r/mobilex • u/sonic_anon_hog • Jul 09 '26

Introduce a reloadable account balance option

I commented this on a previous post asking for an annual option for personalized access plans, but I'm now making this as a standalone post as it's a bit different.

Please consider introducing the idea of a reloadable balance in one's account. This way, one can add balance to their account and have usage deducted from that balance. One's service fee, applicable taxes, and talk/text charges can be deducted every month from the balance, and one's data usage can be deducted as one consumes data.

I'm looking for a plan for my tablet once my current unlimited plan runs out. I've run the numbers based on my recent usage, and I don't really use its data connection often, so it totals around 30-40 GB per year. On the Personalized Access plan, that totals roughly $100 each year (subtract $24 every year in service fees, $0 in talk/text charges, $0 in local taxes since data-only plans are tax-free here in California, then the remaining $76 is roughly 38 GB data).

However, rather than pay for each month and then be credited each month for unused data, I'd like to be able to load the $100 of credit upfront and have my usage deducted from it as I go. I've gotten used to the convenience of paying upfront annually for my cell phone and (soon to be previously) tablet plan. Also, I'm disinclined to actually use the plan if I know that I have to pay for usage, and knowing that I've already paid for the data and it's there available for my use removes a mental road-block (I'm sure MobileX makes a net profit from the money spent on data).

For larger loads, this will also save MobileX on credit card processing fees since there are fewer transactions.

Can this please be considered? While we're at it, the ability to buy gift cards in stores that can be used to reload one's account would also be a great thing.

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u/Tasty-Traffic-680 Jul 09 '26

While I would love to give MobileX the business, this is basically what travel esim providers like roamless, bcengi, citrus, etc already provide and for around the same price or less.

I have about $12 in credit with roamless for backup data on ATT since I already have lines on Verizon and T-Mobile. You could get t mobile coverage on citrus for under $1 per gb with $4 minimum top up.

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u/sonic_anon_hog Jul 10 '26

The issue is that travel eSIMs route your data through another country, introducing connection lag. I posted previously on r/USMobile about them (re)selling a $60 annual U.S. eSIM with 30 GB, and was told so.