$10.00 prepaid plan

[GarryG]

After my expensive plan with another carrier expired I search for a new plan and found the Telus $10.00 prepaid plan. Just what I wanted. We are seniors and do not use the cell for other than emergencies and when we go out. I bought the plan in Sept and paid $50.00 on the plan. I topped it up with another $50.00 to make sure that we had enough room should we really need the phone and or data. I noted that the whole balance expires in January. I just prepaid as insurance that we always have coverage and i thought that "the money would just sit there and Telus would take what they need each month" and I could top it up when it got back down to where I needed more.

Does the balance really go away in January or does my plan continue and Telus takes there due each month as long as I keep a credit in the account.

The website does not explain well. No one answers the "contact us" and the virtual assistant won't recognize my question. The email contact was discontinued. The person behind the the plexiglass at the store suggested that the balance would go away in January and gave me a phone number that no one answered  and after a very long time I quit.

I would prefer to keep a fair balance of a credit and only top it up as needed.

Please help me understand.

Garry

[polecat · Accepted solution]

@GarryG  You have top up  your $10 every 30 days.  Balance not carried forward. I have the $100 / 365   400 local calls 400  text no ld I have to top up once a year no balance carry over. Best to set up monthly payment on cc. Polecat

[GarryG]

Thank you.

Garry

[polecat]

@GarryG  We never use up our 400/400 on the $100/365. WE use the text to our family in calgary when on the road. For emergency only & local calls. Polecat

[NFtoBC]

@GarryG 

You have to choose a top up each month (actually 30days), but it will draw from your existing balance. As @polecat suggests, either choose an automatic top up option or the annual plan. Your top-ups can be automated to a credit card payment, or you can top up with other sums at your own schedule.

[GarryG]

I find this very interesting.

I am doing this so others who are considering this plan will have information should they choose to search.

I logged into my account and went to "change plans and add ons.

It stated that i had    "ticked the box - auto renew upon expiration from account balance"

At the bottom in notes under #3 it said - "and I copy and paste "     3. 30-day rate plans and add-ons expire after 30 days and are set to automatically renew every 30 days by default. Rate plans and add-ons are only available when you have sufficient credits in your account to pay the rate plan or add-on price. When you buy any 30-day rate plan or add-on and have less than 30 days left on your balance, the balance expiry date will be extended so the rate plan/add-on and balance can be renewed on the same day. The 15¢/minute rate does not apply to Pay Per Day add-ons or subscriptions. 

This makes me wonder that if I put $10.00 in the account 2 days before it expires and it renews but if I put $11.00 in the account what happens to the extra dollar. Does it not sit there. Does it not carry the extra dollar in the account and the next month would I not need only $9.00 to renew.

As I am not that busy these days I plan to look into this further and will post it.

Please do not misunderstand. I am not trying to be objectionable but rather posting information for the future in case others find the account attractive.

I have $79.00 in the account and we will see if Telus takes the money and my account is cancelled as I do not put money in the account within 30 days before the expiration date.

Garry

[GarryG]

I can use the phone and plan to get data on the wifi at home and at Tim's and the like.

I understand that I can turn the data on on the phone and that I can use Telus's data at a rate posted as - and I copy and paste 

Talk & text

Additional usage details: $2 per MB for any data usage, $0.15 per minute on local calls

, $0.50 per message.

If I do not carry a balance in the account, how does Telus get prepaid for the extra usage?

This is one of the attractive features of the plan was that if I ever really got in a pinch that I could use the data although it was expensive.

Garry

[NFtoBC]

It’s been a while since I used prepaid. At the time I was buying top up cards. Due to taxes, and occasional minutes overage, a $10 per month top up would not cover my use, so every so often I’d buy a $25 top up, which covered the extra costs. The excess stays on the account. I’m pretty sure I had to top up each 30 days, though.

[GarryG]

I intend to post again on this thread over the next few months. Just to share what happens in case someone can use the information in the future.

I have $79.99 in the account.

I do not intend to top up the account again for a few months as there should be money for 6 months renewals in the account.

The way I see it is

1) Telus takes the renewal money from the balance and I continue to have service as the balance goes down.

2) The account requires monthly top ups even if there is a balance in the account and service is terminated.

I do so hope it is #1 as I find the account just what I need.

Wish me luck,

Garry