Short answer: Telstra places the service in a six-month recharge-only period after the recharge expiry date. Recharge during that period or Telstra disconnects the service and reallocates the number.
Open the SIM expiry calculator for a sourced deadline
The service moves through two stages
| Stage | What works |
|---|---|
| Network-access period | Features included with the active recharge |
| Six-month recharge-only period | Emergency calls and access needed to recharge through My Telstra or Telstra's recharge page |
| No recharge by the end | Disconnection and number reallocation |
The recharge-only period is not six months of normal service. Telstra's current terms say other features stop when this period begins.
What resets the deadline?
Recharge the Telstra Pre-Paid service before the recharge-only period ends. The generic advice found in older carrier articles about making a paid call or sending a text does not apply here: those actions are unavailable during recharge-only status and are not what Telstra's clause requires.
After the transaction, open My Telstra and confirm the new recharge expiry date. Use that account date for the next reminder.
Can a disconnected number come back?
The terms say Telstra disconnects the service and reallocates the number if you do not recharge during the six-month period. They do not promise a recovery window. If the number receives security codes, treat the end of recharge-only status as a hard deadline.
Compare Australian and other carrier policies, read what number recycling means, or return to the Australia carrier section.
Start the countdown from recharge expiry
KeepSim can warn you during Telstra's recharge-only period. It cannot recharge the service or stop Telstra reallocating an expired number.
Get KeepSim on the App StoreOfficial source
- Telstra Pre-Paid Mobile Service Terms, clauses 2.5–2.7, terms updated 18 December 2025 and reviewed here 2026-08-01.
- 2026-08-01: removed the generic “any paid action” advice and tied the deadline to recharge expiry.
KeepSim is not affiliated with Telstra. Check your Critical Information Summary and My Telstra for the date that applies to your service.