Auto Top Up vs Actual Cost of Monthly Service

[xd]

Hi...I just joined Lucky today, and one thing I'm struggling to understand is the auto top up system. When I set it up, the text beneath the button says: "We will automatically charge your credit card, Visa Debit or bank account every month to cover your Plan and Add-Ons."

But it seems that my only option is to add preset amounts of funds, in $5 increments, to automatically drop into my account so it remains active. And I believe I have to choose the higher increment so that taxes are covered (so for my $25 plan I need to choose a $30 top up or else my plan will be disabled). Is this really how it works?

Is there a way to have the exact amount of my service plus tax simply charged to my credit card?

The way it seems to work (unless I've missed something, which is why I'm asking here) means that every month I'll have a little extra money transferred into my Lucky account and effectively locked away since the terms say amounts are non-refundable. I really hope this isn't the case.

Thanks for your help!

[LuckyMalek · Accepted solution]

Hey there, you should pick the Monthly Top-Up

With this option we will automatically charge your credit card, Visa Debit or bank account every month with enough funds to cover your Total Monthly Charge (Plan + Add-Ons), prior to your Monthly Charge Date.

If you forget to change your Monthly Top-Up settings when you change your Plan and Add-Ons, we will automatically change your Top-Up amount to match your new Total Monthly Charge for you. This way, you never need to worry about losing your service.

[RunUnicornRun · Accepted solution]

For your $25/month plan, you need to select top-up of $25 automatically. This will 1) not include the sales tax, and 2) include the sales tax. Lucky Mobile's transaction history is a a bit of a mess. So, in your example: when you select a top-up of $25, Lucky Mobile will actually charge $25 + tax on your credit card. In your online account you will never see the top-up of $25+tax - but only $25, although your credit card is charged $25+tax. Wish their help files were more clear on this topic.

[Boski]

I was on auto top-up your the $25 dollar plan but what was charged to my credit card was $28+ is this normal? Is it taxes I thought $25 amount already had taxes included 

[Old_Muskrat]

If my plan is $15/month, and I pay $15/month using Automatic Top Up, why is there ever a balance? Currently my account shows a "balance" of $5. What does that mean?

[emma]

I just active my SIM card and chose the $35 plan on line, and paid the $35 by credit card,but why I receive the credit card bill for $39.55?

[anh2lam]

auto top is bad idea cause if you  are like me and ported over for boxing day promo $25 ( $55-$30 credit) billing dept said their system is so bad that it cannot recognize net cost for consumer is $25 so the auto pay if it has your credit card or debit it will withdrawal $55+tax each month so negative thing when you cancel auto pay you will loose bonus 2Gb. However i got a text and my wife, not two kids nor my received text promo top up 100 get $50 bonus. so we did that now that amt should last us more than  a year. cause with referral bonus her plan is now $15/month for next 9 months, while mine is $20/month for next 9 months. if you leave auto update one your  will basically build up balance $30 extra per month since system does not see credit of $30. not happy at all.

[Veekee]

I set up my credit card for Automatic top-up of $30 each month. I was rather debited $34.50 today on my card and the payment history shows a payment of $30. Please how can I get my $4.50 back and prevent this from reoccurring?

[MK4753]

Hey Veekee,

The $4.50 is not an extra amount but its the tax, so your plan is $30 and with a 15% tax (Decided by the province you live in), makes the total amount $34.50 charged to your card. Even if you manually do a top up, the charge amount will be the same i.e., $30 plus 15% tax.

[stevhorn]

I just activated the other day and I'm a little confused regarding Payment or Top Up as it known here. I subscribed to the $29 - 25GB plan (20GB + 5GB bonus). I'm confused about how the HST is charged. Is it charged on the plan cost ($29) or is it charged on the Top Up ($30 + $3.90 HST)? In other words, should I select an auto Top Up of $30 or $35 to cover the HST?

[Jake]

Hey stevhorn, I just activated with the same plan and I'm just as confused as you are as to how Lucky's system works. I have no issues with Lucky other than this. No one seems to be able to explain it clearly. So I'm going to do a $30 manual top up before my next billing date (April 7) and see if my credit card is charged $30 or $33.90. If charged $33.90 then I'm covered for my monthly cost of $32.77. If they only charge $30.00 I'll have to do another manual top up of $5.00 to cover the account. I can't believe Lucky does not have a way to just charge your card exactly what is owing on your account rather than only in $5.00 increments.. I guess it's a way to take a little more away from you each month. And of course top ups are nonrefundable as per their terms of use. A little sneaky and underhanded if you ask me..... 

[PinkFloyd]

Is there any reason why we can't choose the specif dollar amount that matches the plan we are subscribed to? My plan is the $29 plan and I would rather be charged $32.77 instead of $33.90. I know there was $1 in my balance given back, but it would be nice to have it a little more straight forward.

[Fretbuzz Lightyear]

I recently signed up for the $29/mo 20 GB Plan, which will activate later this month. I went to set up auto top-up to take advantage of the 5 GB auto top-up promo and ensure there were funds for the charge date and was dismayed to find that you can still only select top-up denominations in $5 increments, making the closest denomination $30 for the $29/mo plan. If I select this on auto top-up, it will result in an extra $1+tax being charged to my credit card and an extra $1 accumulating on my account balance each month, never to be used, though I'm sure Bell will love the extra money.

In light of the new plans which aren't multiples of $5, the top-up system needs an overhaul.

Topping up regularly should present the user with three options: 1) the cost of their plan and add-ons less any existing balance, 2) the cost of their plan and add-ons, and 3) a text box allowing the entry of an arbitrary dollar amount.

Auto top-up needs only two options: 1) the cost of their plan and add-ons less any existing balance, and 2) the cost of their plan and add-ons, plus an arbitrary extra amount for any extras the user might want to add during the month, less any existing balance. This change would allow the use of auto top-up to take advantage of promos while preventing credit balances from sitting on an account forever or, worse, accruing.

Do away with the $5 denominations altogether.

While you're at it, make it clearer during top-up and in the transaction history that the user is being charged tax in addition to the any top-up amount.

Please and thank you.

[Jake]

If there is a way to do it I haven't found it. That would make total sense. Automatically charge my card for what is owing. Not a penny more, not a penny less. I just signed up so I don't know how it works yet. Once I go through the first billing cycle (April 7 for me) then I will know. If it turns out that manually topping up by selecting the $30 option results in a $33.90 charge that will be a $1.13 overpayment. 4 months of over payment will be $4.52 in my account. The 5'th month I will top up with the $25 selection. $25.00 plus tax is $28.25. $28.25 plus my balance of $4.52 is $32.77 leaving a balance of 0. A pain in the backside but by monitoring your account and making adjustments as you go it will prevent your balance from growing which seems to be a common complaint from what I've been reading in reviews of Lucky Mobile.

[PinkFloyd]

@LuckyMalekWhen I signed up on March 7, I mistakenly choose "Top up now" and added $30 when I wanted to set my monthly auto top up to that amount. I now have $31 of balance. I amusing that come April 7 this will be used and not my monthly auto top up of $30. Sorry if I'm asking a dumb question, but I'm new and trying to understand this auto top feature that you have.

Thanks.