topic Re: Quick Tracfone Questions in Electronics

Quick Tracfone Questions

Jordan2 — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:26:08 GMT

I need a new phone desperately and I can't affordable an expensive phone and cellphone plan. I'm going with a Tracfone, but I have two questions. If you use up your minutes before your year of service, can you buy a monthly plan or do you have to just add 500 minutes for $10 ( I thought I read something that you couldn't buy a monthly plan)? Also, after your year is up, is the phone considered unlocked, can you take it to another cellphone carrier?

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Love my grandkids — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:30:00 GMT

@Jordan2 I would suggest taking at look at their website for detailed info.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Jordan2 — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:44:44 GMT

@Love my grandkids wrote:
@Jordan2 I would suggest taking at look at their website for detailed info.

@Love my grandkids I looked on their website, but I'm not sure if my questions were addressed.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

89135 — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 01:08:56 GMT

@Jordan2..I have the Basic Plan which is $99 for 400 minutes for a year..I never use up my minutes each year and just renew every year so I don't know anything about it being locked etc..The website says you can get an ADD ON and add benefits any time you feel the need for more... $5 for 1000 texts, $10 for 500 minutes (as you stated) or $10 for more data. Not sure whether you can buy another Plan once you are already in a Plan..I would just buy the extra minutes as needed.. You could also buy the $199 a year plan and get unlimited talk and text.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

x Hedge — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 01:15:39 GMT

@Jordan2

1. You can buy whatever you need. Just minutes, plans, auto refills, whatever suits the way you use your phone.

2. A TracFone is always a TracFone. It's never unlocked.

However, they do have a Bring Your Own Phone program.

Buy your own unlocked phone.

Use it with their service.

That can be transferred to another service provider in the future.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

deeva — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 01:18:44 GMT

You could either buy more minutes or a monthly plan. You can take your phone to another carrier anytime you want. You don't have to wait until your year is up.

Just buy another SIM card from the carrier of your choice.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Jordan2 — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 01:22:45 GMT

@x Hedge It's just so much cheaper to buy a Tracfone with the minutes, texts, and data included. You buy the unlocked phone and it costs more for just the phone, then you have to get a cellphone plan.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Net52 — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 01:30:41 GMT

If you buy a tracfone from QVC or HSN you usually get 1500 min, 1500 text and 1500 mb of data. It also includes 1 year of service. If you run out of minutes, text or data they have many plans available. At the end of the year you do have to purchase a service plan, but that will include minutes, texts and data. I don't think you can use the phone with another provider. I have used tracfone for about 10 yrs and love it. If you don't have high usage it is very affordable. The only thing I purchase is 1000 texts for $5.00. When it gets close to the end of my service year I look for another special on QVC or HSN and have a new phone. That is my cell phone cost for a whole year.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

x Hedge — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 01:36:20 GMT

@Jordan2 wrote:
@x Hedge It's just so much cheaper to buy a Tracfone with the minutes, texts, and data included. You buy the unlocked phone and it costs more for just the phone, then you have to get a cellphone plan.

Yes. That's right.

You make a choice about what's right for you and your budget, just like everyone else.

Did I missread something on your original post?

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

x Hedge — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 01:40:21 GMT

@Net52

You can buy JUST a year of airtime for $49.

(no talk no text no data)

Don't have to buy a "plan" or replace a phone you like.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Mistreatedbycs — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 03:20:54 GMT

@Jordan2

Back in July you didn't want a Tracfone, you said you were having all kinds of problems with it.....now you changed your mind???

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Nightowlz — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 18:29:45 GMT

@Jordan2

If you use the minutes before your service ends you can buy more minutes.

Look on their site to see the prices for the airtime they sell which shows how many minutes, days service you get for the price etc.

You can also add another 1 year card so you don't have to mess with it for another year or until you run out of minutes.

They have monthly plans too but I have never used it.

Buy your year card on Black Friday when they have a good deal under $100.

All Tracfones sold on QVC/HSN are locked. They will never be unlocked.

I have an unlocked phone but only because Tracfone is only selling CDMA phones. I need GSM.

I used BYOP from Tracfone to set up my unlocked phone.

