Where did my pre pay money go?

Section 4.

https://www.att.com/legal/terms.prepaidPlanTerms.html

 $100 holds the number but you have to change to a pay per use $2 or 25 cent plan.  Other wise the plan gets used up.  

So when you leave, change plan to $2/25 cents, then refill with $100.  It will be available with same number and SIM card when you return.

On the pay per use plans $25 to $99 refill lasts 90 days.  Which means your balance is gone in 90 days. That would have been in February.   If you didn't refill in February, your number and account are gone in 60 days.  

 If you refill with $100, it lasts 365 days and would be available for use when you come back, and switch to the $45 plan again.

Look like your number and account will gone very soon ,

if no more refill for the next few days!!

Unfortunately, whoever told you the $45 refill would hold your account was wrong. As noted above, a $45 refill expires in 90 days. As long as you are able to log into your account, that means it is still active and you can refill to keep it active. However, if you wait much longer, you account will be closed and your number gone. You have 60 days from when that email said your account expired. If the account balance is $0 for more than 60 days, the account is closed and the number is gone.

Thanks for that.

Thank god I checked so saved the number just in time.  (It's such a pain having to keep advising a change of number each trip especially when it's trending towards twice a year visits.)

I searched the AT&T website and could not find the "rules" beyond basic plan info and could not find anything.

Footnote:

Its weird that AT&T staff don't know their stuff.... in 2015 I was told that $100 would hold my number for a year but that did not work.  So in 2016 I started with a new number and new (wrong) advice again. 

Thanks.

It seems when I paid the $45 I paid $20 too much as $25 would have held it the same time.

By the looks of section 4 if I visit twice a year it may be better to make two $25 payments between visits as it looks like I'd loose the rest of the $100 when I switch from $25c back to a $45 plan in November.

Quote" and any unused services of your plan are forfeited if you change to another rate plan during your plan's period"

With the 60 day grace period to hold it for a year would be 3x $25 payments and part use of the 3 grace periods.  (I bet the rules will change shortly once AT&T staffers read this.)

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@ZL2FAE wrote:

Thanks.

 

It seems when I paid the $45 I paid $20 too much as $25 would have held it the same time.

 

By the looks of section 4 if I visit twice a year it may be better to make two $25 payments between visits as it looks like I'd loose the rest of the $100 when I switch from $25c back to a $45 plan in November.You 

Quote" and any unused services of your plan are forfeited if you change to another rate plan during your plan's period"

 

With the 60 day grace period to hold it for a year would be 3x $25 payments and part use of the 3 grace periods.  (I bet the rules will change shortly once AT&T staffers read this.)

 

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That does not mean money on your account is forfeited. "Unused services" means any remaining days left in your plan and that is specific to 30 day plans as the daily use plans don't have a set number of days. The expiration date of any account balance will remain the same which means you can continue it to use it to pay for whatever plan you change to until it expires. 

I am in same circumstances and did exactly as suggested by AT&T, three months later they closed my account, disconnected my phone and gave away the number.