Help Topping Up

[h00k247]

This is my first month with a pre-paid phone and I have a questions about topping up.

The due date for my account is 3/8/11. I just made a payment to my account for the next month. Will this automatically be applied? So far it is still showing a due date of 3/8/11. Do I need to take further actions?

This morning I received a response to a text that I sent that it would not go through due to a low balance. After adding to the account everything is fine.

Is this normal? How to other people pay? Do you pay monthly or setup for an automatic charge?

 

[lou61166]

This is my first month with a pre-paid phone and I have a questions about topping up.

The due date for my account is 3/8/11. I just made a payment to my account for the next month. Will this automatically be applied? So far it is still showing a due date of 3/8/11. Do I need to take further actions?

This morning I received a response to a text that I sent that it would not go through due to a low balance. After adding to the account everything is fine.

Is this normal? How to other people pay? Do you pay monthly or setup for an automatic charge?

I call Virgin Mobile directly,by giving my info to a live agent,the website and automated phone options have way to many flaws.

 

[Timm129]

You should get a text message from VM letting you know that they received your payment. After that the due date is automatically extended.

 

[KentInPhilly]

This is my first month with a pre-paid phone and I have a questions about topping up.

The due date for my account is 3/8/11. I just made a payment to my account for the next month. Will this automatically be applied? So far it is still showing a due date of 3/8/11. Do I need to take further actions?

This morning I received a response to a text that I sent that it would not go through due to a low balance. After adding to the account everything is fine.

Is this normal? How to other people pay? Do you pay monthly or setup for an automatic charge?

I had the same problem/experience today. You may just want to call them rather than end up with multiple charges like I did.

I got the same text message as you, so I went online and topped up with $25 -- assuming that would fix the problem -- and my account showed a balance of $25 but still could not browse the web and still said my bill date was 3/8/2011.

At this point, I clicked on "Restart Plan Month" and was billed another $25 (I thought it would take it from my top-up balance). At this point, my phone started working again.... 3G connection, texts, everything.

At this point, I'd been charged $50 and my balance still showed $25 from the Top Up. I called up Virgin Mobile and they refunded me the $25 without giving me any grief since it was clearly an error on my part, but I am not sure if I am supposed to do the "Restart plan month" again next month or if it should be automated from here on out.

If you are on a monthly unlimited plan, I am not sure if you ever need to top up... but this is the first time my monthly bill has rolled around.

 

[KentInPhilly]

If you are on a monthly unlimited plan, I am not sure if you ever need to top up... but this is the first time my monthly bill has rolled around.

To add on to my own post, there seems to be a Pay Now button and a Top Up button. I think if you are on a monthly plan, you want to Pay Now, not Top Up. Maybe someone who has had VM longer can clarify/confirm.

If you do Pay Now, I think can use the balance from your Top Up to avoid double paying like I did, but I don't think the money is applied to your monthly plan after topping up until you do the Pay Now.

 

[lou61166]

I had the same problem/experience today. You may just want to call them rather than end up with multiple charges like I did.

I got the same text message as you, so I went online and topped up with $25 -- assuming that would fix the problem -- and my account showed a balance of $25 but still could not browse the web and still said my bill date was 3/8/2011.

At this point, I clicked on "Restart Plan Month" and was billed another $25 (I thought it would take it from my top-up balance). At this point, my phone started working again.... 3G connection, texts, everything.

At this point, I'd been charged $50 and my balance still showed $25 from the Top Up. I called up Virgin Mobile and they refunded me the $25 without giving me any grief since it was clearly an error on my part, but I am not sure if I am supposed to do the "Restart plan month" again next month or if it should be automated from here on out.

If you are on a monthly unlimited plan, I am not sure if you ever need to top up... but this is the first time my monthly bill has rolled around.

I have been calling them to pay the bill since last July when i got the Blackberry,and every time i make sure i tell them that their other options to pay are flawed,and yet it is still flawed,i am not complaining because for the little inconvience it is still a great deal they offer,

 

[maylea]

I was a little worried after reading these posts. I bought my top up via walmart.com. As soon as I got my pin via email, I logged into my virgin mobile account and applied the code to the top up. Then I got a message saying I topped up via text. I then paid my account via the pay now button. everything worked perfectly fine. You have to add money to your account via top up FIRST and then PAY NOW with your new balance. I think Virgin Mobile needs to update the payment method to match the Beyond Talk Plan. It still behaves as if you are buying minutes and not renewing your Beyond Talk plan. So, it is currently a two step process online. Top Up FIRST and then PAY NOW.

