Cell Phones

Prepaid / pay as you go my minute plan still available?

  • Last Updated:
  • Sep 27th, 2019 3:05 pm
Member
User avatar
Aug 23, 2004
205 posts
18 upvotes

Prepaid / pay as you go my minute plan still available?

Is it still an option to buy a block of minutes?
My mother in law only uses her cell phone for voice, and then only rarely. It sits for months without use, then she might use 50 minutes in a month.
No province to province or international roaming is required, Alberta Only.
Auto top-up would be great to avoid 0-minute situations and to "protect" unused minutes
Full-size SIM
last time we got some 7-11 deal, but the SIM is now invalid, so I need to by a new SIM and set something up right away.
9 replies
Member
User avatar
Aug 23, 2004
205 posts
18 upvotes
Best deal I found was indeed at 7-11 again. 100 gets you 125$ in credit and a free SIM card. 30 cents / minute. essentually it is 430 minutes over 365 days and a SIM card for 100+tax
Deal Addict
May 7, 2012
1096 posts
514 upvotes
Your math above: Spend $105 w tax and get $125 in credits. SO 7/11 charges 1.25/month 911 fee (so 12 X 1.25 = 15). $125 - $15 = $110 in credits. At $0.30/minute gives you 366 minutes (rounded down coz they bill by the full minute). 366 minutes/12 = 30 minutes/month. $105 after-tax = $8.75/month.
Public Mobile has $10/month which reduces to $8/month with auto-pay (CC on file). That's $8.40/month tax-in in AB I believe. 50 minutes per month and you can buy blocks of minutes. EG 500 CDA-wide = $5. Get another $1.00/month discount after first year...

Feel free to correct
Deal Expert
User avatar
Jun 27, 2004
15215 posts
4404 upvotes
Vancouver.bc.ca
If 7-Eleven was fine the first time, it is still the best choice this time.
Yes, they have auto refill, via their website.

The math in the reply above does not take into consideration that it only costs $25/year to extend 7-Eleven's expiry. If your mother-in-law yaks for 100min a year, that will cost $45/year ($30 + $15 fees). For $150*, you're good for three years, with change left over in the account.
(* initial $100, then $25 + $25 for years two and three)
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2006
31271 posts
17295 upvotes
https://www.piranha-mobile.com/

$0.08 out, $0.06 in.
x 50 minutes per month (average $0.07) = $3.50.
$0.50/month for a Canadian number though. Plus no choice of what area code you get. I got a Quebec area code.

$4USD/month x 12 months = $48USD/year.

Cheapest option (so far) but not 100% practical due to the Quebec number.
Do you not have anything else to do rather than argue with strangers on the internet
Nope. That's why I'm on the internet arguing with strangers. If I had anything better to do I'd probably be doing it.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Jun 27, 2004
15215 posts
4404 upvotes
Vancouver.bc.ca
I was looking at Piranha as a future option. Didn't even think about the area code! Hmm. Still have a year before I switch :) .
Sr. Member
Jul 4, 2018
957 posts
822 upvotes
rabbit wrote: If 7-Eleven was fine the first time, it is still the best choice this time.
Yes, they have auto refill, via their website.

The math in the reply above does not take into consideration that it only costs $25/year to extend 7-Eleven's expiry. If your mother-in-law yaks for 100min a year, that will cost $45/year ($30 + $15 fees). For $150*, you're good for three years, with change left over in the account.
(* initial $100, then $25 + $25 for years two and three)
So customers have to spend $100 something initially to setup? Is there someways to just do $25 for initial and thereafter?
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Put some resphek on my name!
Deal Addict
User avatar
May 8, 2001
1185 posts
1762 upvotes
Unresphek wrote: So customers have to spend $100 something initially to setup? Is there someways to just do $25 for initial and thereafter?
Yes you can do initial for $25/year. It just depends on how much you use and there are many promos throughout the year for $100 with $25 bonus if you use more than average.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Jun 27, 2004
15215 posts
4404 upvotes
Vancouver.bc.ca
You also have to buy a SIM, which is normally $10.

When they have the $100 promo, it usually includes a free SIM, in addition to the bonus $25 credit.
Newbie
Jun 30, 2009
15 posts
Ottawa, ON
I have recently switched my phone plan from unlimited monthly usage to pay-per-use (35cents/minute) because I don't use it much, then all of a sudden after the switch I started receiving calls from scammers from area code 416. He/she uses a different number at every call, but I believe it is the same Scammer, since the message is always the same. I'm wondering if the phone provider PetroCanada wireless made it easy fro scammers to find my numbers in order to make me use my minutes?
Is anyone here experienced something like that?

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