A non-volatile memory chip package is prepared for surface mounting to a substrate in a solder reflow process by programming erased blocks to higher threshold voltage levels, to improve data retention for blocks which are preloaded with content, such as by an electronic device manufacturer. Following the surface mounting, the previously-erased blocks are returned to the erased state. The threshold voltage of storage elements of the preloaded blocks can change during the surface mounting process due to a global charge effect phenomenon. The effect is most prominent for higher state storage elements which are surrounded by erased blocks, in a chip for which the wafer backside was thinned and polished. The erased blocks can be programmed using a single program pulse without performing a verify operation, as a wide threshold voltage distribution is acceptable.