Electronics

[JGalt]

I need to buy service time for my Tracfone.  I usually just get a new phone with service time and minutes each year. But I love my LG Stylo 3 and don't want to part with it, although I would upgrade to the Stylo 4 if it weren't so expensive (@$200).

From time to time, I see people on this Board remark about very inexpensive Tracfone cards they purchase.  Anyone know about finding the cheap rates?  I don't need minutes, just need service time, and the least expensive card I see on Tracfone.com is $125.00 for one year service.

Maybe I should buy an inexpensive phone that includes one year service.  I guess I would have to activate it, then switch back to my Stylo 3.  I can see this being a major aggravation, trying to keep my phone number during these switches.  I would have to get a new SIM card from Tracfone which is a nightmare....happened in the past..they sent me a StraightTalk SIM card .

Anyone have any comments helpful to my thought process on this issue?

[Kachina624]

In April, I  got a deal on the Tracfone website for a year of service for about $50.

[kitcat51]

There are lots of different minute cards available on the Tracfone website & you can also buy them at lots of stores...I buy mine at Kroger. Good Luck.

[stevieb]

@JGalt  Air time cards do come with service days, as you probably know. As for the year of sevice days 'deal', I've almost never seen a 'deal' for less than $99. They do send out promotions on occasion, both by email and US Mail, but I've never found anything for much less than that even with supposed promotions. I haven't checked in a while so it could be that the $125 you cite is their new normal... 

[Mombo1]

I just go to Walmart and buy a tracfone card for what I need at the time....sometimes I just need data...other times I need minutes and data with text.  They install it for me.  I like my J7 Sky Pro very much, so I haven’t replaced it.   

[rolen]

Your situation sounds like ours.  We only need service time - not minutes for our Tracfone.  This is what we have been doing for years for both of our Tracfones that just need service time -

Go to the   Tracfone web site.  Pick the cheapest Service/Minute plan they have.  It is for 30 days service and a small number of minutes (60 minutes I think).  It costs $9.99.  Then when you go to check out, you can pick some Extra Options.  Pick the option to add 365 Extra days to your phone.  This is just the addition of days, no additional minutes.  The additional 365 days costs about $50.00.

You now have 395 additional days (30 days from your service plan plus 365 from the checkout addition of extra days).  You also have a small amount of additional minutes.  The total cost is about $60 - $67  The cost varies a small amount between our 2 phones.  One phone must be fancier than the other or something. So for an additional 13 months service and a small amount of minutes the cost is less than $70.  We have been buying service days this way for years.  

[Havarti]

If you are already in a prepaid situation here is a thought.  If you see a "deal" on HSN or QVC for a Tracfone with service, data, & minutes that comes with a new phone (sometimes you can find the whole thing $60 - $70) you can buy the package, use the card on your existing smart phone (set it up online or by phone) and never do anything to set-up the new phone.  You can donate the new unused phone at Best Buy and they help to get it to people who need a way to make only 911 calls.  All cell phones must allow for free 911 calls so they distribute recycled/unwanted phones to people in need of such a safety device.   

[Venezia]

@JGalt- I believe they no longer sell the phones with a separate card (as suggested above).  They now preload the minutes to the new phone; I think it was to stop people buying the phones for less than the airtime cards.

What you can do is what someone else suggested, with a slight change:  go onto the Tracfone website and add something like 1000 texts ($5) to your cart.

You should then be offered some additional items, one of which is usually 365 days of service for $49.99.  Add that to your cart.  You can then delete the text minutes, if you don't want them, and just check out with the airtime card, which will be automatically downloaded to your phone.

I have an online account set up and that's how it works for me, although I haven't had to add anything but texts and data to my phone for more than a year.  But even if you couldn't delete the $5 text minutes, it's still a bargain.

(ETA:  I've just gone into my account and checked on this and that's how it works right now.)

[x Hedge]

  @JGalt ,

You can buy a year of airtime/service at the TracFone website for (last I saw) $49.99.  No talk, no texts, no data, just the year of airtime. This is a "website only" offer, and the best deal.

In the past it was a "hidden" item.

Used to have to jump thru hoops, putting things into your cart to make the year of airtime appear on the menu as an "add on" right before checkout.

But last month it was unhidden, offered right up front in the "Service Add On's".

I always buy right at the website. Price there is always up to date.

Haven't bought a 'card' since 2014. Saw old ones at my store and knew TracFone had dropped some prices since that card was printed. There's absolutely no refund on the airtime cards.

[Venezia]

@x Hedge- I'm looking at the Tracfone website right now and I don't see that anywhere but as an "add on" once you've put something in your cart.  The only 365-day service card I'm seeing "up front" is $125.

Curious as to where you're seeing this?

(There is another option on the main page for 365 days of service for $99.99, but I'm definitely not seeing anything for $49.99, other than as an add-on to your cart.)