 

[KentInPhilly]

So, it is currently a two step process online. Top Up FIRST and then PAY NOW.

Based on my experience this morning, it looks like if you top up without paying your monthly bill, you start being charged based on usage rather than unlimited.

After I Topped Up but before doing Pay Now, I went to my phone and sent a "This is a test" text from my phone to my Google Voice number, and sent a response back. Both messages went through, but I was charged $0.15 for each text message. (They refunded this without any problem when I straightened out the double payment on the phone.)

There might be someone with minimal usage patterns who gets all their data over WiFi who would find this set up useful/cost-effective.

 

[RocketFoot]

I can confirm that if you top off with $25 before your due date, it will automatically apply the $25 to your next cycle at midnight on your due date! Mine went through last night without a hitch!

 

[maylea]

Based on my experience this morning, it looks like if you top up without paying your monthly bill, you start being charged based on usage rather than unlimited.

After I Topped Up but before doing Pay Now, I went to my phone and sent a "This is a test" text from my phone to my Google Voice number, and sent a response back. Both messages went through, but I was charged $0.15 for each text message. (They refunded this without any problem when I straightened out the double payment on the phone.)

There might be someone with minimal usage patterns who gets all their data over WiFi who would find this set up useful/cost-effective.

I am not completely understanding this scenario you speak of. I topped up and then pay now BEFORE my account expired. Therefore, being charged like you stated did not happen to me. I have had absolutely no issues with topping up and then paying my monthly bill. Only way to do it via a top up card that I know of.

 

[maylea]

I can confirm that if you top off with $25 before your due date, it will automatically apply the $25 to your next cycle at midnight on your due date! Mine went through last night without a hitch!

Same here. No issues at all with VM billing as of yet

 

[DBD73]

I'm still confused about all this. My due date was 3/8.....I paid $25 dollars 3/7 on there web site and woke up on 3/8 with NO service. Called VM and spoke to a person I couldn't understand but they started my service again. What's the best way to pay with no service interuption?

 

[BeachGuy]

When I set up my ViriginMobile ($25 beyondtalk plan) I asked the rep on the phone to set up an autopay monthly. First month has now gone by, no service disruption at all, and money came off my credit card without a hitch. I don't see the option to set this up on the web, so i'd call and do it over the phone. Since it requires to use a payment option, I'd recommend a credit card for protection as opposed to debit cards. Easier to dispute or cancel payments... Good luck!

 

[joop1987]

I'm still confused about all this. My due date was 3/8.....I paid $25 dollars 3/7 on there web site and woke up on 3/8 with NO service. Called VM and spoke to a person I couldn't understand but they started my service again. What's the best way to pay with no service interuption?

If you call Virgin tell them you want to auto top off at $25. If you try to set it up on the website, you can only choose auto top off at $10.

 

[KentInPhilly]

I am not completely understanding this scenario you speak of. I topped up and then pay now BEFORE my account expired. Therefore, being charged like you stated did not happen to me. I have had absolutely no issues with topping up and then paying my monthly bill. Only way to do it via a top up card that I know of.

It was a misunderstanding of topping up on my part. I thought once I topped $25, I was good to go.

Basically, when my service stopped, I "Topped Up" but did NOT click "Pay Now," so the $25 balance just sat there unapplied. Then I sent two texts and was charged $0.15 each for them.

I realized my mistake afterward, but it took a relatively quick phone call to straighten it out. Now I know for next time...

 

[blmbmj]

I buy refill cards from PINZOO -- because they don't charge taxes and they take a penny off the price. They email you the PIN after a minute.

I then go to VirginMobile's Web site and enter in the code BEFORE my expiration date. So the money sits there until my top-up date and Virgin Mobile AUTOMATICALLY takes the money and I get another month of service. I have never had a problem with them.

I will say, I did have a problem when I switched from the $25 plan to the $40 plan. You have to do THAT very carefully, else you will lose money. Basically you should switch plans THE DAY BEFORE your payment is due AND make sure you have the money in the account because they change your plan immediately and suck the money.

