April 22, 2015

4G LTE with Tracfone BYOP

Use 4G LTE Smartphones with Tracfone BYOP program

This post details the latest on Tracfone BYOP and 4G LTE. We will continue to update it, as well as our main Tracfone BYOP page which also contains a list of compatible phones. 

tracfone 4g
Tracfone BYOP 4G LTE 
We are excited to share the news that Tracfone has now opened their BYOP program to 4G Smartphones! Previously, only Verizon compatible 3G phones were capable of being used with Tracfone BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone). This meant the best phones you could get were the iPhone 4s, Moto G, and other similar types. While these smartphones are great, they are not top of the line.

With 4G LTE now available with Tracfone, you can use the iPhone 6, or a Samsung Galaxy S6, or many other high-end devices and get the fastest data speeds. The only requirement is that it must be able to connect with Verizon 4G service to activate.

We will dive into more details on activating your phone and what kind of requirements there are after we cover the basics of how the Tracfone BYOP program works.

UPDATE: Tracfone is now offering Activation Kits for both CDMA and GSM devices. It appears that you can bring GSM devices compatible with AT&T to use with Tracfone BYOP. We will be sharing more details about this in a new post very soon.

How Tracfone BYOP 4G LTE Works

Using a 4G LTE device with Tracfone BYOP works similarly to bringing a 3G device to Tracfone. You will need to have your own smartphone, and it needs to be compatible with Verizon service.

Tracfone contracts with Verizon to use their cell towers for service, but everything goes through Tracfone. If you go outside the coverage of Verizon, you may lose service, or run on lower speeds.

To get started with Tracfone BYOP, you will visit this Tracfone page and check that your phone is compatible by entering your ZIP code and MEID/ESN. Following the steps, you will be prompted to buy an activation kit, which will give you a SIM card and Network Access Code.

Additionally, you can go over to SaveonTracfone.com and buy the Activation kit there. You can choose between the 4G LTE and 3G kits, and it might be a few dollars cheaper.

Most users are reporting a quick and painless process, but you should be prepared if something doesn't work right, and you need to make a phone call to customer service.

Phone Requirements and Activating on Tracfone BYOP

tracfone 4G LTE
Activation Card for 4G LTE
The requirements for what kind of phone can be activated with 4G service on Tracfone seems a little more straightforward than before. You need a device that is compatible with Verizon 4G LTE, which includes a wide variety of top of the line devices. It also needs a clean ESN, which means it can't be in contract, or stolen.

A 4G LTE device will need a SIM card to connect with Tracfone, and this will come with your activation kit. On a side note, once you have activated a Verizon compatible 4G LTE device, you can take the SIM and move it to many other devices that would not be able to activate on their own. Not all the details are clear on this, but many users are confirming switching between devices.

This could be very convenient for those who want to have a backup device, since you could just buy another phone, and then switch the SIM card to it if you ever needed to.

To activate your phone, make sure you have the 4G LTE activation kit (or start by getting it, which will be mailed to you in about a day) and then proceed through the steps on the Tracfone website or by calling Tracfone.

To review, here are the steps:

1. Get a 4G LTE compatible smartphone that runs on Verizon and has a clean ESN (is not on contract or stolen) and test it on the Tracfone BYOP website.

2. Follow the steps on Tracfone and purchase your Activation kit (SIM card) and Network Access Code. The SIM card will be mailed to you. You can Also purchase this through SaveOnTracfone.com.

3. Activate your 4G device only at Tracfone.com or over the phone.

If you have thoughts or questions on this process, check out the comments below.

Where to Find Phones for Tracfone BYOP

You need a 4G LTE capable device that is for Verizon service (CDMA) to use it with Tracfone BYOP. Fortunately, there are many different phone options, and many different retailers to choose from. Used or new will work, as long as they are not currently under contract.

One of the cheapest and easiest places to find phones is online. You can quickly browse many different options and price points, as well as used, new and refurbished. Follow the links below to get started and see some of the options. Once you have a certain phone in mind, you can search for that device.

Search for Verizon 4G LTE phones on Amazon

Search for Verizon 4G LTE phones on eBay

There are many more retailers to search including Newegg, BestBuy and more.

