Subscription

[Kangsup]

Hello,

I will be going out of the country for at least a year and I was hoping to keep my phone to the cheapest subscription possible to keep my number. I noticed in the main website, there is a $20 plan, but doesn't show it when I try to access it from my own account. What are some of my options? 

Thanks

[PopeFrancis]

Check voiplay, they are a phone number parking company. They charge $2 a month to park your phone number 

[slusagm]

You need to change bank code to receive via email or authorization app.  Unless you move to a provider with international roaming and cost you extra, you won't get 2FA code for free 

[Kangsup]

Thanks for getting back to me in such short notice.

My main problem is that I still need to acess bank account, other billing, etc. In order to do that, I still require a phone number Confirmation Code - hence the cheapest subscription possible it wanted. When I access the subscription from my son's account, he has $30 plan, but for me, cheapest I can get is from $39 to $36 dollar. To pay that much for a plan that I only need text message, is not prefered. 

[hairbag1]

@Kangsup 

others in your predicament have opted to use NumberBarn to port to...then back to PM when ready...

https://www.numberbarn.com/number-parking

[slusagm]

Would you consider parking your number with a VoIP provider?

You can port out to Fongo and you can still use the phone using Fongo app.  You can make and receive calls and text with friends, but you won't get most 2FA text with Fongo

There is a $15 port in fees and free to port out if you stay with Fongo for over 3 months.

Of course, you can port back your number to PM when you are back.  But you will need to get a new sim card or eSIM and choose a new  plans when you are back 

[softech]

@Kangsup sorry, you can only change to plans offered on your My Account> Change Subscription 

But you can use this trick to pay once every 115 days or so and keep the phone number here

This is what you need to do to keep alive the account:

PM only allows the account to be suspended for 90 days or your account will be permanently closed, and you will loss the number.

So, your option is temporarily suspending the account and reactivate for 30 days before the 90 days deadline.

Here is what you can do:

1.  Optional step, you might want to change the plan to a cheaper one to cut down the cost.
   While this step might save you money, but please be aware that you might not be able to get back your current plan if that plan is no longer available when you are back.  If you are worried, or your current plan is already not available, skip this plan change step but you can still follow this pause subscription steps with higher cost
2.  If your Available funds = $0,  couple days before you want to stop the service, disable "Subscribed" from Payment page (Payment page, Managed Subscription, toggle off the "Subscribed" there 
   If you have some Available Funds, then mark your service as Lost-Stolen on the day you want to stop the service (Profile page, Report Lost/Stolen Phone)
3.  On the next renewal date, since pre-authorized payment is disabled, it won't be renewed.   
         Make note of that day 1 of the suspension date
4. !!!!VERY IMPORTANT!!!   Come back at around 85th days after the first date of the suspension to make a manual payment to renew the account for 30 days.  You can simply click "Pay Now and Resume Services" button and follow the step to make a manual payment.
   If you have changed the plan on Step 1, it will just cost you the lower amount for that 30-days cycle. 
   After you make the payment, make sure you see clearly that the account status is changed to ACTIVE.  If not, you will either have to open ticket with PM support or come and seek help here in the Community.
   (Don't wait till the 89th or 90th days as My Account could be down for maintenance or payment could be an issue, you want to give yourself enough time to sort it out)
5.  If your Available funds = $0 and Subscribed still disabled, make note of that date, again, the account will be active for 30 days only and will be suspended again after the 30 days.  Make note of the date it got suspended again.
   If you have Available Funds, you have to come back on the 29th or 30th days and mark the account Lost/Stolen again
6.  As the Autopay toggle "Subscribed" is already toggled off, it won't renew after that-30 days cycle.
   
   I hope you will be back by then. You just need to change the plan back to the one you want and then reactivate and remember to enable Autopay again (toggle on "Subscribed")
   If you still not back to Canada by the end of that 90 days, then come back NO LATER than 85th date and repeat from step 4 again