How to disable auto renew for pre-paid data

[sulpfiction]

Quick question..

A friend a work was asking me how to disable the auto renewal of pre-paid data on his new VZW iPad. Hew bought a 2 gig block of data to try out, but does not want it to auto renew. I am on pre-paid as well, but I am going to have it auto renew, so I haven't looked into how to disable it. I don't have my iPad with me, so I can't check it. I think you have to log in to the account you set up on the iPad, and disable it in there, but I am not sure. Can someone let me know how to do it?

Thanks!

 

[RetiredInFl]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4572

Make sure he choses CLOSE LATER because if he chooses CLOSE NOW the card is fried and (currently) virtually unable to replace.

 

[GraphicsGeek]

Quick question..

A friend a work was asking me how to disable the auto renewal of pre-paid data on his new VZW iPad. Hew bought a 2 gig block of data to try out, but does not want it to auto renew. I am on pre-paid as well, but I am going to have it auto renew, so I haven't looked into how to disable it. I don't have my iPad with me, so I can't check it. I think you have to log in to the account you set up on the iPad, and disable it in there, but I am not sure. Can someone let me know how to do it?

Thanks!

You cant. You'll have to login and cancel it before the cycle date.

 

[RetiredInFl]

You cant. You'll have to login and cancel it before the cycle date.

I think you just contradicted yourself in the same same sentence.

The answer is YOU CAN as long as you login before the cycle date.

Doing that (and NOT selecting "cancel now" but select "cancel later") stops the autorenewal and lets you renew again when needed (for VZW as long as you don't go beyond 5 months and for ATT 60 days of inactivity). After those points your VZW card is dead and you have to get a new one. Not sure if your ATT card is usable after 60 days of inactivity but you do have to create a new account.

 

[ZipZap]

I think you just contradicted yourself in the same same sentence.

The answer is YOU CAN as long as you login before the cycle date.

Doing that (and NOT selecting "cancel now" but select "cancel later") stops the autorenewal and lets you renew again when needed (for VZW as long as you don't go beyond 5 months and for ATT 60 days of inactivity). After those points your VZW card is dead and you have to get a new one. Not sure if your ATT card is usable after 60 days of inactivity but you do have to create a new account.

Where did you get those facts?

The point of the pay as you go service is that you can turn it off and on. For the SIMs to become invalid contradicts that approach.

Please point me to where you found that information.

 

[reclusive46]

So guys let me get this straight. Pressing delete account later lets me keep by data but the account itself will not renew?

 

[philh]

Where did you get those facts?

The point of the pay as you go service is that you can turn it off and on. For the SIMs to become invalid contradicts that approach.

Please point me to where you found that information.

I can confirm this, based on 4 calls to VZW tech support over the course of an hour or so, and well as one fried SIM in my VZW LTE iPad. As it was explained to me, if you don't activate prepaid service for at least one of every five consecutive months, your SIM will be deactivated, requiring you to re-purchase a new one before using the device on VZW networks.

I've received conflicting information on whether or not you can even purchase a "pre-paid" SIM at all. (Some say that it's just a regular SIM, others say it's not possible. In any event, you have to do this at a retail location where you're fighting with what I'm sure is a commission-based VZW rep that has incentive to sell you a contract, not pre-paid service).
I'll be trying to do purchase a replacement SIM in the next day or so...

 

[trosa24]

I can confirm this, based on 4 calls to VZW tech support over the course of an hour or so, and well as one fried SIM in my VZW LTE iPad. As it was explained to me, if you don't activate prepaid service for at least one of every five consecutive months, your SIM will be deactivated, requiring you to re-purchase a new one before using the device on VZW networks.

I've received conflicting information on whether or not you can even purchase a "pre-paid" SIM at all. (Some say that it's just a regular SIM, others say it's not possible. In any event, you have to do this at a retail location where you're fighting with what I'm sure is a commission-based VZW rep that has incentive to sell you a contract, not pre-paid service).
I'll be trying to do purchase a replacement SIM in the next day or so...

Welcome to the club

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1349815/

Join us lol

 

[Eddie Bombay]

This is why you go to CVS and get a prepaid credit card.

 

[WhySoSerious]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4572

Make sure he choses CLOSE LATER because if he chooses CLOSE NOW the card is fried and (currently) virtually unable to replace.

this is 100% inaccuate!

i had the iPad 2 ATT and activaged the 3GB data plan. on day 29, i chose "close now" and it shut it completely off at that very minute, but did NOT "fry" the card. a month later, i signed up for another 3GB with the same SIM card and it just assigned my iPad a new cellular phone number.

Close Later = the account will close at day 30, but if you close on day 15, you still get to use your data for the remaining 15 days.