To get some ideas, and for a full list of compatible phones for both 3G and 4G LTE, visit our Tracfone BYOP page.

We hope this covers the exciting news about Tracfone's slow expansion into 4G LTE and hope that they will also add support for 4G on GSM networks.

Please let us know if we missed anything, we strive to provide accurate and helpful information!

If you're interested in other phone options, visit our Cell Phone Reviews page which includes many Android devices like the LG Ultimate 2, which was our pick for the Best Tracfone Smartphone.

We have also created a list of the best Apps for Android with more than 40 great apps, almost all of which are free. I have found Clean Master App to be very handy for keeping my phone running well, and reducing wasted space.

Thanks for Visiting!

154 comments :

Will said...

Can you still buy the 400 minute cards that give you 3X promo for BYOP giving you 1200 minutes, 1200 text and 1.2 GB of data on the new LTE BYOP offering?

Anonymous said...

Are there any rumors about devices going into Xmas 2015? I ***love*** my ultimate 2, it does everything I want to at 1/10th the cost of a contract smartphone. But, the service contract is rolling around--is there not going to be an improved phone available by then?

Anonymous said...

The "TRACFONE WIRELESS TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE" (http://www.tracfone.com/facelift/terms_conditions.jsp) suggests that 3X is true for all smart phones regardless of how the phone was introduced into the Tracfone network. I too would appreciate it if anyone has had experience with doing this for a LTE BYOP.

TracfoneReviewer Team said...

Yes! All smartphones with Tracfone also get Triple Minutes.

Anonymous said...

I bought an S5 on saveontracfone.com. the free activation is a network access card, when I registered the phone on TracFone they sent me a ticket that the SIM would be shipped in 3-4 days. it never came so after a week I started chat support. I was getting nowhere but fortunately I had a kit I had bought because originally I thought I was going to buy a used phone. it was painful, I was finally referred to a tech with the classic, lilting Brit accent from the Raj, and he figured out that SIM I bought from TracFone had never been activated. you must persevere, it took multiple chats and phone calls. one of the chat techs gave me a ticket PIN and the phone number that fixed me. but it took the weekend to get there. of course if SAMSUNG ever releases the TracFone S5 on their web site this will all be moot.

Hoody said...

wonder if the LG Volt is good for this?

Anonymous said...

Sounds good. But I'll be waiting for an off-brand version with a 6" screen from shopcelldeals for pennies on the dollar.

Unknown said...

Has anyone use your own SIM card to activate the tracfone g4 LTE

Anonymous said...

I bought a Moto X 2013 Developer Edition (verizon) from ebay, ordered a 4g LTE sim from tracfone and activated the phone online, then transfered my number and minutes/txts/data/service days from my previous Moto G. Everything was smooth and took like 15 mins

Anonymous said...

Can I transfer my current tracfone minutes/texts/data and number over to phone eligible for this byop promotion?

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

Through the activation kit, is your current phone number and also TracFone minutes etc transferred?

Anonymous said...

Yes, everything is transferred to the new phone. Easiest to do is online from your account. The activation kit comes with a Network Activation Code, but you probably won't need it. There were instances were minutes were lost in the transfer (mostly if transferred from a non-smartphone), for that chat/call CS and they can fix it.

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

This used iPhone 5c (Verizon) didn't come with a SIM card. And I'm having a tough time trying to find where to buy one on the TracFone website. Grrrr! :-)

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

P.S. The link to the SIM activation kit doesn't work; it's not available any more. So I guess I have to buy the Network Access Code first, THEN the SIM card via TracFone. We'll see!

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

Ok, has anyone cut a micro card into a nano? The Tracfone SIM card is a dual standard/micro. iPhone 5 take nano. This is gonna be fun. I've watched some videos, which are helping. Be prepared!

