how do I keep a phone number when moving to Europe
Jul 7th, 2014, 05:31 PM
#1
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how do I keep a phone number when moving to Europe
My son has.a Verizon I phone 5 and is moving to Austria for a year. He would like to keep his phone number while he is there, but will get a phone there, so he won't be using his phone regularly. The problem is it appears that it costs about $40 a month just to keep the iphone active. Verizon does not have any non-smart phones that will work in Europe.
Any suggestions? Should I just change to an old flip phone and keep the number? Pay for a year with the I phone? Or do other carriers have better options?
Any suggestions? Should I just change to an old flip phone and keep the number? Pay for a year with the I phone? Or do other carriers have better options?
Jul 7th, 2014, 06:45 PM
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If he just wants to keep his US number active while he is in Europe, this is one possible way.
<b>Check to see if he can transfer his number to TracFone, a prepaid phone service.</b>
https://www.tracfone.com/direct/Port...rom=activation
<b>If he can do it, he could get a cheap phone from them and load minutes onto it.</b>
Here is one potential: buy a TracFone phone and starter minutes from Walmart or Walmart.com—this one is $10:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/TracFone-S...nutes/24623087
It comes with 60 minute of airtime; 60-minute phone cards typically give you 90 days of service.
<b>Set up Service Protection</b>
TracFone allows you to pay $5.99 to extend expiring minutes for a month. (If your minutes expire, you lose your phone number!) He could set up to have the monthly fee charged to his credit card automatically.
<b>Total cost for a year would probably be less than $100.</b>
Phone and initial airtime = $10
Service Protection for $6/30 days is 9 x $6 = $54 for 270 days, 10 x $6 = $60 for 300 days.
Total comes to $64 for 360 days or $70 for 390 days—not including taxes or fees (or shipping if you order the phone over the Web). That still comes in at less than $100, and maybe even less than $80.
TracFone service works only in the US, so he could not use the phone in Europe. It would just sit somewhere (at your house, maybe?) until he came back. He would then need to transfer the number to whatever phone he wants to use and cancel the automatic Service Protection. If he didn't want to keep the TracFone, he could donate it to someplace like a women's shelter that needs cell phones.
There are other prepaid providers, of course. I just happen to be familiar with TracFone.
Not sure how this compares to changing his number to an old phone and sticking with Verizon, but I imagine it's cheaper.
<b>Check to see if he can transfer his number to TracFone, a prepaid phone service.</b>
https://www.tracfone.com/direct/Port...rom=activation
<b>If he can do it, he could get a cheap phone from them and load minutes onto it.</b>
Here is one potential: buy a TracFone phone and starter minutes from Walmart or Walmart.com—this one is $10:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/TracFone-S...nutes/24623087
It comes with 60 minute of airtime; 60-minute phone cards typically give you 90 days of service.
<b>Set up Service Protection</b>
TracFone allows you to pay $5.99 to extend expiring minutes for a month. (If your minutes expire, you lose your phone number!) He could set up to have the monthly fee charged to his credit card automatically.
<b>Total cost for a year would probably be less than $100.</b>
Phone and initial airtime = $10
Service Protection for $6/30 days is 9 x $6 = $54 for 270 days, 10 x $6 = $60 for 300 days.
Total comes to $64 for 360 days or $70 for 390 days—not including taxes or fees (or shipping if you order the phone over the Web). That still comes in at less than $100, and maybe even less than $80.
TracFone service works only in the US, so he could not use the phone in Europe. It would just sit somewhere (at your house, maybe?) until he came back. He would then need to transfer the number to whatever phone he wants to use and cancel the automatic Service Protection. If he didn't want to keep the TracFone, he could donate it to someplace like a women's shelter that needs cell phones.
There are other prepaid providers, of course. I just happen to be familiar with TracFone.
Not sure how this compares to changing his number to an old phone and sticking with Verizon, but I imagine it's cheaper.
Jul 7th, 2014, 08:27 PM
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I am not sure about your concern and proposed solutions.
<i>but will get a phone there, so he won't be using his phone regularly.</i>
The interpretation here is:
- He will be getting an Austrian phone + Austrian SIM
- He will not be using iPhone 5 at all?
<i>it costs about $40 a month just to keep the iphone active.</i>
I think the goal is to keep the NUMBER, isn't it?
<i>Verizon does not have any non-smart phones that will work in Europe.</i>
What is the relevance of non-smart phone to your question? He will have an Austrian phone in Europe.
<i>Should I just change to an old flip phone and keep the number?</i>
If Verizon let you drop the data plan on that number, it would work to reduce the monthly fee.
If not, then one way to keep the NUMBER is to transfer the number to another carrier if the contract allows it without major penalty. For example, get a t-mobile SIM and transfer the number. SIMs are sometimes free on promotion, and get pay-as-you-go at $10 every 90 days. You don't even have to use the SIM, but using the SIM will give you a confirmation that the number remains active.
<i>but will get a phone there, so he won't be using his phone regularly.</i>
The interpretation here is:
- He will be getting an Austrian phone + Austrian SIM
- He will not be using iPhone 5 at all?
<i>it costs about $40 a month just to keep the iphone active.</i>
I think the goal is to keep the NUMBER, isn't it?
<i>Verizon does not have any non-smart phones that will work in Europe.</i>
What is the relevance of non-smart phone to your question? He will have an Austrian phone in Europe.
<i>Should I just change to an old flip phone and keep the number?</i>
If Verizon let you drop the data plan on that number, it would work to reduce the monthly fee.
If not, then one way to keep the NUMBER is to transfer the number to another carrier if the contract allows it without major penalty. For example, get a t-mobile SIM and transfer the number. SIMs are sometimes free on promotion, and get pay-as-you-go at $10 every 90 days. You don't even have to use the SIM, but using the SIM will give you a confirmation that the number remains active.
Jul 8th, 2014, 05:04 AM
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Thanks for the info so far.
using Cranachin's suggestion, I would pay verizon $240 to cancel the contract and then $100 or less to get a Tracphone or similar for a year. That would compare favorably to keeping the iPhone on the verizon plan and paying. $40 per month to keep it active.
So I guess I need to decide if he will be using the iPhone at all.
Greg, I am not sure what it means to buy a SIM. Do you buy that separately from the phone?
I am also looking into a suspension option at Verizon. Apparently, you can suspend a Verizon phone for 3 months while keeping the number. You can do this twice in one year.
using Cranachin's suggestion, I would pay verizon $240 to cancel the contract and then $100 or less to get a Tracphone or similar for a year. That would compare favorably to keeping the iPhone on the verizon plan and paying. $40 per month to keep it active.
So I guess I need to decide if he will be using the iPhone at all.
Greg, I am not sure what it means to buy a SIM. Do you buy that separately from the phone?
I am also looking into a suspension option at Verizon. Apparently, you can suspend a Verizon phone for 3 months while keeping the number. You can do this twice in one year.
