If new to Tracfone:
- Setup a phone then turn off. (You can also do this step after activation.) You don't need to remove the pre-inserted SIM. Phone will not be activated automatically.
- Go to Tracfone website and click 'Activate'.
- Click 'Activate' under 'New Phone (One you've purchased through Tracfone)'.
- Select 'I want a new number' and enter your ZIP code. (or Keep your number and enter port information if you want to port your current phone # to Tracfone.)
- Select 'I want to use the physical SIM card' and continue.
- Enter IMEI of your phone, agree to the terms and continue.
- Activation Request Submitted. Click 'Continue' then the 'Create Account' tab to create a new account.
- Turn on your phone. If you already setup your phone, you should receive welcome text with your phone number. (optional) You can text UNLOCK to 611611 (sometimes twice) to check unlock date.
- Wait a day or two, then follow the DIY Guide [reddit.com] to activate the 2nd phone, which will have 3000 TTD and 2 years of service.
- (Optional) If you want to use an unlocked phone, buy a $1 TF BYOD SIM (TF/Verizon) and follow the DIY Guide to transfer everything over. Tracfone supports eSIM for some phone models.
Do NOT swap SIMs. Tracfone phone IMEI and SIM ICCID are paired. Inserting the SIM that came with the phone in a different one may impact the service/unlock eligibility.
Join the Rewards Program within 14 days of creating an account (Recommend using the TF app to join because previous problem with joining the program on the website. If you have a flip phone, you can't use TF app, so join the Rewards Program right after you created an account on PC, or use TF app on a tablet/different phone to join.).
- Download the Tracfone My Account app and log in with your email and password.
- Click down arrow on top right of 'Join Rewards' green bar, then 'Learn More'. Click 'Join Now' under 'I agree with the Terms of Use' to join Rewards. (A message "Success: You have successfully joined Tracfone Rewards" appears, click OK.) Click My Rewards. An intro video "Welcome to Tracfone Rewards" will play. After the video is done playing, click 'X' to close the video and you should see a box (Referred by a Friend? Enter their unique code here) to enter a referral code (box also shows in the Rewards home page).
On a PC, go to https://www.tracfone.co
To create account with an existing line (after being removed from account):
Start browser and check ZIP code: Near top of the screen, there is a default ZIP. If it's not your ZIP, click on it to change to your ZIP.
Click My Account, enter only the phone # (not Email, IMEI, Serial or SIM #), then the 6-digit verification code sent to the phone. After verification, enter a new email not associated with any Tracfone accounts, then a password to create a new account. Close browser and follow the steps 1 and 2 in 'Join the Rewards Program'.
Port out: You will need information below to port out your phone # from Tracfone:
1. Phone number apparently.
2. Account number. This is either the IMEI or the last 15 digits of SIM #. You can text FOUR to 611611 and see if the 4-digit number matches the last four of IMEI or SIM. If you have changed phones, and the 4-digit number doesn't match IMEI or SIM, consider this approach [reddit.com] to find your account number.
3. ZIP Code. The ZIP code you used to setup your account or line. It could also be the ZIP where TF headquarter is located (33178). You can login to your account to check (Manage Lines, Select Line, then click Device. The Details will display Zip Code.)
4. Port-Out PIN. Text NTP to 611611 to get the PIN (it's not your account PIN.)
If you need to contact Tracfone Porting Department, the number is 1-800-327-2077.
Note: Tracfone Terms and Conditions [tracfone.com]:
Tracfone reserves the right to deactivate any phone for which there is no voice, text or data usage for a period of six (6) consecutive months for smartphones and twelve (12) consecutive months for other phones. If your Service is deactivated, your Service can be reactivated by purchasing and adding an Airtime Card. Once reactivated, your phone may be assigned a new phone number. Airtime which remained unused at the time of deactivation will still be available if Service is reactivated within sixty (60) days from the deactivation date, otherwise any unused airtime will be lost.
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If new to Tracfone:
Setup a phone then turn off. (You can also do this step after activation.) You don't need to remove the pre-inserted SIM. Phone will not be activated automatically.
Go to Tracfone website and click 'Activate'.
Click 'Activate' under 'New Phone (One you've purchased through Tracfone)'.
Select 'I want a new number' and enter your ZIP code. (or Keep your number and enter port information if you want to port your current phone # to Tracfone.)
Select 'I want to use the physical SIM card' and continue.
Enter IMEI of your phone, agree to the terms and continue.
Activation Request Submitted. Click 'Continue' then the 'Create Account' tab to create a new account.
Turn on your phone. If you already setup your phone, you should receive welcome text with your phone number. (optional) You can text UNLOCK to 611611 (sometimes twice) to check unlock date.
Wait a day or two, then follow the DIY Guide [reddit.com] to activate the 2nd phone, which will have 3000 TTD and 2 years of service.