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

P.S. Here's a good how-to on cutting a micro SIM. Scary but I got the card to fit in the iPhone 5c! On to activation (this phone is for my mom, who's with TracFone and transferring from a flip phone

Anonymous said...

on upcoming Tracfone 4g LTE offerings. Will the new Verizon LG Lancet window cell phone work on Tracfone? Also, will Tracfone start offering window cell phones such as Blu Win HD Lte , Blu win JR lte

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

NEVER MIND! When trying to activate, TracFone did not accept the SIM card. They SHOULD have sent me a nano card but sent the dual standard/micro size instead. So I'm back to square one and have to wait until the replacement arrives. So MAKE SURE TRACFONE SENDS A NANO size for the iPhone 5s (and other iPhone 5 and 6s, I assume).

Question said...

I have an iPhone 4s that I'm using with tracfone. I want to switch to my iPhone 5s. Do I activate the 5s first and then switch to it?

dd said...

I am trying to activate a iphone 6 plus.... The Sim card that they sent was too big to fit! :/

dd said...

I am in the same boat! :/

Anonymous said...

I bought a Tracfone 4GLTE activation kit off of ebay for about $5, then I bought a Moto X Developer edition phone (also from ebay $230). Activation was EASY. The Tracfone 4GLTE activation contained a SIM, Micro SIM, and a Nano SIM, and an activation code. The Moto X phone ROCKS! The only thing I am having issues with is the Tracfone App. The app just doesn't seem to be able to load the account balance.

Anonymous said...

Well, I ordered a phone off their website. I got the phone (nice phone), but the tracfone site says the phone is NOT compatible with Tracfone. I called Tracfone and the representative too said the phone is not compatible. I sent an e-mail to "saveontracfone.com" about this issue and the response I got was from an agent named "Elizabeth" asking me to reply with my name and order# so she could better help me. The form I filled out on saveontracfone.com asked for all that and I filled it out. The info she is asking for was right in front of her face and she even REPLIED to it. I resent the e-mail explaining she has this info but entered it again anyway. Haven't heard back from them yet. This was on Friday May 30th 2015, and I believe they are closed on weekends. Will see what they say on Monday.

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

Contact TracFone. They should have sent you a nano SIM card, not a dual standard/micro.

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

Last December, I successfully switched from a Nokia TracFone to an iPhone 4s. But it wasn't easy (you can read some of my posts there on that page on this blog). Now I'm trying to transfer my mother's flip-phone TracFone into an iPhone 5c. We purchased the used iPhone 5C (Verizon) from Laptopaid.com (where I purchased my iPhone 4s). The IMEI number was accepted by TracFone so we continued forward and ordered a nano SIM card. Alas, TracFone sent a standard dual/micro SIM. I got online and researched to find out how to cut a micro down to a nano SIM. Yay! But NO--TracFone would not accept the SIM. So I contacted TracFone, and they sent a nano SIM. It worked. We nearly made it through the activation process, THEN we hit a wall because the phone was not unlinked from the previous owner's Verizon account. A big hint was the word VERIZON in the phone's menu bar. With a TracFone-activated iPhone, the menu bar should NOT say VERIZON. So now we are sending back the iPhone to Laptopaid (a company rep said to take out the SIM, which will be placed in the replacement phone; they have been nice to work with but the process of all this is slow). I hope all this helps someone.

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

That's tricky. I'm considering the same thing. First, seems to be that you're gonna have to buy the activation kit so you can get the nano SIM for the iPhone 5s. But TracFone is evidently have a lot of problems getting the right sized SIMs sent to iPhone folks. Happened to me too. I'm helping my mother activate an iPhone 5c (she's transferring from a TracFone flip phone), and TracFone sent a standard dual/micro SIM. When I contacted them, they sent out a replacement nano SIM. Anyway, in answer to your question, I'd say yes. Get the iPhone 5s activated because TracFone will transfer your account from the iPhone 4s IMEI number to your new IMEI number and the new nano SIM. But does anyone else have any thoughts/suggestions on this?

Question said...

http://www.fastactportal.com/static/balance

Question said...

LTE. Okay everyone. Before I bought my iPhone 5s I checked the comparability on Tracfones webpage with my ZIP Code and the phone serial number. It said it was compatible. I bought the phone plus accessories with a total of around $340. First they sent me the wrong size Sim card. Finally, I got the nano. Went to activate it and it would not work. They said it was because the LTE was not ready in my area yet. I live in Nebraska. They said there was nothing they could do. I asked for compensation and they gave me 30 minutes of talk time, which I don't need. They said that they will get it working they just don't know when. It's very frustrating!! Now I have a $340.00 phone that I have to wait to use! Grrrrr!