Close Now = the account closes immediately and you miss out on the remaining days/data you had left....but your card will NOT go bad or need to be replaced. You just continue signing up for data when needed.

 

[trosa24]

this is 100% inaccuate!

i had the iPad 2 ATT and activaged the 3GB data plan. on day 29, i chose "close now" and it shut it completely off at that very minute, but did NOT "fry" the card. a month later, i signed up for another 3GB with the same SIM card and it just assigned my iPad a new cellular phone number.

Close Later = the account will close at day 30, but if you close on day 15, you still get to use your data for the remaining 15 days.

Close Now = the account closes immediately and you miss out on the remaining days/data you had left....but your card will NOT go bad or need to be replaced. You just continue signing up for data when needed.

If only Verizon worked that way. It seems that anytime you close your account on the new Verizon 4G iPad it fries your Sim card.

Such a scam.

 

[RetiredInFl]

Where did you get those facts?

The point of the pay as you go service is that you can turn it off and on. For the SIMs to become invalid contradicts that approach.

Please point me to where you found that information.

It's all over the place right on this board. When someone ACCIDENTALLY cancels their VZW prepaid service by selecting "cancel now" instead of "cancel later" the SIM is fried. Known issue. ATT states on their website att.com/ipad that after 60 days of non-use you must create a NEW ACCOUNT but have no experience with what happens to the card itself. VZW I am sure as MANY people here have had that issue.

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this is 100% inaccuate!

i had the iPad 2 ATT and activaged the 3GB data plan. on day 29, i chose "close now" and it shut it completely off at that very minute, but did NOT "fry" the card. a month later, i signed up for another 3GB with the same SIM card and it just assigned my iPad a new cellular phone number.

Close Later = the account will close at day 30, but if you close on day 15, you still get to use your data for the remaining 15 days.

Close Now = the account closes immediately and you miss out on the remaining days/data you had left....but your card will NOT go bad or need to be replaced. You just continue signing up for data when needed.

Talking about VZW not ATT.

 

[philh]

this is 100% inaccuate!

i had the iPad 2 ATT and activaged the 3GB data plan. on day 29, i chose "close now" and it shut it completely off at that very minute, but did NOT "fry" the card. a month later, i signed up for another 3GB with the same SIM card and it just assigned my iPad a new cellular phone number.

Close Later = the account will close at day 30, but if you close on day 15, you still get to use your data for the remaining 15 days.

Close Now = the account closes immediately and you miss out on the remaining days/data you had left....but your card will NOT go bad or need to be replaced. You just continue signing up for data when needed.

Echo'ing trosa24 - this is one way that Verizon uniquely found a way to screw customers. I know of many AT&T customers that don't have this problem, just VZW.

 

[trosa24]

It's all over the place right on this board. When someone ACCIDENTALLY cancels their VZW prepaid service by selecting "cancel now" instead of "cancel later" the SIM is fried. Known issue. ATT states on their website att.com/ipad that after 60 days of non-use you must create a NEW ACCOUNT but have no experience with what happens to the card itself. VZW I am sure as MANY people here have had that issue.

----------

Talking about VZW not ATT.

Hmm... I smell a class action lawsuit against Verizon.

Lol it's literally a disgrace. Laughable at how a big company like Verizon can't get something simple like this. Kudos to Verizon for adding that headache aspect they always manage to add.

 

[BiggAW]

Use a credit card with Shop Safe, set it up for billing once, cap it at like $35, and let Verizon try to hit it again. The CC will fail, and your data plan will cancel itself.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

It's all over the place right on this board. When someone ACCIDENTALLY cancels their VZW prepaid service by selecting "cancel now" instead of "cancel later" the SIM is fried. Known issue. ATT states on their website att.com/ipad that after 60 days of non-use you must create a NEW ACCOUNT but have no experience with what happens to the card itself. VZW I am sure as MANY people here have had that issue.

Can't speak on the 4G side of the ATT sims, but I activated my iPad1 with its original sim a couple of weeks ago - and it had been turned off since last June.

 

[philh]

Just returned from the local VZW store, and purchased a new 4G pre-paid SIM for $10. Didn't need to provide any details to them for the purchase, and after swapping them in the iPad, it's behaving just as it did before activating the original SIM.

I did speak to a helpful rep on the national pre-paid CS line, and she said the store shouldn't charge anything for the SIM swap. I didn't expect that would fly, and just wanted to be done with this. The manager at the store confirmed that the SIM will die after 5 months of inactivity, requiring a new purchase. I didn't buy his explanation (3G works forever, 4G has time limits), but whatever...

