q's about Verizon on a no-commitment iPad plan

[bchaplin]

I am leaning towards getting a Verizon iPad over AT&T. I would be using the prepaid plan, but only occasionally, turning it on when I travel.
Maybe some of you who already have Verizon on a no-commitment plan can help me out:

(1) Is it easy to do this from the iPad, without having to deal with any customer service people? Assuming I use it at least every 5 months, which I've heard is necessary so that the SIM card doesn't get de-activated.
(2) If the service hasn't been activated for a while, does the 30 day plan start from the time I turn it back on? I'm just worried that if the time period is fixed (it always goes from Mar. 17 - Apr. 16, for example), I wouldn't be stuck with a pro-rated plan depending on the day in which it's activated.
(3) If I go over the data allotment, what happens? Can I just 'start' a new month right there? Is my credit card automatically charged or am I prompted to authorize the new charges?

Thanks so much! My iPhone has always been on AT&T's post-paid plan, (and they have been super-easy to deal with through their web site and iPhone app), so this is new territory for me.

 

[ace08]

I also would like ot know these answers....

 

[Tstrong2000]

I am leaning towards getting a Verizon iPad over AT&T. I would be using the prepaid plan, but only occasionally, turning it on when I travel.
Maybe some of you who already have Verizon on a no-commitment plan can help me out:

(1) Is it easy to do this from the iPad, without having to deal with any customer service people? Assuming I use it at least every 5 months, which I've heard is necessary so that the SIM card doesn't get de-activated.

(2) If the service hasn't been activated for a while, does the 30 day plan start from the time I turn it back on? I'm just worried that if the time period is fixed (it always goes from Mar. 17 - Apr. 16, for example), I wouldn't be stuck with a pro-rated plan depending on the day in which it's activated.
(3) If I go over the data allotment, what happens? Can I just 'start' a new month right there? Is my credit card automatically charged or am I prompted to authorize the new charges?

Thanks so much! My iPhone has always been on AT&T's post-paid plan, (and they have been super-easy to deal with through their web site and iPhone app), so this is new territory for me.

1. It is very easy to order and cancel the Verizon plan on your iPad.

2. The plan starts the day you purchase and goes for 30 days. It does not matter if you start in mid month.

3. I can't help you on the overage since I have never gone over.

 

[RetiredInFl]

You are automatically charged after 30 days unless you cancel the plan. There is no "overage." Once your data is used up you have to buy another bucket at full price.

If you do chose to cancel the plan READ THE PROMPTS CAREFULLY OR RISK KILLING YOUR SIM!

If you don't use data for 5 months after the most recent month ends your account is canceled and your SIM card is rendered dead. (This only applies to Verizon not ATT). You then have to try and get another one. As of now, with few rare exceptions, Verizon won't give you one and if they do they put you on postpaid not prepaid. You can buy repacement or spare sims on eBay for around $6 and they work fine.

 

[barkomatic]

You are automatically charged after 30 days unless you cancel the plan. There is no "overage." Once your data is used up you have to buy another bucket at full price.

If you do chose to cancel the plan READ THE PROMPTS CAREFULLY OR RISK KILLING YOUR SIM!

If you don't use data for 5 months after the most recent month ends your account is canceled and your SIM card is rendered dead. (This only applies to Verizon not ATT). You then have to try and get another one. As of now, with few rare exceptions, Verizon won't give you one and if they do they put you on postpaid not prepaid. You can buy repacement or spare sims on eBay for around $6 and they work fine.

I think with both AT&T and Verizon, you have the option to select a postpaid plan. That means you'll get billed for your data service and (unlike the prepaid option where your data is cut off once you hit your cap) you'll continue to have service past your cap but will be charged overage.

The advantage of going post paid is that if you get a discount through your employer for your current wireless service the same discount will be applied to your iPad data. I thought about this, but decided I didn't use iPad data often enough to justify the cost.

 

[RetiredInFl]

I think with both AT&T and Verizon, you have the option to select a postpaid plan. That means you'll get billed for your data service and (unlike the prepaid option where your data is cut off once you hit your cap) you'll continue to have service past your cap but will be charged overage.

The advantage of going post paid is that if you get a discount through your employer for your current wireless service the same discount will be applied to your iPad data. I thought about this, but decided I didn't use iPad data often enough to justify the cost.

Yea, I know what postpaid is. You have to go to an ATT or VZW store for postpaid, can't manage it on the iPad app. With VZW there are additional taxes and a $30 activation fee and you can't stop/start service as you need. There is no commitment even on the POSTpaid plan but you would have to cancel the account to stop the POSTpaid service which renders you sim card dead (with VZW) and you would have to start over again. With VZW and with ATT there is only a discount on the higher monthly prepaid plans.

The OP was specifically asking about PRE-PAID. He wrote:

I would be using the prepaid plan, but only occasionally, turning it on when I travel.

If you only "occasionally" use it it makes no sense to pay $30 + taxes EVERY month.

 

[bchaplin]

Yea, I know what postpaid is. You have to go to an ATT or VZW store for postpaid, can't manage it on the iPad app. With VZW there are additional taxes and a $30 activation fee and you can't stop/start service as you need. There is no commitment even on the POSTpaid plan but you would have to cancel the account to stop the POSTpaid service which renders you sim card dead (with VZW) and you would have to start over again. With VZW and with ATT there is only a discount on the higher monthly prepaid plans.

The OP was specifically asking about PRE-PAID. He wrote: If you only "occasionally" use it it makes no sense to pay $30 + taxes EVERY month.

Thank you for all the advice!
Yes, I am going to use the service occasionally, but not keep it turned on every month. (Prepaid, not post-paid.) Sounds like this is possible with both Verizon and AT&T.
Beth

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You are automatically charged after 30 days unless you cancel the plan. There is no "overage." Once your data is used up you have to buy another bucket at full price.

This is one part I am curious about. If I buy a new 'bucket', does that give me another full month, starting at the time of purchase?

 

[bcaslis]

...

This is one part I am curious about. If I buy a new 'bucket', does that give me another full month, starting at the time of purchase?

Since you don't buy more data until your current data is used up, the new data bucket starts when you purchase it.

 

[xraydoc]

This is one part I am curious about. If I buy a new 'bucket', does that give me another full month, starting at the time of purchase?

You get 30 days to use the data in the plan you've purchased. At the end of the 30 days any unused data is lost. If you use up the data allotment before the 30 days is up, it'll cut you off at that point and give you the option to buy another 30 day data allotment.

 

[sbddude]

Isn't it just $10 for every extra GB (except on the 1GB plan it is $20)?

 

[bchaplin]

Isn't it just $10 for every extra GB (except on the 1GB plan it is $20)?

Perhaps that is for post-paid; I was asking specifically about the pre-paid plans.

 

[RetiredInFl]

Isn't it just $10 for every extra GB (except on the 1GB plan it is $20)?

POSTpaid only.

 

[fastd]

This is one part I am curious about. If I buy a new 'bucket', does that give me another full month, starting at the time of purchase?

No. When you go to the purchase screen in the settings, it explains everything.

If you buy a new bucket, it takes effect in one of two conditions:
1- your 30 days are up on your current bucket
2- you get within 25mb left on your current bucket.
When the new bucket starts, the 30 days and limit will be what you bought or auto-renewed.

Say you are on autorenew for the $20 plan, then you know next month you are going on vacation and want more data, so you can change your plan to the $50 plan anytime before the 30 days. Just remember to change your plan back to the $20 before you hit the next 30 days or you will autorenew on that $50 plan.