Anonymous said...

So in order to have your phone in the BYOP from TracFone do you have to buy it Unlocked? Or could you have a verizon plan? Also: Are iPhone 6 and Samsung galaxy s6 definitely compatible with TracFone?
Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Thanks, however, that doesn't seem to work either. Only way I can check my balance is from the tracfone main website.

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

Verizon does not unlock their phones. And you can't use a Verizon plan if you plan to activate with TracFone. Can't confirm yay/nay on iPhone 6. I'm trying to activate a 5c for my mother.

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

CORRECTION: On an iPhone 5c, it DOES say Verizon in the menu bar after activation with TracFone. What an ordeal! But I did finally get the phone online with TracFone once we got the nano SIM. One glitch: Voice mail notifications do not show up on her voice mail icon. I'm working on that.

In the meantime, I bought a used iPhone 5C via eBay. Last week, I ordered a nano SIM from TracFone. Yep, you got it. I received a dual/micro card. So TracFone is resending a nano replacement. Sigh......I'm close to the point of writing a REAL letter to TracFone corporate to let them know both about the SIM issue AND that the Apple TracFone My Account app is completely useless. Stay tuned.

Anonymous said...

I'm trying a galaxy 4S I bought off saveontracfone.com, I have already been annoyed by it being back ordered (though they never mentioned that when I was buying it nor was I even given an email to tell me it had happened, after a week and a half of silence and them taking my money a call confirmed the issue.) finally it showed up suddenly on the doorstep. will update on progress/success/failure.

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

UPDATE: I finally successfully transferred my account from an iPhone 4s to an iPhone 5c. Once the nano SIM arrived, everything went well. The only thing I'm noticing now is that Voicemail notifications don't come in like they did perfectly on my iPhone 4s. A glitch somewhere with TracFone, I guess. Because my mother's iPhone 5c does the same thing. If I find out why and how to fix, I'll post here. Oh yeah, I made SURE my IMEI on my iPhone 4s was taken off my TracFone account so I can sell it and someone else can use it, maybe with Tracfone. :-)

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

VOICEMAIL UPDATE: Just spent 40 minutes with a Live Chat TracFone rep, and she wasn't able to help. Then I did this and PROBLEM SOLVED! Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Do a network reset and VOILA! Voicemail notifications appear! PLUS the iPhone 5c has "visual voicemail," which is new to me. The TracFone rep told me that they don't suppose visual voicemail with BYOP, but they do!!!!

Anonymous said...

Does anyone have any good sites where I could get a iPhone to use with the tracfone BYOP. I've been checking out the saveontracfone.com site and get mix reviews when I search for reviews. It's a lot of money to spend and they have a restocking fee if I return the phone. Thanks

Anonymous said...

Was it a success or failure?

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

I'd suggest eBay. That's where I bought my last iPhone (from a private owner). So far, I've activated three: my first iPhone 4s (which I'm going to sell), then an iPhone 5c for my mother and also for me. It's a bit of a challenge, but it can be done! Just make sure the IMEI has been deactivated from the previous owner. I bought two from Laptopaid.com but had to send both back because the IMEIs were not clear. They did make good, however. They have a 30-day guarantee. Let me know if I can help further.

Anonymous said...

Do the phones have to have a SIM card? I noticed you can purchase Verizon iphoes at gamestop but they don't have SIM cards. Thanks

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

More on visual voicemail with an iPhone 5c: Visual voicemail notifications require cellular data to appear. Yes, VVM is cool. But I liked how voicemail notifications on my former iPhone 4s just automatically popped up, no data required.

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

When you go to activate an iPhone 5, then you have to buy a SIM card from TracFone. So initially, no, the iPhone doesn't need one when you purchase it. If it does have one, then you'll have to remove it and replace with the TracFone NANO SIM card.

Anonymous said...

Tracfone sent me the wrong size SIM card!!!