I did it once in the middle of my cycle and I lost the remaining money and had to pay the full $40. So that's the only caveat.

 

[maylea]

I buy refill cards from PINZOO -- because they don't charge taxes and they take a penny off the price. They email you the PIN after a minute.

I then go to VirginMobile's Web site and enter in the code BEFORE my expiration date. So the money sits there until my top-up date and Virgin Mobile AUTOMATICALLY takes the money and I get another month of service. I have never had a problem with them.

I will say, I did have a problem when I switched from the $25 plan to the $40 plan. You have to do THAT very carefully, else you will lose money. Basically you should switch plans THE DAY BEFORE your payment is due AND make sure you have the money in the account because they change your plan immediately and suck the money.

I did it once in the middle of my cycle and I lost the remaining money and had to pay the full $40. So that's the only caveat.

Ok. So you are saying to top up before the cut off date but NOT hit pay now and VM will deduct from the top up account automatically without a hitch?

 

[maylea]

OK. Sooo, I had to call and get them to reset my account like everyone else. So, I must have done it wrong. Of course VM has a SERIOUS programming issue with their billing system and you think with all the issues and complaints I have read on Facebook they'd hire someone to look into it. Anyway, next month, I'll try putting in my top up the day before and then NOT hit Pay Now. I'll let it sit like blmbmj said and see if they auto deduct it and I don't have to call for a reset.

 

[melim]

Of course VM has a SERIOUS programming issue with their billing system and you think with all the issues and complaints I have read on Facebook they'd hire someone to look into it.

This. The entire acct interface needs to be revamped for people with Beyond Talk plans. It's too confusing to go in and see if your payments are set up the way you want them to be and I don't think it matters if you top up > pay now or just top up and they take it, something WILL get screwed up when your month renews. I posted in another thread that I don't even use "Top Up", just "pay now" with my PayPal acct a few days before, get the text that says the payment went through and will be applied when the new month starts, everything should restart seamlessly, and I still had issues.


Kent, are you really only getting charged $25 even for your plan? I'm gathering from your user name that we live in the same state, and they're charging me $1.50 extra in what I assume is state sales tax.

 

[KentInPhilly]

Kent, are you really only getting charged $25 even for your plan? I'm gathering from your user name that we live in the same state, and they're charging me $1.50 extra in what I assume is state sales tax.

No, it is $27 for me.... $25 + $2 tax.

When I did "Top Up" $25, it charged me $27 and then the top up balance showed the $25 rather than the full $27.

It sounds like you can avoid the $2 by buying top up cards from web sites that don't charge sales tax.

But no, you're not alone on the sales tax.

I'm still not convinced I have everything set up right... I'm hoping with one or two more payments I will have it all figured out. They definitely don't make it as easy as they should.

My dad has been using Virgin Mobile for probably 5 years now on a by-the-minute configuration and the auto-top up works great for him, but it definitely doesn't fit the the Beyond Talk plans well as currently implemented.

 

[AnciusD]

My dad has been using Virgin Mobile for probably 5 years now on a by-the-minute configuration and the auto-top up works great for him, but it definitely doesn't fit the the Beyond Talk plans well as currently implemented.

Same here, on minute to minute plan for around 5 years. Credit card on file and auto top off no problems. I used to use top off cards from Target when they used to go on sale but haven't seen any in a couple years. Only recently, when my card expired and I had to update the expiration date online, it wouldn't work. I had to call and have someone do it live. Paying $20/3mos + $1 tax.

I haven't switched plans yet for my new Optimus V.

 

[melim]

No, it is $27 for me.... $25 + $2 tax.

When I did "Top Up" $25, it charged me $27 and then the top up balance showed the $25 rather than the full $27.

It sounds like you can avoid the $2 by buying top up cards from web sites that don't charge sales tax.

OK, you live in the city & I don't- you have that asinine extra 2% tax.

At this point, I'm wary about changing my payment method to top up cards; don't want to screw things up even more! If VM gets their crap together, I'll rethink it.

 

[lizm]

I will not allow VM to automatically charge my card. I made that mistake a few years ago and they screwed up in a way that cost me $350 and hours on the phone. They refused to fix it so I had to go through my own credit card company. They pissed off my CC company too so they just reversed the charges.

But form now on I'll authorize each month. PITA, but the alternative is potentially worse.