China's telecom companies have promised the expiry date listed on prepaid phone cards will be cancelled, Beijing News reports.

Dong Qing, deputy director of Beijing Consumers' Association says telecom companies have kept their promise and prepaid phone cards issued this year will no longer have expiry dates. 

The current prepaid phone cards have different expiry dates depending on their value. The 50 yuan ($7.93) cards expire in 90 days and the 500 yuan cards expire in 540 days, according to chinanews.com.

Telecom companies had refused to return the balance if the card had expired. Opponents have long argued this violates labor laws, and harms the rights and interests of consumers.