Anonymous said...

I just activated a samsung galaxy S3 and it worked great only thing the tracfone my account app doesn't work. I got my activation kit on ebay for 3.99

Unknown said...

Will this still work with unlocked phones?

Sheryl Smith-Rodgers said...

Yeah, they seem to do it every time! Just contact them and they'll resend the right one--which is the NANO SIM.

Anonymous said...

Okay, after tracfone resent me a new sim card (nano) my iPhone 5 is up and running. I was a bit confused by the directions on the tracfone site but it's all good know. Also, I purchased my phone from gamestop (online). I just wish their was an app. that would allow me to be able to keep track of my min. via the phone. I know they have one that works with Andriods and the one I found on the iTunes store is only for adding min.

Anonymous said...

This question is for anyone that knows. I activated a G2 on BYOP but since then I upgraded to a G3 and would like to sell the G2. How do I transfer my new serial number to my current sim or do I need to purchase a new sim? Since the last time I delt with the Tracfone website they have changed what the BYOP page looks like and the wording is different. There used to be an option to transfer from one BYOP to another BYOP but cant seem to find it anymore.

Anonymous said...

Forgot to mention, that when I transferred my old tracfone to my iphone5 (BYOP) my service end date also changed from '16 to '18.

Anonymous said...

GSM-Based BYOP Service (AT&T) coming SOON to Tracfone.

Unknown said...

Same here App will not work to check my balance !!

Anonymous said...

your right the my account App will not work !!

Anonymous said...

when I did the online chat today they said I could bring an AT&T I-phone (GSM) just had to get an activation kit, anyone seen this work?

Unknown said...

I just added a 120 minute card and my minutes tripled, I have a samsung galaxy S3 byop

Anonymous said...

Which Tracfone Sim did you use with your LG G3?

Anonymous said...

Hey guys...did you see? Now you can bring your AT&T or other GSM compatible smartphone to TracFone's 4G LTE network!

Anonymous said...

Yes...it does work finally!

Anonymous said...

Hi Peter. Just wanted to let you know so you could update this article...TracFone is now offering 4G LTE BYOP program for AT&T and other GSM phones...finally!

Anonymous said...

I am curious, when you use an I-phone as a TracFone, where do you send and receive text messages, I am assuming they don't come through the apple imessage app do they?

Anonymous said...

I am curious, when you use an i-phone as a TracFone, in what app do you send and receive messages? Do they come through the apple i-message app or somewhere else?

Anonymous said...

You have to have a special AT & T SIM CARD activation kit to use an AT&T phone. These cards are VERY hard to fine. :-(

Anonymous said...

I purchased an iPhone 4 for Verizon CDMA and it did not work on with Tracfone. Then I bought a 4G LTE unlocked GSM phone compatible with AT&T because that is what Tracfone's website led me to believe and again it was not supported. So frustrating!!!!!

Can you please clarify the specification the phone needs to have to work on the Tracfone system? Because I tried the Verizon CDMA phone (iphone 4) and the 4G LTE phone and neither worked. The customer representative did not know or tell me anything except to go buy a Samsung Galaxy S4.

Can you please give more information....

Anonymous said...

was it clean esn?

Anonymous said...

Which activation kit did you get? I purchase a 4G LTE activation kit for my GSM unlocked phone and it does not work. Customer service told me I had to purchase the Tracfone AT&T activation kit - which I told customer service - there was only two activiation kits available on their website. BYOP kit (3G) and the 4G LTE Kit (which I bought) so what other kit was there? They could not get on the website to see to tell me. So frustrating!!!

Anonymous said...

Where the phones possibly stolen or whom ever had them before still owe Verizon/AT&T $. If that is the case then it they won't work. If you are purchasing from a private party, I would check the phones SN/MEID/IMEI on tracfones website before making the purchase.

Anonymous said...

Spent a good deal of issues procuring the right phone, but once I had a clean, unlocked former Verizon Samsung S4 in my hand it was clear sailing. I had the Tracfone 4g LTE activation kit in hand and ready. I used the Tracfone online activation site and was connected and active within :10. It appears my considerable time and minutes also transferred. Absolutely the easiest transaction I have experienced. Too easy - waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Anonymous said...

