In Nigeria, internet access is impossible without a data connection and telcos provide this service at a cost. This cost called subscription allows customers to have internet access,usually the customer buys a given volume of data that will last over a time period at a given rate. The customer enjoys this subscription all through that period without interruption and by default the subscription is often renewed automatically.
The autorenewal feature is a feature that allows a customer to automatically renew or buy another data bundle once the present one expires or is exhausted. The cost of the autorenewal is deducted from the customer’s airtime balance once the data expires or is exhausted. It has some advantages such as extra bonus data in addition to the purchased data volume and also extra days to enjoy the purchased data volume (E.g If my sub is supposed to expire April 9 but because i autorenewed the sub, i may get extra 3 or 5 days more). However this feature is not always convenient and can be quite annoying.
Imagine a scenario where you recharged your line in order to make some calls and before you could say Howdy your airtime has vamoosed, just because you forgot to stop the autorenewal signal which most telcos have set up on SIM cards by default.
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How The Autorenewal Works
About 24-48 hours before your data is exhausted or expires, you will receive a text informing you of the date the data will expire and also that your subscription will be renewed. This message also often comes with the code to stop the auto renewal but for some reasons most people don’t get this last part. Now you can either wait for your data to expire in which case your subscription will be automatically renewed if you have enough airtime in your balance to do it or the autorenew will be cancelled if you prefer to stop it or if you do not have enough in your balance for the subscription.
How To Disable This Feature On Different Networks
- Airtel – Text STOPAUTORENEW to 440 or text DEACTIVATE to 440 if you use a BlackBerry.
– Text stop to 140
- Glo- Text cancel to 127
- MTN- Text Cancel to 131 or send NO+ Code for data volume to 131.Example if your last subscribers was #100/ day, to prevent it from being renewed automatically send No104( 104 being the code for that data bundle) to 131. You can also send STOP DATA to 131.
– Dial *447# or dial *123*5*1# then follow the onscreen commands
- 9Mobile- Dial *229*0#
– Text STOP to 229.
- Spectranet- No need to send any code or text, you simply stop buying the data bundle since it is a preferred service.