Prepaid Mobile Switzerland Expiry Periods
Telecom

Prepaid Mobile: Inactivity and Expiry Periods Explained

November 1, 2024 - Ralf Beyeler

Get informed about the expiry periods for prepaid mobile credits and inactive SIM cards used by Swiss mobile service providers in this guide.

Many prepaid mobile users are not aware of the fact that prepaid SIM cards are deactivated when they are not used for a long period of time. The balances of prepaid mobile accounts may also expire.

How do Swiss prepaid mobile providers define activity?

Most Swiss mobile service providers deactivate prepaid accounts if their users do not make use of prepaid services for one year.

Different mobile service providers define inactivity differently. The table below clearly shows what activities count towards keeping your prepaid mobile SIM card active (Yes), and which ones do not (No).

Mobile service Outgoing
call or SMS
Incoming
call or SMS
Mobile
data
Prepaid
top-up
Bundle
purchase
Aldi Suisse Mobile Yes No Yes No No
Coop Mobile Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Lebara Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Lidl Connect Yes Yes (calls only) Yes Yes Yes
M-Budget Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Post Mobile Yes Yes (calls only) Yes Yes Yes
Salt Yes Yes (calls only) Yes Yes Yes
Sunrise Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Swisscom Yes No Yes No Yes
Talktalk Yes Yes No No No
Wingo Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Yallo Yes No Yes Yes Yes

 

Mucho uses a different system: Users can only receive phone calls and SMS messages if they have at least 1 franc of Mucho credit in their prepaid account. Your number is reactivated if you top up your prepaid credits within 60 days. It is worth noting that Mucho charges a 2-franc inactivity fee every month in which you do not use its services.

When are prepaid SIM cards deactivated and when do prepaid mobile credits expire?

Most mobile service providers only freeze inactive prepaid accounts initially. You get a grace period during which you can request to have your SIM reactivated and your prepaid account balance restored.

The table below lists the inactivity periods after which your SIM will be put on hold. It also lists the inactivity periods after which prepaid mobile credits expire.

 

Mobile service SIM card expiry Prepaid credits expiry
Aldi Suisse Mobile 12 months 18 months
Coop Mobile 12 months 12 months
Lebara 7 months 12 months
Lidl Connect 435 days 435 days
M-Budget Mobile 12 months 12 months
Mucho Mobile 60 days 360 days
Post Mobile 435 days 435 days
Salt 435 days 435 days
Sunrise 18 months (547 days) 18 months (547 days)
Swisscom 12 months 12 months
Talktalk 4 months 4 months
Wingo 12 months 12 months
Yallo 12 months 18 months

 

Do I need to worry about expiry periods?

Inactivity rules for prepaid mobile can pose a problem if:

  • You travel outside of Switzerland for extended periods of time and do not use your Swiss SIM card during your stays abroad.
  • You primarily use your phone to receive phone calls, but scarcely make calls yourself. This could be the case, for example, if you have a secondary mobile phone which you use in place of a home phone.
  • You live outside of Switzerland and only travel to Switzerland and use your Swiss prepaid number occasionally.
  • You have a prepaid SIM which you only occasionally use for a mobile hotspot.

 

More on this topic:
Compare Swiss prepaid mobile offers and mobile plans now
Guide to topping-up Swiss prepaid mobile accounts
Swiss prepaid mobile questions and answers

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Expert Ralf Beyeler
Ralf Beyeler is the telecom expert at moneyland.ch and also covers other areas of personal finance.
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