Using a Top-Up Card question

[duvallite]

I'm going to try using a $25 Top-up card this month (my 2nd) to manually pay for my Beyond Talk plan, instead of having VM automatically charge my CC. Last month they charged my card, but I ended up getting the ROD problem, so I want to try and avoid that again if possible.

My payment due date is 4-25. If I add the $25 on the day before, 4-24, and then click Pay Now right afterwards, will that then change my next due to 5-24? Also, what's the best way to pay using a Top-up card so that there is no interruption in service and no ROD problems? Thanks.

 

[smankins]

Theoretically, you should be able to use a Top Up card to just add money to your account and it would automatically draw from that money when your payment is due. I have read that works for some and not for others. Just click Top Up on the Virgin Mobile Web site above where you sign in/ sign out.

I just added money using Top Up numbers from Callingmart with no problems. I will have to wait and see what happens when my money is due (5/1).

I hope I don't have to use Pay Now since that looks like it would restart your month/minutes and could also lead to double payment problems I have read about.

 

[duvallite]

I hope I don't have to use Pay Now since that looks like it would restart your month/minutes and could also lead to double payment problems I have read about.

Yep, that's what I'm worried about too.

 

[weddle]

I just wait until the day my plan ends and do it as soon as I wake up using my home pc

 

[duvallite]

Ok, I ended up paying my next months bill 3 days early using a top-up card, after removing my CC from auto-pay, and I got the VM message that my payment was accepted. Hopefully, like some others, my service will just continue on without any interruption. If my data stops and I get the ROD problem, then I'll first try the "Restart My Plan" option on-line before I resort to calling VM CS. Guess I'll find out on the 25th, and I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

 

[duvallite]

Well it worked. My new month started today and no problems at all with the ROD, so topping up and paying a few days early looks like the way to go, at least for me. Also, even though I payed 3 days early, the due date day did not change, only the month. so all's cool.

 

[weddle]

So you actually restarted your plan 3 days before it ended and it stayed the same for next month? Its still due the 25th?

 

[duvallite]

So you actually restarted your plan 3 days before it ended and it stayed the same for next month? Its still due the 25th?

Well, I never "restarted" my plan. If I had done that, then it would have changed my next due date to the 22nd. When I topped up so that I had $25 in my account, I clicked the "Pay Now" button, not the "Restart My Plan" button. Even though I actually paid on 4-22, my account shows my next payment is now due 5-25. Also, when I made the payment, I got a confirmation saying the payment was effective 4-25, so that's apparently why my due date day never changed. Basically just paying the next month in advance, and VM gets to earn 3 days of free interest on my $25. Well worth it to avoid the redirect problem, imo.

 

[weddle]

Neat...I'll have to try that this month

 

[brightcell]

Well, I never "restarted" my plan. If I had done that, then it would have changed my next due date to the 22nd. When I topped up so that I had $25 in my account, I clicked the "Pay Now" button, not the "Restart My Plan" button. Even though I actually paid on 4-22, my account shows my next payment is now due 5-25. Also, when I made the payment, I got a confirmation saying the payment was effective 4-25, so that's apparently why my due date day never changed. Basically just paying the next month in advance, and VM gets to earn 3 days of free interest on my $25. Well worth it to avoid the redirect problem, imo.

Few days ago, I did exactly the same thing for my second month with VM.
May 1st was the due date....it's now June 1st BUT today I got the ROD
My month actually didn't even get restarted; still showing used minutes from April!
I guess I am calling VM tomorrow
Why can't they get their system to work like it should?!?

 

[smankins]

My plan month starts on the 1st of the month so I went on the Virgin mobile web site last night after midnight on April 30 to see if I was automatically "paid" - there was money in my account (and my wife's) since I had used Top Up cards a week or so ago. Nothing had happened so I waited longer and still nothing. I then clicked on pay now and that did reset the next due date to 6/1 and the money was taken out of my account but the minutes did not reset (same thing for my wife's account/phone). I read somewhere the minutes would reset at 11:59:59 on the day of your account restart, which is the 1st in my case. So checked in tonight after midnight and my minutes still had not reset. I clicked on the restart button (since there was no money in my account(s) I felt safe that I would not be double charged) and my minutes finally reset and I received a text message saying I had switched to the $25 plan, which I was already on.

You would think they could hire someone who knows how to program a system so it would work. You are supposed to be able to have money in your account and when your monthly charge is due it is taken and your minutes reset. Maybe next month.

 

[brightcell]

UPDATE:
As stated my due date was May 1st.
Had the ROD yesterday but today (May 2nd), without calling VM, my plan restarted automatically.
Interesting thing: my due date is now showing as June 2nd.

