"Best" way to manage AT&T Prepaid plan?

[dacapo]

I am not quite sure what the right way to manage the AT&T prepaid plan is. I plan on using <2GB per month, but I also want to be able to turn off the 3G plan altogether (anywhere between a few days to a couple months) when I want to.

The catch is that AT&T will auto-renew your prepaid plan. I've done some searching and it looks like the only way I can stop the auto-renew is to cancel the plan.

But confusingly, the option to cancel the plan has a "cancel now and delete account now" or "cancel now and delete account later." Apparently, if I "delete the account now" too, I will lose the remainder of the 2GB allowance too. So, that won't work.

But what will the "cancel now and delete account later" do? Will I lose my 2GB allowance too? If so, is my only option to wait until a couple days before the 30 day period is up and cancel at that time?

How I wish there was a true prepaid plan, but I hope I can figure it out so that I can use all or most of the 2GB within 30 days without having to also manage when I have to cancel the auto-renew.

Thoughts?

 

[Mlrollin91]

I am not quite sure what the right way to manage the AT&T prepaid plan is. I plan on using <2GB per month, but I also want to be able to turn off the 3G plan altogether (anywhere between a few days to a couple months) when I want to.

The catch is that AT&T will auto-renew your prepaid plan. I've done some searching and it looks like the only way I can stop the auto-renew is to cancel the plan.

But confusingly, the option to cancel the plan has a "cancel now and delete account now" or "cancel now and delete account later." Apparently, if I "delete the account now" too, I will lose the remainder of the 2GB allowance too. So, that won't work.

But what will the "cancel now and delete account later" do? Will I lose my 2GB allowance too? If so, is my only option to wait until a couple days before the 30 day period is up and cancel at that time?

How I wish there was a true prepaid plan, but I hope I can figure it out so that I can use all or most of the 2GB within 30 days without having to also manage when I have to cancel the auto-renew.

Thoughts?

Cancel plan and delete account later will allow you to continue to use your data until the expiration date and will not auto renew. As soon as I sign up I cancel the plan and keep account so it won't auto renew next month.

 

[Macdude2010]

Since I will not have my 3G iPad 2 until later today or tomorrow (I am on my wifi iPad 2 that will be given to a family member)

I would think that the "cancel now" would immediately cancel the plan and give you no more data for the month

And the "cancel later" (I didn't even know there was this option) would let you have the remaining 2GB for that 30 days and would not renew at the end of the 30 days

 

[Ecoh]

Delete account now means that you will have to set up your account again next time you want to use 3G. That means entering your name and credit card number again. Delete account later means if you decide to use 3G again within 3 months ( not sure about time) you will not have to enter your name and credit card info, they will still have it.

Either way you will have what is left of your data until it is used up or 30 days has passed.

I just " cancel and delete account later" right after I purchase another unit. So much easier than cell phone plans. I usually only need 3G when on a trip, every other month or so, it is a perfect set up for me.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Either way you will have what is left of your data until it is used up or 30 days has passed.

This is inaccurate. If you cancel plan and delete account now, it will completely cancel everything even if you have 29 days left in your current cycle and 1.98GB available. As I said in my first post, you want to cancel plan and delete account later. Which will be deleted in 60 Days unless you sign up for another pre-paid plan.

 

[dacapo]

This is inaccurate. If you cancel plan and delete account now, it will completely cancel everything even if you have 29 days left in your current cycle and 1.98GB available. As I said in my first post, you want to cancel plan and delete account later. Which will be deleted in 60 Days unless you sign up for another pre-paid plan.

You are right.

One should definitely not do "delete account now". You will lose everything.

I'm also glad to hear that "cancel now and delete account later" will allow me to use my data plan and not worry about autorenewing.

Thanks!

(your answere made the difference between returning the iPad or not. That, and plants vs zombies hd on sale today haha )