Keeping phone number active while travelling abroad

[gahn]

I will be abroad for about 4 months. Is there a way to keep my phone number when I cancel my plan? 

[darlicious]

@gahn 

Here are your options for pm service while travelling....unless you have a grandfathered legacy plan or a plan with promotion tied to it like the 2gb of bonus recurring monthly plan data on $35+plans you can easily downgrade your plan to the $15. Otherwise if you are away for 4 months you will only need to pay for 30 of those days to keep your account and phone #. Having active service going into the start of your trip may prove more helpful to be able to easily stay in touch with family and friends in Canada (see spoiler) and it doesn't hurt to ha e one of them as a back up plan to reactivate your account if needed just remember an account suspended via lost/stolen must be resumed via lost stolen before payment will be accepted and trigger account/plan reactivation.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Here are your options for suspension when travelling outside of Canada and the US.....

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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. **This does not affect points program customers.
4. 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 #.
5. 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.
6. 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 (such as 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 voicemail for all voicemail messages.

Most important mark on your calendar day 85 of your suspension and day 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 and Stay--Safe!

[Timer]

@gahn 

there 3 option,

1. pay for your plan befroe you go out canada and you have 30 day service and login go to your paymets and go to Manage Your Card and turn to Disabled and after 88 days login and do Enabled to you save your number. and go to reactivate your account to keep the services going.

2. if missed a payment? you have up to 90 days to make a payment and, after doing so, your payment cycle will restart and your service will resume.After 90 days of non-payment, your account will be permanently deactivated, which means you will:

• Lose access to your phone number, and won’t be able to transfer it to a new provider in the future.
• Need a new Public Mobile SIM card if you decide to activate a new Public Mobile account.

3. or if your plan is higher price then change plan to lower cost for $15 and also do as option #1.

[hairbag1 · Accepted solution]

Just before you go, reduce your plan to lowest available ($15) and pay ahead 1 month. Then when that plan renewal comes due...you have 89 days to renew it. At day 90 without funds, the plan is closed for good.