 

[duvallite]

Geez, this whole billing thing with VM is such a mess. What works for one doesn't work for another, and what works one time doesn't work the next. What a friggin joke and a hassle. Also, I had forgotten to verify that my talk minutes had reset when my plan renewed on 4-25, so I'll watch for that when it comes around later this month. I typically only use very few talk minutes anyway, so I wasn't even thinking about that potential problem. My wife's Optimus BT plan will renew for the first time on 5-12, so I'll see how it goes when I pay her bill early too. She DEFINITELY talks more than me, so her minutes have to reset

 

[brightcell]

I agree.
We shouldn't have to worry about 1) Top up AND 2) Pay Now.
As soon as there is enough money on our accounts to cover the next month, everything should be automatically renewed without any interruption of service (voice and data).
Wondering if other Prepaid carriers are having the same problems?

 

[melim]

Yeah, it's a mess. I think I was involved in another thread with some of you last month on this same topic... I had gotten the ROD on Mar 1, didn't get it on Apr 1, and BAM, got it last night! Didn't do anything at all differently each time I paid. I called CS last night and said, hey, can you just reset my plan month for me, I have no data except connecting to the VM site, this is a known issue, and that's how to fix it. No problem, he did it for me and it started working immediately. But we should NOT have to do any of this- we pay, we get seamless service; it's not that hard, FFS!

 

[jp3515]

Hello,
So I am going to be a newbie to VM starting June 20th ( My contract with another carrier ends on June 19th ) so I was wanting to ask a few questions. So if I activate my phone on June 20th will that be when my bill due date will be? Aso how is the best way to port my current number over to VM? Any tips on the porting process will be much appreciated. I plan on trying the paying with top up card a day or two before whatever my due date is and I hope I don't end up with the ROD. Thanks

 

[duvallite]

Welcome. To answer your 1st question, yes, the date you activate your phone will be your bill due date. As to the 2nd question, porting your current number, when I did it, I called VM CS right after I had activated my phone, and they handled it quickly, and I was good to go within the hour. However, I understand that the length of time it takes depends on how long it takes your old carrier to respond to VM, and IIRC VM will tell you it might take up to 24 hours or so. Also, I think you can probably call VM CS to both activate and port your number at the same time. Certainly worth a call to find out. Good luck.

PS: Be sure to read the thread "Billing date - how do you guys do it?". This may help you avoid the ROD.

 

[jp3515]

Duvallite,
Thanks for your response. I will continue to follow the thread you recommended. I plan on calling VM to activate / port all in one shot. I will be bringing three phones/lines to VM so maybe I will do them one at a time so I don't overwhelm their CS dept. Thanks again.

 

[smankins]

Duvallite,
Thanks for your response. I will continue to follow the thread you recommended. I plan on calling VM to activate / port all in one shot. I will be bringing three phones/lines to VM so maybe I will do them one at a time so I don't overwhelm their CS dept. Thanks again.

I ported two numbers over from ATT with no issues. Well, almost none. I was using my Optimus V with another number (I activated it before my ATT contract expired so I could check it out for a month) to call customer service and change my phone to my ATT number and activate my wife's Optimus V and port her ATT number over. Before I was through talking with the customer service guy my Optimus phone went dead because that number was deactivated. I called back on my ATT phone to make sure both phones were ported and right before I had a chance to say goodbye and thanks the ATT phone went dead since the number had ported over!

So, it was quick.

 

[jp3515]

Thanks for the info. So when I go to port my numbers over to VM, what kind of info will VM need from me about my current carrier to complete the process? Thanks everyone.

 

[duvallite]

Here you go:

How do I transfer (port) my Existing Mobile Phone Number to Virgin Mobile from another provider?

This answer is about: Virgin Mobile
It's easy!
note: transferring your number, sometimes called 'porting' is the act of transferring your service number from one provider to another.

Before you transfer your number to Virgin Mobile Australia:

• we recommend you contact your existing Service Provider to find out if they'll charge you any exit fees. If they don't charge you anything, or it's an amount that you're happy to pay, then we can get started.
• if you currently have phone numbers and/or any other data stored on the sim card you have with your current provider, these details/data will be lost once your service number is transferred to your new Virgin Mobile sim card. To avoid losing these details it is recommended that you write these details down or copy them to your handset prior to requesting to transfer your number.
• The nameon your new Virgin Mobile account must be the same as the name of the account with your existing Service Provider - we won't be able to transfer the number otherwise.
  If you receive a monthly bill from your current service provider, you'll also need your current account number. If you're currently on Pre-Paid you don't need your current account number.

What you'll need to do:

• If you're bringing a number in from another company, you'll need to activate the Virgin Mobile number that has come with your Starter Kit so that we'll have somewhere to transfer your existing number to. During the activation process you will be asked if you're bringing an existing number in from another company, and then prompted for the details. (see 'How do I request to transfer my number across?' below for options).

