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Moving to USA for a year

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  • 09-01-2020 7:13pm
    #1
    okidoki987
    Registered Users Posts: 10,622 ✭✭✭✭


    Mate is going to USA for a year.
    He is currently on Eir on a 30 day rolling contract.
    He will be getting a new USA number for the year.
    Is there any way of keeping his old number to reuse when he returns in 12 months time without paying a monthly charge?
    Guess he would need to be looking at a new PAYG, transfer his number and
    just pay the one off cost to keep it "alive"?
    Presume it's a 6 month to renew to keep to alive?


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    #2
    Ten Pin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,836 ✭✭✭Ten Pin


    Switch account to PAYG with eir.

    Minimum of fiver top up every few months...to wit...
    https://www.eir.ie/support/mobile/topping-up-eir-mobile/
    Will I lose my number if I don't top up?
    If a number isn’t topped up after a period of time the number will eventually be recycled.
    If you do not top up your number within 90 days, the number will go into a temporarily barred state. This can be solved by topping up by a minimum of €5, as soon as possible.
    After 150 days numbers that have not been topped up will be unable to make any outgoing services. The number will still be able to receive information (such as calls and texts) for 30 days.
    240 days after your last top up any credit left on your phone will be removed.
    13 months after your last top up your number will disconnect. It will not be possible to reconnect your number after this period of time as your number will have been recycled.

    The "90 days" used to read "150 days" but they didn't update the "after 150 days" part so it's unclear what the exact interval is..."as soon as possible" is too vague to be considered a definitive condition.


    Another option is port to Vodafone where it's a definite interval of fiver top up every 180 days.


  • Options
    #3
    babelfish1990
    Registered Users Posts: 639 ✭✭✭babelfish1990


    okidoki987 wrote: »
    Mate is going to USA for a year.
    He is currently on Eir on a 30 day rolling contract.
    He will be getting a new USA number for the year.
    Is there any way of keeping his old number to reuse when he returns in 12 months time without paying a monthly charge?
    Guess he would need to be looking at a new PAYG, transfer his number and
    just pay the one off cost to keep it "alive"?
    Presume it's a 6 month to renew to keep to alive?

    Yes - he could keep the number alive by topping up PAYG about twice for the year. Eir also support WiFi calling from abroad. They are the only operator to support this. He could continue to use his phone on WiFi in US without paying roaming charges. The savings on calls to/from Ireland and convenience of being able to continue using his Irish number might justify the monthly SIM only charge. (WiFi Calling isn't available on PAYG). Even being able to receive authentication texts from Irish institutions when abroad can justify keeping the Irish number alive, if you need to access bank accounts etc when abroad.


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