MTN prepaid airtime disappears with no usage??

[airborne]

I've noticed with my MTN prepaid sim the airtime disappears even with no usage.
If I load airtime it's a forgone conclusion that it will be gone a week or two after loading it.
I've long suspected that and today I had them email me my 60 day usage for SMS/VOICE/DATA and you can see that R15 airtime is loaded and then R3.60 worth of calls are made and no other charges are incurred yet my airtime balance today is zero.

The sim is linked to a datashare so I never incur data charges. I never use the sim for outgoing calls other than to return phone calls made directly to it which is why I need to have a small amount of airtime loaded. The call rates are terrible at 99c minute so I rather use a Megsapp eSim at 69c minute for calls and on Megsapp my airtime never gets depleted unless I use it.

Is there any reason my airtime could be getting used up on MTN when there were no billable events?

 

[soulie]

I've noticed with my MTN prepaid sim the airtime disappears even with no usage.
If I load airtime it's a forgone conclusion that it will be gone a week or two after loading it.
I've long suspected that and today I had them email me my 60 day usage for SMS/VOICE/DATA and you can see that R15 airtime is loaded and then R3.60 worth of calls are made and no other charges are incurred yet my airtime balance today is zero.

The sim is linked to a datashare so I never incur data charges. I never use the sim for outgoing calls other than to return phone calls made directly to it which is why I need to have a small amount of airtime loaded. The call rates are terrible at 99c minute so I rather use a Megsapp eSim at 69c minute for calls and on Megsapp my airtime never gets depleted unless I use it.

Is there any reason my airtime could be getting used up on MTN when there were no billable events?

Does the app work on prepaid ,if so it will tell you if you have a leech sucking as a value added service

 

[SubtleBeast]

MyBB did a test on this a couple years back.
LTE handshaking iirc, but don't quote me.

 

[airborne]

MyBB did a test on this a couple years back.
LTE handshaking iirc, but don't quote me.

I remember something about that but if I recall that was Vodacom?
Also I have datashare on this app so the sim can't use airtime for data

 

[airborne]

Does the app work on prepaid ,if so it will tell you if you have a leech sucking as a value added service

I checked there and as far as I can see there's nothing

 

[SubtleBeast]

I remember something about that but if I recall that was Vodacom?
Also I have datashare on this app so the sim can't use airtime for data

Apparently not only them.
A quick search brought up a number of results.
One even suggest an Android glitch.

Search Results for “Disappearing airtime ” – MyBroadband

mybroadband.co.za

 

[airborne]

Apparently not only them.
A quick search brought up a number of results.
One even suggest an Android glitch.

Search Results for “Disappearing airtime ” – MyBroadband

mybroadband.co.za

I’m on an iPhone, the last MTN article was from 2020 and they it was claim related to out of bundle data usage being enabled, I have it disabled and the number is linked to a datashare so it can't even access any of the sims airtime or data for it’s data usage.

 

[SubtleBeast]

I’m on an iPhone, the last MTN article was from 2020 and they it was claim related to out of bundle data usage being enabled, I have it disabled and the number is linked to a datashare so it can't even access any of the sims airtime or data for it’s data usage.

Best bet would be to contact MTN, but not sure how far you'll get with them.

 

[airborne]

Best bet would be to contact MTN, but not sure how far you'll get with them.

That's going to get me no where, nevermind even just managing to speak to a human at MTN, nevermind a switched on intelligent one, is neigh impossible these days. And that applies even more so to prepaid sims.

 

[SubtleBeast]

That's going to get me no where, nevermind even just managing to speak to a human at MTN, nevermind a switched on intelligent one, is neigh impossible these days. And that applies even more so to prepaid sims.

Sadly so. I did manage to speak to a agent on two separate occasions a couple of months ago.
Think it was either the SIM Swap or Fraud reporting menu.
When someone answers I simply state my issue and they'll either help or transfer you to the correct department.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

all your money are belong to us!

still seeing weird messages from MTN, everytime I switch my phone on, share your new number Ive had for years with everybody you know,

before that would get the weird unknown application error every so often,

 

[richjdavies]

Sadly so. I did manage to speak to a agent on two separate occasions a couple of months ago.
Think it was either the SIM Swap or Fraud reporting menu.
When someone answers I simply state my issue and they'll either help or transfer you to the correct department.

Port your number to afrihost... Problems solved

Probably one of those WASPS.