What happens next:

• We'll make the arrangements for the transfer you've requested. Once the request to port (transfer) your mobile number is submitted, it may take up to 5 working days. You number will continue to work with your old carrier right up until it transfers to Virgin Mobile on most occasions, meaning no downtime on your number.

How do I know when my number has transferred to Virgin Mobile Australia:

• You'll know that it's happened when the SIM card from your previous provider stops working.

Charges:

• We do not charge anything for bringing your number over to us, or for transferring it out. But you may want to check with your current provider - some companies charge you for porting your number.

 

[jp3515]

Thank you very much Duvallite for that article. I really appreciate it. So, when I get my phones ( Me, wife and kid ) for VM they will all have a number assigned to them or you get a number when you activate the phone? Then once the porting process is complete, the number you have with VM will change to your old cell number that you had ported? I think I got it. If my contract with my current provider ends on 6/19, I should be safe to activate and start porting process on 6/20 without any risk of fees. I would assume that at midnight on 6/19 I should be free of the ball and chain. ( No, I don't mean my wife either Haha ) Thanks

 

[smankins]

Thank you very much Duvallite for that article. I really appreciate it. So, when I get my phones ( Me, wife and kid ) for VM they will all have a number assigned to them or you get a number when you activate the phone? Then once the porting process is complete, the number you have with VM will change to your old cell number that you had ported? I think I got it. If my contract with my current provider ends on 6/19, I should be safe to activate and start porting process on 6/20 without any risk of fees. I would assume that at midnight on 6/19 I should be free of the ball and chain. ( No, I don't mean my wife either Haha ) Thanks

You get a number when you activate the phone and then you have to put money in your account for the phone to work. Do not use the activate app on the phone or go through the web site since you want to port your phone numbers. Call to activate the phones and port the numbers at the same time. I activated a phone early and was assigned a phone number with my area code. When I ported my ATT number over that number and plan expired, as well as any money left in that account. So just activate and port with the call to customer service - the number will be on the phone sticker.

Yes, I would wait until the day after the contract expires just to be on the safe side with your current carrier. You will need your current account number(s) with your carrier and the PIN code to access your account. I did not have a PIN code with ATT so I went on the ATT web site, logged into my account and created one a few days before I ported/activated. You might check with your carrier.

 

[jp3515]

Thank you very much everyone with your help. I have been following this forum and reading a lot of reviews about VM and Optimus V for a while now. I have read activate this way, don't do this, do that and so on. I wanted to ask here because I know this is where I will get good advice to make the switch as smooth as possible. So thanks again everyone I appreciate it.

 

[jp3515]

Here you go:

How do I transfer (port) my Existing Mobile Phone Number to Virgin Mobile from another provider?

This answer is about: Virgin Mobile
It's easy!
note: transferring your number, sometimes called 'porting' is the act of transferring your service number from one provider to another.


Before you transfer your number to Virgin Mobile Australia:

• we recommend you contact your existing Service Provider to find out if they'll charge you any exit fees. If they don't charge you anything, or it's an amount that you're happy to pay, then we can get started.
• if you currently have phone numbers and/or any other data stored on the sim card you have with your current provider, these details/data will be lost once your service number is transferred to your new Virgin Mobile sim card. To avoid losing these details it is recommended that you write these details down or copy them to your handset prior to requesting to transfer your number.
• The nameon your new Virgin Mobile account must be the same as the name of the account with your existing Service Provider - we won't be able to transfer the number otherwise.
  If you receive a monthly bill from your current service provider, you'll also need your current account number. If you're currently on Pre-Paid you don't need your current account number.

What you'll need to do:

• If you're bringing a number in from another company, you'll need to activate the Virgin Mobile number that has come with your Starter Kit so that we'll have somewhere to transfer your existing number to. During the activation process you will be asked if you're bringing an existing number in from another company, and then prompted for the details. (see 'How do I request to transfer my number across?' below for options).

What happens next:

• We'll make the arrangements for the transfer you've requested. Once the request to port (transfer) your mobile number is submitted, it may take up to 5 working days. You number will continue to work with your old carrier right up until it transfers to Virgin Mobile on most occasions, meaning no downtime on your number.

How do I know when my number has transferred to Virgin Mobile Australia:

• You'll know that it's happened when the SIM card from your previous provider stops working.

Charges:

• We do not charge anything for bringing your number over to us, or for transferring it out. But you may want to check with your current provider - some companies charge you for porting your number.

Duvallite,
On this article at the bottom under charges it says some companies charge for porting your number, do you or anyone know if Verizon charges for this process? Thanks