Troubleshoot sending or receiving text messages on a Prepaid device

Troubleshoot issues with sending or receiving text messages when you have a Prepaid mobility account

Prepaid messaging 101

If you can't send or receive text messages on your Prepaid device, be sure you have:

An active messaging plan or add-on
An available balance to use messaging services

You can check the status of your Prepaid account:

Log in
to your account
Check your account balance. If you have a zero balance,
top-up your account
If you do not have a plan or add-on with messaging, you are billed pay-per-use charges for all outgoing and incoming messages
If the outgoing component of your messaging add-on is depleted, you are billed for each outgoing message, but continue to receive unlimited incoming messages

Check current rates for available plans
 and add-ons
.

Avoid pay-per-use charges

Set up auto-renew from credit card to ensure you are only charged for your rate plan every 30 or 365 days.

Stacking add-ons

You can purchase multiple add-ons at the same time. They create a line-up allowing for immediate use of the next when the current one expires or depletes. The 30-day service period starts when the add-on comes into effect, not when it was purchased.

Stacking rate plans

You can purchase multiple rate plans at the same time. Note they must be different rate plans. Each is valid for 30 days or 365 days (depending on the rate plan) and the next will only come into effect when the previous one expires. This creates a line-up allowing immediate use from the next rate plan when the first expires or depletes.

If the first rate plan runs out before its 30-day expiry date, the second rate plan takes effect immediately, and the expiry date is 30 days from that moment.

Combining

To increase a talk, text or data allotment, you can combine rate plans and add-ons. Each will expire based on the date it was purchased, not when it takes effect.

So if the rate plan allotment runs out before it expires, the add-on will take effect immediately, but the add-on will have the same expiry date from when it was purchased.

How to send

Visit our Get to know your device
 section to learn how to send messages and change message settings on our most popular phones.

To send an international text message enter the following in the ‘To’ field: "+" then the country code, then the region code, then the mobile phone number. Find a list of country codes
 (The + symbol can be obtained on most devices by pressing and holding 0 for a few seconds.)