and text, only 6Gb/90 days data.

Thanks.

[srlawren]

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@rzhevskii2000 wrote:

I wish it was rather 120 days.  I always have 90-days plan.  Now, I want to try having data-only plan and use an app for phone-like connection and messaging.  Hopefully if I change back to the phone plan again, like a week before next autopay, it won't count 90 days.

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@rzhevskii2000 I'm confused--are you planning to go data only with Public Mobile still or with some other carrier?  If you're staying with Public Mobile then your account is still active and you will not be in danger of losing your number, even if you take talk out of your plan. However, do beware that if you are currently on a plan that is no longer available (such as one of the older legacy plans, or the popular 2016 Fall Promo plan) that you will *NOT* be able to get that plan back if you got to some other plan (e.g. data only); when you go to change back to a plan that includes talk, you will only be able to choose from whatever plans are being offered at that time.

[rzhevskii2000]

I wish it was rather 120 days.  I always have 90-days plan.  Now, I want to try having data-only plan and use an app for phone-like connection and messaging.  Hopefully if I change back to the phone plan again, like a week before next autopay, it won't count 90 days.

[7789849803]

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@reynold334 wrote:

@7789849803So after the plan ends, by the time when PM urging me to pay for the new contract, I can just leave it alone by 90 days, then pay for the plan again. The 90-day period my phone number will be kept, is that correct?

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@reynold334 Yes, that is correct. Except that to be on the safe side, I would not let it go past 89 days of plan expiry at most, before renewing the plan. The account, once deactivated, cannot be restored.

[reynold334]

@7789849803So after the plan ends, by the time when PM urging me to pay for the new contract, I can just leave it alone by 90 days, then pay for the plan again. The 90-day period my phone number will be kept, is that correct?

[7789849803]

@reynold334 PM only deactivates your account (and you permanently lose your phone number) 90 days after the expiry of your plan. So if your plan were to end 30 days after your departure, you will have 120 days to come back to canada and renew your plan. Or, if you end up needing more time, you can just make an online payment for a 10-day period, which will then reset the clock for deactivation by another 100 (10+90) days.