Aik dafa maine Rs. 100 ka load dala, phone side par rakh diya, aur teen din baad balance taqreeban aadha ho chuka tha. Koi call nahi ki, koi package nahi lagaya — bas balance ghayab. Agar aap ke saath bhi ye ho chuka hai, to 90% chance hai ke koi na koi unwanted subscription aap ke number par chal rahi hai. Caller tunes, joke alerts, “premium” news updates — ye cheezein activate hona aasaan hai, band hona mushkil. Chaliye dhoondte hain aur band karte hain, step by step.
First, confirm it’s actually a subscription
Before you go hunting, make sure the balance drop is really coming from a subscription and not something else. The simplest test: note your balance right after loading credit, then leave the phone alone for a day or two — no calls, no data. Agar balance apne aap kam ho raha hai, something is subscribed in the background. Also check your remaining MBs first, because sometimes an expired package is the real culprit and subscriptions are not to blame at all.
Method 1: Stop them in the My Telenor App
This is the easiest route and the one I recommend first.
- Open the My Telenor App and log in with your number. Getting logged out again and again? Here is a working fix for My Telenor App login problems that usually sorts it out.
- Tap the menu and look for “Subscriptions” or “Active Services” — exact wording changes with app updates, but it is always near your account or profile section.
- You will see a list of everything running on your number: caller tunes, info alerts, data add-ons, the whole list.
- Open each one you did not sign up for and tap Unsubscribe or Deactivate. Wait for the confirmation SMS before moving on — kabhi kabhi it takes a minute or two.
- Come back tomorrow and check the list again. If something refuses to die, Method 2 is your backup.
Method 2: Dial the PTA’s subscription-check code
Most people do not know this, but the PTA directed all Pakistani mobile companies to give users a simple way to see their active subscriptions. On Telenor, dial *4444# and a menu pops up showing the value-added services running on your number, with the option to deactivate them right there. It is free, takes about a minute, and honestly worth doing even if you think your number is clean.
Method 3: Unsubscribe the usual suspects one by one
Agar aap jaanna chahte hain ke sab se zyada kaun si services paisay khaati hain — ye rahi the usual gang:
- Smart Tune (caller tune): This is the number-one balance eater. Jab callers ko music sunai deta hai instead of a ring, you are paying for it. The commonly used unsub method is texting “USUB” to 5230 — if that does not work, deactivate it from the My Telenor App’s subscriptions section.
- Info and entertainment SMS: joke alerts, news headlines, weather updates. These always send a confirmation SMS when they activate — do not delete it. It usually carries the stop command (often something like “UNSUB”), or just kill it in the app.
- Auto-renewing data add-ons: weekly social packs and similar add-ons can renew quietly. Check the subscriptions section in the app and turn off auto-renewal.
Golden rule: agar kabhi koi SMS aaye jo kehta hai “SUB likh kar bhejein”, do not do it — not even by accident. One wrong reply is all it takes.
Method 4: Call the helpline and make them do it
If a service just will not die, call the Telenor helpline at 345 and ask the agent to: (1) read out every active subscription on your number, (2) deactivate anything you did not ask for, and (3) confirm nothing is on auto-renewal. Ek aur tip: ask for a complaint or reference number. It keeps things honest, and if the charge shows up again, you have proof.
How to stop it from happening again
- Never reply to “SUB” or “YES” activation messages, and do not dial short codes from random forwarded messages.
- Check your subscriptions once a month — *4444# takes one minute. Set a reminder.
- Keep the My Telenor App installed even if you rarely open it; it is the only place that shows everything in one screen.
- Warn the older folks in your family — unknown subscriptions land on their numbers most often.
That is the whole playbook. Balance disappearing into thin air is almost never bad luck — it is a subscription, and now you know where to look.
And once your balance is safe, put your number to good use instead — there is a daily quiz right here on this site where you can win free MBs; start with today’s Telenor quiz. Free beats accidental any day.