(Optional) If you want to use an unlocked phone, buy a $1 TF BYOD SIM (TF/Verizon) and follow the DIY Guide to transfer everything over. Tracfone supports eSIM for some phone models.
Do NOT swap SIMs. Tracfone phone IMEI and SIM ICCID are paired. Inserting the SIM that came with the phone in a different one may impact the service/unlock eligibility.
Join the Rewards Program within 14 days of creating an account (Recommend using the TF app to join because previous problem with joining the program on the website. If you have a flip phone, you can't use TF app, so join the Rewards Program right after you created an account on PC, or use TF app on a tablet/different phone to join.).
Download the Tracfone My Account app and log in with your email and password.
Click down arrow on top right of 'Join Rewards' green bar, then 'Learn More'. Click 'Join Now' under 'I agree with the Terms of Use' to join Rewards. (A message "Success: You have successfully joined Tracfone Rewards" appears, click OK.) Click My Rewards. An intro video "Welcome to Tracfone Rewards" will play. After the video is done playing, click 'X' to close the video and you should see a box (Referred by a Friend? Enter their unique code here) to enter a referral code (box also shows in the Rewards home page).
No box to enter a referral code? You can try to create a new account. (proceed with caution)
On a PC, go to https://www.tracfone.co
To create account with an existing line (after being removed from account):
Start browser and check ZIP code: Near top of the screen, there is a default ZIP. If it's not your ZIP, click on it to change to your ZIP.
Click My Account, enter only the phone # (not Email, IMEI, Serial or SIM #), then the 6-digit verification code sent to the phone. After verification, enter a new email not associated with any Tracfone accounts, then a password to create a new account. Close browser and follow the steps 1 and 2 in 'Join the Rewards Program'.
Port out: You will need information below to port out your phone # from Tracfone:
1. Phone number apparently.
2. Account number. This is either the IMEI or the last 15 digits of SIM #. You can text FOUR to 611611 and see if the 4-digit number matches the last four of IMEI or SIM. If you have changed phones, and the 4-digit number doesn't match IMEI or SIM, consider this approach [reddit.com] to find your account number.
3. ZIP Code. The ZIP code you used to setup your account or line. It could also be the ZIP where TF headquarter is located (33178). You can login to your account to check (Manage Lines, Select Line, then click Device. The Details will display Zip Code.)
4. Port-Out PIN. Text NTP to 611611 to get the PIN (it's not your account PIN.)
If you need to contact Tracfone Porting Department, the number is 1-800-327-2077.
Note: Tracfone Terms and Conditions [tracfone.com]:
Tracfone reserves the right to deactivate any phone for which there is no voice, text or data usage for a period of six (6) consecutive months for smartphones and twelve (12) consecutive months for other phones. If your Service is deactivated, your Service can be reactivated by purchasing and adding an Airtime Card. Once reactivated, your phone may be assigned a new phone number. Airtime which remained unused at the time of deactivation will still be available if Service is reactivated within sixty (60) days from the deactivation date, otherwise any unused airtime will be lost.
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank helius
I added 4 lines in the past couple of weeks - two of them were added via online chat, and two of them were added by me through the website.
I got 10k points for each of the 2 lines I added through online chat. The lines I added myself? I only got points for one of them.
It's only 4 data points, but you know what? I'm going through this "complicated process" the next time I want to make sure I get my points.
I've waited well over a year before without problem, and would have little concern about putting one of these on the shelf for some time.
ETA: Just did. Could only get purple @$20, and even those were almost gone. Will probably use this to extend my plan when it expires next year.
It seems Verizon likes to pair SIM with phone IMEI. Here are two cases that I found interesting:
1) Moved my Tracfone SIM to an *unlocked* Visible phone, and then put it back. My Tracfone line was blocked, I needed to call to get it fixed.
2) Put an Xfinity SIM in my Tracfone BYOD *unlocked* iPhone; The IMEI of the Tracfone BYOD iPhone showed up in my Xfinity account. After that, I could not port my BYOD Tracfone line to a new Tracfone anymore. Tracfone/Verizon flagged the BYOD iPhone as a *locked* Xfinity phone. I needed to remove the BYOD iPhone IMEI from Xfinity account to make poring to Tracfone work.
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If you don't have a Tracfone account, activate this phone, create an account, and join the rewards program with a top-tier referral code, you'll get 8,000 points. If you buy 2 phones, the second one can be added to get 10,000 add-line bonus points in August (regularly 7,000).
I believe that's what I've done in the past, my existing TracFone SIM is on TracFone AT&T which I like because I can swap that Sim out from any phone to any phone without having to "register" the newer phone with TF like you have to do with the TF Verizon Sims.
Also, in the past the one year would stack on top of my existing line's TracFone expiration date, is this still the case? I know there are likely a few changes since Verizon took over but I'm pretty sure the full expiration date stacking still exists?
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