Can I purchase Tracfone byop sim cards elsewhere besides tracfone? This is the 3rd iPhone I am trying to activate and it's been a headache. I started the process, the site stated it is compatible when I went to make my purchase, entered my credit card info something went wrong. The site never proceeded me to the next step yet they charged me and no sim card was ever sent. The gentleman claims I am being refunded the $. When I go back to try to redo it it know tells me the IMEI is in their system and won't let me proceed. I've tried to get tracfone to help my by calling them with no luck. I've noticed I can get the kits on amazon. All I need is the sim card since I've already reg. the IMEI with tracfone, afterwards I plan on transferring service from one phone to the next. This is really annoying me, I've spent hours on the phone with them and they can't seem to get it straight!

Anonymous said...

Is the LG G3 compatible with the BYOP plan? On the tracfone website it states a at&t/GSM phone will work in my area code but I just wanted to make sure...

Terry said...

Here is the sum of my three verizon iphones (5 & 5S) that I did the BYOP with: The 1st phone I purchased from gamestop. When tracfone sent me the SIM card they sent the wrong size and I had to tell them to send me a nano. The 2nd phone I also purchased from gamestop, I ordered the sim card and knowing they would send the wrong size went to their FB( message and told them I would need a nano.) The gentleman said he would make sure it was a nano that would be sent. I didn't get a nano, had to call they said their records showed it was a nano I told them it wasn't and they resent a nano. They claim they don't charge for the nano replacement but they did this 2nd time around. The third phone I purchased from a vendor on Amazon (gamestop wouldn't allow me to purchase anymore phones from them). I did the IMEI compatibly with it like all the others I went to place my order for the SIM card and this is where the big headache came. After imputing my purchase info. something went wrong and I was never proceeded to the next step (thus no tracking or order info) yet I noticed they withdrew the $ from my account. When I questioned tracfone about it, I was told to wait to see if the sim card arrived, basically they could or would do no more for me. After a week I contacted tracfone, the guy told me the sim was never sent and credited me back the $ and told me to go the website and order a new sim card. I can not see any other way to order the sim card except to start back with the IMEI number and the compatibility area. It would tell me that that IMEI number was already in their system and would not let me proceed to order a new SIM Card. When I contacted tracfone many times I gave up. I knew what the issue was, apparently they just couldn't mail me a SIM card or take the IMEI number out of their system so I could start the process all over again! It was all beyond their scope of thinking! At one point a lady was going to transfer the phone I was planning to transfer to the iPhone without a sim card! I told her whats the point the phone needs a sim card (I spent an hour with her about this issue when she tried to do this). Before this last phone call I contacted tracfone and spent hours on the phone with them trying to get a sim card. I live in a rural area, I went to every store I could think of in my town that sells tracfone looking for their kit (I didn't need the kit just the sim card). After searching the net I found some in stock at a Wal-mart an hour and half away (3 hour round trip). Of course I had to purchase the start up kit which is more $ then just the sim card by it's self since that's all I needed. After all this I was able to get the third phone up and running. Simply why couldn't tracfone just have resent me a sim card? My suggestion would be to just purchase the sim with out having to deal with tracfone, the less you have to deal with them the better.

Kane said...

I recently activated my off contract AT&T Galaxy S4 using Tracfone BYOP program. Bought the sim card kit from Tracfone for $10 and got it up and running. I had some problems with the ADP settings and after being told by TF support that the system was down (yeah right) I worked my way through things on my own and voila, working phone. I kept it simple by starting from scratch by just buying a 60 minute card on a fresh setup rather than trying to transfer a phone number or minutes.

Dave said...

I have a Motorola Moto G (3G 1st Gen) running KitKat. It seems like the only way for app to work is go to the menu (three little dots bottom right) and select Balance. Does that work for you?

Dave said...

I want this phone. Any chance your ebay seller has others? Who was it?

Pollie said...

