MTN Data expiration

[Viva]

About two months ago, I moved to MTN Prepaid after my contract ended.

How long does a purchased data bundle stay valid before expiring? According to MTN's site:

Q: How long will my MTN Internet Service bundle be valid for?
A: MTN Internet Service bundles are valid for a calendar month from the time of purchase.

Q: If I do not use the full inclusive value of my MTN Internet Service bundle before the bundle expires, does the remaining value carry over?
A: Any inclusive value that was not used by the time the MTN Internet Service bundle expired will be forfeited. No value is carried over for MTN Internet Service bundles, whether the bundle has been purchased as a once-off or recurring bundle.

A little less than two months ago, I purchased a data bundle using accumulated loyalty points. I still have data left, so obviously it does not expire after a month. Will it expire after two months?

I read somewhere else that adding more data (even a small bundle like R10) preserves the remaining data until the newly purchased data expires. Is this in fact the case?

Hopefully Afrihost will launch their integrated voice + data package shortly so I can stop worrying about data expiring.

 

[Swa]

A little less than two months ago, I purchased a data bundle using accumulated loyalty points. I still have data left, so obviously it does not expire after a month. Will it expire after two months?

If I'm not mistaken at the end of the next calender month in which you bought it.

 

[cavedog]

You are quoting the T&C's for MTN Internet Services bundles. Those are not data bundles but social media bundles that can be used for social media sites and browsing through opera mini on your phone.

You need to search for MTN data bundle and data usage T&C's.

Here is how it works though.

You get exactly 60days from date of purchase before the "bought data" expires. So if you buy it today 26th July 2014 the data wil expire on exactly 60days from today. You can extend this date by simply buying another data bundle of any size before the expiry date BUT please note the expiry date does not stack. The "bought data" will only move to 60days from your last bundle purchase. SO if you have 15days before it expires and buy another bundle it will be 60 days from that bundle and not 15days + 60days.

MTN also give free data with bundle purchases. This data is promo data and does not fall under "bought data" and thus have their own respective expiry dates which you will be notified about in a sms when you get them.

You can always check the data expiry date and how the date moves on by dialing *141*1# option 2. They will display the expiry of both "bought data" and promo data.

 

[ajax]

What cavedog said.

 

[Viva]

Thanks all and cavedog in particular for the nice and comprehensive explanation! Interestingly, it looks like data bought with loyalty points only expire after three months - the *141*1# menu indicates an expiry date of August 30. Unless I'm making a huge mistake, I bought the data at the end of May or beginning of June.

Maybe you can answer another question cavedog. Will buying more data with loyalty points constitute a legitimate sale so as to extend the expiration date of my existing data?

 

[cavedog]

Thanks all and cavedog in particular for the nice and comprehensive explanation! Interestingly, it looks like data bought with loyalty points only expire after three months - the *141*1# menu indicates an expiry date of August 30. Unless I'm making a huge mistake, I bought the data at the end of May or beginning of June.

Maybe you can answer another question cavedog. Will buying more data with loyalty points constitute a legitimate sale so as to extend the expiration date of my existing data?

With loyalty points I'm in the dark too because I have noticed that they do not follow the T&C's of the normal data bundle and have expiry date of their own. For example airtime bought with loyalty points was always allowed to be used for calls to any network now they changed it without notice to being used for MTN to MTN calls only and it seems like it does not have a expiry date.

I bought R180 of loyalty airtime on my grandfathers MTN anytime 1000 contract in the beginning of the contract and he is now due for a upgrade and still have the R180 loyalty airtime because inclusive airtime on contracts ALWAYS gets used first.

 

[Viva]

With loyalty points I'm in the dark too because I have noticed that they do not follow the T&C's of the normal data bundle and have expiry date of their own. For example airtime bought with loyalty points was always allowed to be used for calls to any network now they changed it without notice to being used for MTN to MTN calls only and it seems like it does not have a expiry date.

I bought R180 of loyalty airtime on my grandfathers MTN anytime 1000 contract in the beginning of the contract and he is now due for a upgrade and still have the R180 loyalty airtime because inclusive airtime on contracts ALWAYS gets used first.

I guess we'll find out by trail and error. That is until Afrihost come to the party with a convincing package