Recharging your phone SIM late, for several months now, is not a good idea. Before spring 2019, all the major operators simply suspended the subscribed offer, pending recharge, if the credit was insufficient for renewal.
Now, however, for Vodafone, Tim and WindTre is no longer the case. As of April 15, 2019 Vodafone applies charges if you are late recharging. Tim does so from April 28, 2019, and Wind (later merged into WindTre) does so from June 2019. Today, therefore, millions of Italian phone users pay if at the time of the monthly renewal the SIM does not have enough credit. Although many are not familiar with the mechanism, despite the fact that the three operators have communicated it to individual users in various ways. In this panorama, then, there is the WindTre paradox: customers coming from Tre do not pay in case of delayed recharge, those coming from Wind do.
Delayed phone recharge: how much you pay with WindTre
Each operator moves a little bit as it prefers and, in the case of WindTre just mentioned, sometimes it also makes a difference between customer and customer. Former Wind customers with insufficient credit on the SIM are forced to pay 99 cents for the first day (from 00:00 to 23:59) until they recharge the SIM. If they continue not to recharge they pay another 99 cents, but this time for two days. During these three days the customer continues to take advantage of their offer and the money is subtracted from their credit immediately after the recharge. If the customer does not top up, however, he can only receive phone calls.
Delayed phone top-up: how much you pay with TIM
With TIM SIM cards, however, the costs in case of delayed top-up are charged only if the user actually makes calls or sends SMS. You pay 90 cents for the first 24 hours and another 90 cents for the next 24. After 48 hours, if the customer does not recharge, the SIM remains active only in reception. As soon as the customer recharges, however, he is charged the 90 or 1.80 euros depending on how many days the SIM has been used.
Delayed phone recharge: how much you pay with Vodafone
Also Vodafone allows you to make phone calls and SMS if the SIM does not have enough credit for the renewal of the offer. In this case the cost is 99 cents for the first day and another 99 cents for the second day. Then the SIM remains active only in reception until the recharge, at which time the 99 cents for one day or 1.98 euros for two days of delay will be subtracted.