We have been using Pay-as-You-Go since Jan 2014 with a Tailgator antenna and a VIP211k receiver.
If you can remember the two words suspend and activate, you can stop and start your service at your convenience.
When you don't need the service you call and suspend. This holds your credit balance of the prorated unused days.
When you want the service again, you call and activate. At that time you will top-up your account so that your credit balance represents one month's service. We don't auto pay but we call each month to pay.
HTH;
John