Just because you have an unlocked phone does not mean it will work with another carrier you may want to use. You would have to go to their site to check it.

Don't forget Verizon bought Tracfone so don't know what kind of changes are coming?

I use my phone basically for texting. I generally add texts. I have so many minutes I don't need.

They should make a texting only phone. LOL!!!

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Jordan2 — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 11:38:57 GMT

@Mistreatedbycs wrote:
@Jordan2

Back in July you didn't want a Tracfone, you said you were having all kinds of problems with it.....now you changed your mind???

@Mistreatedbycs I don't think it was me who complained about Tracfone. I will probably use my cellphone as my main phone, I'm thinking this might not be the best phone plan for me anymore.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Frangelina — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 12:29:40 GMT

YES, if you use up your minutes before 1 year you can change to a monthly unlimited plan of your choice.

YES, you can unlock your phone after 1 year, it doesn't happen automatically, you have to go to their website or call a special number for unlocking.I have unlocked my Tracphones after owning one year, just in case I want to change carriers, but as someone else said, not all unlocked phones are compatible with all carriers, GSM and CDMA comes into play.

BTW, the best and cheapest Tracphone here on QVC is the $49.99 LG Rebel K31 for $49.99. It is 32gb, 2 gb ram, octacore processing and a pretty good camera.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Ainhisg — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 12:11:15 GMT

There is some misinformation in this thread. To answer your questions, you can get a monthly plan with unlimited talk, text, and a certain amount of data. They currently have two monthly options: 1) a $20 plan, or 2) a $40 plan. The difference in price is how much data you are wanting per month.

If you buy a Tracfone BRANDED phone, it cannot be unlocked to use with other carriers. The Tracfones sold on the Q or HSN are branded phones.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

dmeasy — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 12:20:14 GMT

I had a tracfone for years. Then i switched when I needed a different card for texting. I thought it was too expensive. Also didn't use my phone that much. I am much happier with Consumer Cellular. I pay a bill once a month and the cost is measured by what I use. Check the company out.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Frangelina — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 09:55:28 GMT

RE: Unlocking Tracfone phones, yes, they can be unlocked AFTER 1 year, I personally have done it a few times.

tfwunlockpolicy.com

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Frangelina — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 12:37:02 GMT

People keep saying you can buy another year of service for $49, I do not believe that is available any longer, and it is NOT on Tracfone's website, so if it is true where is that available exactly?

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

gardenman — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 13:14:25 GMT

@Frangelina wrote:
People keep saying you can buy another year of service for $49, I do not believe that is available any longer, and it is NOT on Tracfone's website, so if it is true where is that available exactly?

If you go to eBay you'll find all kinds of options for adding service starting at $54.99 for one year with no extra minutes, talk, text, data. There are also 395-day plans, 425-day plans, and lots of weird stuff there. There are more options there than on Tracfone's site.

As to unlocking, any phone can technically be unlocked. In some cases, it's very easy. (Simply swap the SIM card.) In other cases, it's very hard. It all depends on the phone manufacturer and the provider. Most providers don't want you wandering off to someone else, so they make it as hard as possible. You typically have to wait until you've had their service for at least one full year. Sometimes more. If you meet their requirements (phone paid off, been a customer long enough, you ignore their repeated efforts to convince you to stay, and insist on the phone being unlocked) they'll then go ahead and remotely flash the phone's BIOS so that it can be unlocked. Then you swap out SIM cards and the phone is unlocked. (Well, until you sign with a new carrier who will then lock it to their service.)

If you're insanely handy, have a hot air soldering station, are comfortable working on surface-mounted devices, and have a stockpile of ROM chips with a working phone BIOS on them, you can physically remove the existing ROM chip from the phone's motherboard and replace it. (Assuming it has a standalone ROM chip and many don't these days. They're often incorporated into the SOCs these days. SOC is a "system on a chip" by the way.) Any phone can technically be unlocked though. They just don't make it very easy.

Re: Quick Tracfone Questions

Frangelina — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 10:14:50 GMT

Thanks, it's easier to buy the phone bundle for $50, plus I get a new phone. I did see that Tracfone has an ebay store with the phone bundles and the service cards,, free shipping and 20% off right now, until 8/31/21 use code INSTANT20 at checkout.