And for those confirming that their AT&T re-activation worked after >5mo, the problem here is VZW as a carrier, not the iPad itself. VZW has made a business decision to kill SIMs after inactivity. AT&T has made the opposite decision. Given that VZW can now charge us all $10 for each SIM we need to keep the iPads working, I don't expect they'll change. Free money is a good thing, and we're just trapped cash cows in their eyes.

 

[Anti-Lucifer]

You want to auto-NOT-renew? It's easy - I did this by accident on my iPad 2 3G AT&T:

Simply log into the AT&T iPad landing page or using the view account screen from within the ipad.

Then go to the credit card info and then take out the code verification. The very next month, I did not have data and was pondering if AT&T fked me again with their pathetic service but it was because I took out my CC code verification number and AT&T could not charge my card.

After that month, i was able to sign up again without any problems.

 

[MR1324]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4572

Make sure he choses CLOSE LATER because if he chooses CLOSE NOW the card is fried and (currently) virtually unable to replace.

This

 

[Stealthipad]

this is 100% inaccuate!

i had the iPad 2 ATT and activaged the 3GB data plan. on day 29, i chose "close now" and it shut it completely off at that very minute, but did NOT "fry" the card. a month later, i signed up for another 3GB with the same SIM card and it just assigned my iPad a new cellular phone number.

Close Later = the account will close at day 30, but if you close on day 15, you still get to use your data for the remaining 15 days.

Close Now = the account closes immediately and you miss out on the remaining days/data you had left....but your card will NOT go bad or need to be replaced. You just continue signing up for data when needed.

I agree with you on you AT&T facts as I am a long time AT&T iPad user. But Verizon has a different type deal for it's users!

 

[RetiredInFl]

Just returned from the local VZW store, and purchased a new 4G pre-paid SIM for $10. Didn't need to provide any details to them for the purchase, and after swapping them in the iPad, it's behaving just as it did before activating the original SIM.

I did speak to a helpful rep on the national pre-paid CS line, and she said the store shouldn't charge anything for the SIM swap. I didn't expect that would fly, and just wanted to be done with this. The manager at the store confirmed that the SIM will die after 5 months of inactivity, requiring a new purchase. I didn't buy his explanation (3G works forever, 4G has time limits), but whatever...

And for those confirming that their AT&T re-activation worked after >5mo, the problem here is VZW as a carrier, not the iPad itself. VZW has made a business decision to kill SIMs after inactivity. AT&T has made the opposite decision. Given that VZW can now charge us all $10 for each SIM we need to keep the iPads working, I don't expect they'll change. Free money is a good thing, and we're just trapped cash cows in their eyes.

Interesting. I just spent almost 2hrs in my local "regional" store and they would give or sell me a new sim come hell or high water. While there they were on the phone with various support lines, regional managers and the answer was the same. We can't sell (or give) you a sim without an account already attached to it.

Maybe the information hasn't dribbled down to them yet. Where are you located?

 

[xyphr3]

Can I assume that if you purchased a VZW iPad but never activate the SIM, it won't "fry itself" until 5 months after you initiate a plan to begin with?

 

[jman240]

This is why I still have my 1st gen iPad wifi. WTH are they thinking here. The whole point of having a cellular enabled device is so that if I ever decide to travel and I want internet access I can just turn it on. No issues.

I can't believe this is actually true. I was really ready to spend the extra $130 this time for 4G and get the max capacity iPad but hearing things like this makes me glad I've held off.

Another thing is, if I spend $30 for a block of data, that data shouldn't expire after 30 days. That's just stupid. I understand tiered pricing but come on! It's data, not food, it should be non-perishable.

Eventually, I hope, these idiot carriers will get it right. But right now pft. Forget it.

 

[tjb1]

Why not call Verizon and ask them??

 

[sulpfiction]

This is crazy...And I am so glad i asked. So I just want to be totally clear. I only have to be concerned with selecting "close later" as opposed to "close now". If I choose "close later" my data will expire after the 30th day and I won't have any problems re-upping my data at any time, with no sim issues as long as 5 months doesn't pass. Is this correct?

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With the horror stories I have been reading, I do not want risk frying my and not be able to get another. I cant believe VZW did this deliberately. It's illegal. They can't give u a pre-paid sim and set it up like a time-bomb, and if u happen to cross the wrong wires, they say "oh well, no more pre-paid for u...And if u ever want to see data again, here's a shiny new contract to go with it. I know that's really what they want to do, but they can't go about it this way. They will have a huge class action suit stuffed right up their A$$es faster then their LTE network. Hopefully this is just a temporary mixup and it'll be worked out quickly. Otherwise VZW will have reached an all time low for screwing their customers.