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Fanime's profile

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Thursday, April 16th, 2015 7:27 AM

AT&T PREPAID Balance expiration vs Plan expiration dates.

OKAY so I am very confused about Balance and Account expiration dates and any info regarding the matter would be very much appreciated. I'm currently on a 60$ monthly GoPhone plan and my services renew every month on the 15th. I'm aware that you need sufficient funds in your balance to keep your phone active monthly, obviously, but what about the balance expiation date? Mine is July 12th which is 3 days prior to my plan expiration date. 

 

My Question(s) are:

If I have 0.00 in my balance AFTER my balance expiration date but have paid for the month before, will my phone go out of service early or will it roll-over to the new balance expiration date?  I'd still have a few days to avoid service interruption because my plan expiration is every 15th. I'm wondering if the balance expiration would interrupt my service at all.

 

My other question is this: Does the balance expiration time limit depend on the last refill of the account? If I wanted to extend the balance expiration by a year instead of every three months can I refill a few months early and would I get a new balance expiration date? Or would it have to be before my plan expiration date and before my balance expiration date to take effect?  I feel like trying to do so early would not work because my plan would take the funds out and I'd have to buy another 100$ card just before my balance expires to receive the new balance expiration date.

 

If you refill prior to the balance expiration date, do you lose those funds and still have to pay for the monthly plan? Or is it strictly for the purposes of obtaining a new balance expiration date.

 

Regards, Sheldon.

 

-My sincere apologies for the round-about questions I am just very confused on how it would all pan out.

 

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Community Support

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15.2K Messages

9 years ago

Hey there @Fanime

 

I’d be happy to help explain GoPhone expiration terms! GoPhone customers on a monthly plan receive 30 days of service, and day 30 is the rate plan expiration date. When you add money to your account, the amount of the refill determines when the account balance expires:

  • $10/$24 - Refill expires in 30 days
  • $25/$99 - Refill expires in 90 days
  • $100 or more - Refill expires in 365 days

For example, if you purchase a $100 refill PIN denomination, the account expiration is set for 365 days regardless of the amount of the balance in the account.

The expiration date for account balance may differ from the rate plan expiration date. The longest expiration period, between the existing account expiration date and the expiration period on the new replenishment, updates the account.

Example:

  1. On January 1, the customer adds $100 card, which sets account expiration at December 31.
  2. On February 1, the customer has $10 remaining of the original $100 refill and decides to add a $25 card (with a 90-day expiration period).
  3. The customer's new balance is $35 and the expiration date remains as December 31.

If you do not add money prior to the account expiration date:

  • Any money remaining in the account on the expiration date is forfeited.
  • They have 60 days to add money to the account and keep their mobile number.

If you do not refill the account within 60 days following the account expiration date, the account is canceled.

 

I hope this helps!

Charise

 

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ACE - Sage

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116.4K Messages

6 years ago

@Hrambrose

A prepaid  card does not expire.   Once applied to an account, the account balance expires.  Since you never used it on prepaid ATT it’s still worth the $100

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ACE - Sage

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116.4K Messages

5 years ago


@vartanarsen wrote:

Couldn't one just store an unused refill card next to the spare phone?  That way the money would never expire till you actually need it?


While the refill card won’t expire until applied on the account, the SIM card and account will.   A prepaid account with a $0 balance for 60 days is closed, number lost and SIM card not reusable.  

 

Contributor

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2 Messages

8 years ago

What? If we pay over $25 we should have 90 days of service on a go phone?

 

I pay about $37 and I only get 30 days.

 

Where can I acquire this offer you mentioned?

Contributor

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2 Messages

8 years ago

If that's the case, I have a question about my account Balance. I am on $2 daily plan and that my account has more than $10 before it expires. I am out of the country and have limited access to the internet. When I checked my account just now, my money was GONE! What happened? Can I get my money back?

 

Contributor

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1 Message

8 years ago

I have a feature phone, which I only use for calls and text, no data. It is beyond me why if it is "pay as you go" that my balance should EVER "expire" if I don't buy another $10. Why? There is no good reason for this other than ATT making money off our unused money. I end up having to keep buying every month and, with an ever accumulating amount of money that I am not using, simply to keep from losing the money I had to put in to not lose my phone number.

 

What a racket.

Tutor

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11 Messages

8 years ago

I'm not an A.T. &  T employee.The following is anecdotal and unofficial (and if any moderator with some authority can either confirm or deny it would be helpful)

 

I've been told that if I don't make a payment when my 90 day cycle is up, the payment will be deducted from my balance. If that is true, then one would never have to keep paying (unless their balance dipped below the prescribed top-up amount). That would certainly solve your (and mine as well !) accumulation of credit issue..

Tutor

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9 Messages

8 years ago

That is not true. I was told that one must add money at the end of the 30, 90, or 365 day expiration date.

The balance that you have in there could go for monthly message or data plans.

Tutor

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11 Messages

8 years ago

Thanks for that. I was parroting what I was told by the rep at the A.T. and T storefront.

 

Another option, instead of "piling on" minutes that go unused, is to phone A.T&T or talk to an in-store rep. Whether or not  he/she is forthcoming with this suggestion, reps at both types of locations  DO have the ability (whether discretionary or by policy) to unilaterally extend the due date on an account. so that a person has extra time before a payment in which to use some of those accumulated minutes.

 

 

 

Contributor

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1 Message

7 years ago

I used up a my high speed data.....I still have a week until my plan renews but I went ahead and replenished my account....shouldn't the high speed data resume? Thanks
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