Tracfone 1-Year Prepaid Smartphone Plan w/ 1200 Min, 1200 Txt & 3GB Data Expired

Instructions from @wordage:

I can confirm what @dreamwarrior and @duluthgeek have been saying. I have an existing unlocked smartphone that I was using via Tracfone's BYOP program. It was using a TF AT&T SIM. I am pretty sure any other TF SIM (i.e. Verizon or T-Mobile) would work, too, but the transfer process may take a little longer (see step 7 below). Anyway, I received an AT&T-only SIM (no separate one year card) from Grand Prairie, TX today, and here are the steps I followed to transfer from my preexisting TF AT&T SIM, and maintain all the existing data/minutes/texts, while adding one year of service plus 3GB data + 1200 minutes + 1200 texts that are associated with this new TF AT&T SIM.

1.) go to Tracfone website (https://www.tracfone.com/) and log into your account; my existing TF BYOP AT&T SIM was listed there--well, the phone number was, not the SIM number; if your existing BYOP SIM is not already listed there, set it up
2.) click the "Activate" tab towards the top of the page
3.) choose the "I'M BRINGING MY OWN SMARTPHONE" option, and then choose "YES" for the "ACCEPT TERMS AND CONDITIONS" popup that appears
4.) at the "Do you have a Tracfone SIM card?", choose the "YES, I ALREADY HAVE ONE" option, and enter the full number of your new SIM starting with 89014, then click the "CONTINUE" button
5.) at the "Do you want to keep your current phone number?" screen, choose the "YES" option
6.) at the "SELECT THE NUMBER YOU WANT TO KEEP" popup, select the telephone number of your phone of interest (see step 1 above), and then hit the "CONTINUE" button
7.) you'll end up at a "Phone Upgrade Request Submitted" screen that gives instructions about waiting for your existing SIM to deactivate, then shutting down the phone, putting in the new SIM, and starting up again; hit the "CONTINUE" button to proceed
8.) you'll end up at a "SUCCESS!" screen, woo-hoo, you have completed the process!

At that point, I shut down the phone, pulled the old SIM, inserted the new SIM, and woo-hoo, everything worked. Indeed, when I checked my balances for that phone on the Tracfone website, they had been immediately updated--I did not even have to wait 15 minutes.

I note that since I was already using a TF AT&T SIM, the transfer process was essentially instantaneous (even though the messages on the screen in step 7 above suggested it could take up to two business days). If I had been using a Verizon or T-Mobile SIM, I suspect the transfer might have taken longer.

Anyway, in the long run, if you have an existing Tracfone, and simply want to add a year of service + 3GB data + 1200 minutes + 1200 texts, this is a great deal for $40 + tax. And do not be worried about not getting a separate one year card!

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BUYER BEWARE! Fraud ALERT Tracfone is sending out SIMs that are not pre-loaded with plans/airtime. You might as well throw $40 out the window. Good luck getting a refund.

see posts on this deal thread and see recent negative seller reviews: https://www.ebay.com/fdbk/feedbac...:ONE_MONTH

I too received empty SIM not pre-loaded and no airtime card/PIN was received. Tracfone customer service is useless and just demanded I buy airtime with a credit card and would not listen that I bought a plan and not just an empty SIM.

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