How to check if a WASP is stealing your airtime

Rogue wireless application service providers (WASPs) secretly subscribe thousands of cellular users to their content subscription services every month.

mybroadband.co.za

For MTN dial
*155#
Option 1

 

[Tim Apple]

Is there any reason my airtime could be getting used up on MTN when there were no billable events?

Per the MTN website:

Managing your airtime expiry
Once you’ve loaded airtime, it has a certain validity period and can expire if you don’t use it. The time it takes for your airtime to expire depends on how much you recharge for:

R15 or less
20 days

From R15 – R25
30 days

Over R25
Does not expire unless there’s no activity on your SIM card for 120 consecutive days.

MTN South Africa

www.mtn.co.za

 

[SubtleBeast]

Per the MTN website:

Managing your airtime expiry
Once you’ve loaded airtime, it has a certain validity period and can expire if you don’t use it. The time it takes for your airtime to expire depends on how much you recharge for:

R15 or less
20 days

From R15 – R25
30 days

Over R25
Does not expire unless there’s no activity on your SIM card for 120 consecutive days.

MTN South Africa

www.mtn.co.za

Thanks for the info.
This is very sneaky from MTN.
If I hadn't come across this post I'd have never known.
I always buy at least R50 at a time, then would convert it into minutes or data as I need.

 

[airborne]

Per the MTN website:

Managing your airtime expiry
Once you’ve loaded airtime, it has a certain validity period and can expire if you don’t use it. The time it takes for your airtime to expire depends on how much you recharge for:

R15 or less
20 days

From R15 – R25
30 days

Over R25
Does not expire unless there’s no activity on your SIM card for 120 consecutive days.

MTN South Africa

www.mtn.co.za

Thank you, holy fk how scaly is that, I've never heard of airtime expiring, it’s always been the gold standard on the main networks everything expires except airtime. Does anyone have any idea when that was introduced?
@Jan it would make interesting story to investigate this practise and see if any other MNO's have introduced something similar.

That is so dodgy, imagine how that hits poor people that can only afford a small amount of airtime say for emergencies and it keep's expiring, what a screwed up policy,

 

[Voldemort]

Another thing that could be eating your data is auto-updates. I take it you have troubleshooted this already?

 

[airborne]

Does the app work on prepaid ,if so it will tell you if you have a leech sucking as a value added service

Port your number to afrihost... Problems solved

Probably one of those WASPS.

How to check if a WASP is stealing your airtime

Rogue wireless application service providers (WASPs) secretly subscribe thousands of cellular users to their content subscription services every month.

mybroadband.co.za

For MTN dial
*155#
Option 1

If I recall there is an option to block wasp services which I have done but I checked again and I don't have any services

Another thing that could be eating your data is auto-updates. I take it you have troubleshooted this already?

It's not data getting used it's the airtime and in any case the sim is linked to a datashare so it can't use any data natively or the use airtime for data.

But as per @Tim Apple post the expiry date for low recharges is definitely what is causing my airtime to disappear, it’s been going on for a good year or so now, bastards.

 

[Tim Apple]

If I recall there is an option to block wasp services which I have done but I checked again and I don't have any services

It's not data getting used it's the airtime and in any case the sim is linked to a datashare so it can't use any data natively or the use airtime for data.

But as per @Tim Apple post that is definitely what is using my airtime, it’s been going on for a good year or so now, bastards.

I think it's as simple as your airtime is EXPIRING.

Prepaid airtime expiry is clearly a thing as stated on the MTN website. Nevertheless, as far as I am aware MTN is the only network where airtime will expire if not used within their stated time frame(s).
Vodacom, Cell C and Telkom do not have such expiry rules on airtime.

 

[airborne]

I think it's as simple as your airtime is EXPIRING.

Prepaid airtime expiry is clearly a thing as stated on the MTN website. Nevertheless, as far as I am aware MTN is the only network where airtime will expire if not used within their stated time frame(s).
Vodacom, Cell C and Telkom do not have such expiry rules on airtime.

Yes expiring I didn't use the correct terminology, I’ll fix my post now

 

[Voldemort]

I think it's as simple as your airtime is EXPIRING.

Prepaid airtime expiry is clearly a thing as stated on the MTN website. Nevertheless, as far as I am aware MTN is the only network where airtime will expire if not used within their stated time frame(s).
Vodacom, Cell C and Telkom do not have such expiry rules on airtime.

I'm not sure about Cell C, but Vodacom does..
Only difference is that Vodacom can extend the validity period by having you buy another bundle that's exactly the same, sneaky, but innovative..