Auto-Disable is a Simbase function that automatically disables a SIM at the end of the calendar month, before the next month's bundle fee kicks in. It exists for one specific scenario: high-usage Green profile SIMs, where bundle fees are substantial and unintentional rollover into a new month is expensive. It's not available on other profiles, and it's not the right tool for cost control based on usage. For that, see Usage Limits.
When to use Auto-Disable
| Scenario | Tool |
|---|---|
You don't want your High Data Subscription to renew | Auto-Disable |
Want to cap data usage on any SIM | |
Want to disable on demand for any reason | |
Need a custom check (any profile, custom interval) |
You don't want your High Data Subscription to renew
Want to cap data usage on any SIM
Want to disable on demand for any reason
Need a custom check (any profile, custom interval)
How it works
When Auto-Disable is enabled on a Green SIM:
The SIM is automatically disabled between 21:00 and 00:00 UTC on the last day of the calendar month
This means service may stop up to 3 hours before midnight UTC on the last day
The SIM stays disabled into the new month until you manually re-enable it
Re-enabling clears Auto-Disable. Turn it back on if you want the same behaviour next month
The trigger is purely time-based. Auto-Disable does not fire when the data bundle is used up. Usage-based triggering is what Usage Limits does.
Why the 3-hour window
The "between 21:00 and 00:00 UTC" window exists for two reasons:
Operational safety. Disabling thousands of Auto-Disable-enabled SIMs at the exact same second would be a thundering-herd event
Failure recovery margin. If the first attempt to disable doesn't succeed (network error, race condition), the window allows for retries before midnight UTC
Plan for the SIM to be disabled by 21:00 UTC on the last day. If the device needs to stay online past then, Auto-Disable isn't the right tool. Disable the SIM manually when it suits you.
Requirements
The SIM must be a Green profile (high-usage). The toggle isn't visible for other profiles
The SIM must currently be Enabled to turn Auto-Disable on. If the SIM is Disabled, enable it first to see the Auto-Disable toggle
Enable Auto-Disable
Sign in to dashboard.simbase.com
Open the Green SIM you want to configure
Confirm the SIM is Enabled
Toggle Auto-Disable on
Save
That's it. The SIM is now scheduled to auto-disable at the end of the current calendar month.
Disable Auto-Disable
Two ways:
Toggle Auto-Disable off on the SIM detail page. The SIM stays Enabled and won't auto-disable
Manually disable the SIM. This clears the Auto-Disable setting automatically. If you later re-enable the SIM and want Auto-Disable behaviour back, you have to turn it on again
Example: enabling a SIM mid-month
You enable a Green profile SIM on June 16, mid-month. The system charges the bundle proportionally:
Monthly bundle: 10 GB for $10 (illustrative, check your own plan rate)
Days remaining in June: 15
15 days / 30-day month = 50%
You receive 5 GB and $5 is deducted from your balance
If you also enable Auto-Disable:
On June 30 between 21:00 and 00:00 UTC, the SIM is automatically disabled
You don't get charged for July's bundle (you'd otherwise be charged the full bundle fee on July 1)
If you wanted the SIM to run for July as well, you'd re-enable it manually some time on July 1 (and re-enable Auto-Disable for the end of July if you want the same behaviour)
Best practices
Enable Auto-Disable early in the month if you've decided this should be the last month for that SIM. Don't wait until the 30th. If you forget, you've rolled over
Remember that manual disable clears Auto-Disable. If you toggle the SIM off mid-month and back on, Auto-Disable is no longer set
Set a calendar reminder to re-enable the SIM and Auto-Disable on the 1st of the new month if your fleet needs continuous monthly operation with end-of-month protection
Auto-Disable vs Usage Limits
| Behaviour | Auto-Disable | Usage Limits |
|---|---|---|
Trigger | End of calendar month, time-based | Usage cap exceeded, CDR-based |
Profile | Green only | All profiles |
Auto-resume | No, manual | Optional monthly auto-reset |
Use case | Prevent monthly bundle rollover | Cap any SIM's data/SMS use |
Trigger
Profile
Auto-resume
Use case
They can be used together on a Green SIM. Usage Limits would disable if usage exceeds the cap mid-month; Auto-Disable would disable at month-end if Usage Limits hadn't already fired.
Common questions
Because it's not a Green profile. The feature is specific to Green profile (high-usage) SIMs. For other profiles, use Usage Limits or manual disable.
No. Green SIMs are billed as a monthly prepaid subscription, so the daily enabled-SIM fee that applies to other profiles doesn't apply here. There's nothing to prorate day by day, the subscription is the only charge, and the exact hour the SIM is disabled doesn't change it.
Yes, in full. The Green subscription is charged for the month the SIM is enabled, pro rata if you enabled it mid-month, as in the example above, and disabling near the end of that month doesn't reduce or refund it. Auto-Disable prevents the next month's charge, not the current one, so being switched off up to three hours before midnight UTC makes no difference to what you pay.
Auto-Disable is purely calendar-based. For a usage trigger, use Usage Limits, which disables a SIM when its data or SMS cap is exceeded. The two can run together on a Green SIM.
Related
Usage Limits, usage-triggered disable
SIM state, manual enable/disable
Usage Guard Toolkit, custom external check
SIM Profiles, what makes Green different
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