So this is my problem that I hope someone has an answer for. I transferred my old tracfone to BYOP a Samsung 4GLTE Droid Charge. I did the activation on line but now the Samsung will receive calls and messages but unable to send or call out. There is the activation message is still showing ( activation still progress please wait) this is 30 hers later. No service on either phone. I spoke to 8 different techs and the chat without any help. Anyone know what to do?

Anonymous said...

Good luck...I spoke with countless reps for countless hours before I found a woman who actually knew what she was talking about. I had the same issue as you...all I can say is keep calling and hopefully you will find someone who can help you....I have no idea why a company this large doesn't educate all their reps with the same information. It would also be a big plus if they all spoke plain English.

julesrules3114 said...

I purchased the iPhone 4s, after experiencing endless dropped calls with my new Samsung Galaxy stardust.
The iPhone was compatible & purchased on eBay.
The TF website kept stalling, so i contacted TF customer service and it was up & running
fairly quickly.
Loved the iPhone experience.
Now, i'm experiencing dropped calls all over again, just like the stardust.
At home, at work, walking, standing still, inside, outside....
It's obviously not the phone since this happened on the previous one.
I get about three to four minutes talk time, then it beeps & ends my call abruptly.
Should i upgrade to 4G, with an iPhone 5?
Seems like a Tracfone or Verizon issue.

Anonymous said...

Verizon most definitely will unlock their phones. It is now law in the U.S. All carriers must unlock their phones upon request after you have fulfilled necessary requirements. There is also a growing number of phones that can be purchased factory unlocked. You just need to do your research and figure out whether it runs on gsm or cdma and what frequency the installed radio in the phone is compatible with. All carriers use different bands/frequencies...do your homework and you will be fine.

Anonymous said...

Im looking at getting a samsung s4 or s5. Not sure if i should get the factory unlocked verizon or factory unlocked at&t. Apparently they both work one is cdma the other is gsm. I know all that. Just wondering if one works better with tracfone than the other. I guess gsm is recently accepted. Reason would tell me the one difference would be whatever the preloaded software is on the different phones. Anyway just wondering which i should go for.

Anonymous said...

Same problem as julesrules. iPhone 4s works for <5 minutes and call is disconnected. Redial and same problem again. No use calling Tracfone, they won't be able to help with situation!

Pat said...

You can purchase it from TF or Walmart , the Walmart Activation kit includes a 60 min. card.

Pat said...

If the phone is a Verizon phone I didn't think you needed a activation kit,

Pat said...

On the TF site they give you the option to purchase a nano sim card.

Pat said...

You need to choose which one you need.

Pat said...

On your phone keypad dial *777* 1 # key, it will give you your balance.

Anonymous said...

I have a Galaxy s4 (At&t) locked phone. I purchased the sim kit and then called Tracfone to register and activate the sim. I also tranferred my At&t number to the Tracfone service. I had to wait 2 BUSINESS days for At&t to drop the phone service. The At&t service was active until it transferred. Since starting with Tracfone I have NOT had any problems with my BYOP service. When you add your aircards they will TRIPPLE...example my one year card with 1500 will give me 4500 talk, 4500 data and 4500 text... per the Tracfone Representative. I have waited 2 years for At&t to update the software on my phone with no luck! Within two weeks of using the Tracfone service I got 2 updates to KitKat 4.4.4.

Unknown said...

Just bought an LG G2 Verizon and successfully set it up on Tracfone following these steps: 1. Bought Activation Kit (GSM and CDMA) SIM cards with 60 minutes from Walmart. 2. Added phone with SIM card. 3. Transferred number to new phone. Since the SIM card looked like a new phone, I had to use the 60 minutes card initially. Contacted Tracfone support so my remaining minutes would move. They did in 2 days.

Anonymous said...

The new moto x pure 2015 edition works on either gsm or cdma networks. Might have to deal with customer service in order to get your current tracfone number transferred.

julesrules3114 said...

The iPhone 4s is still dropping calls after five minutes, no matter my location.
Also my triple minutes keep depleting with limited calling.
Nothing but problems, thus far, with the BYOP plan.
Looking online, but there is no help or suggestions which seems odd.

Unknown said...

I have the Tracfone LG Ultimate 2, I want to get the new Moto X Style Pure Edition, transfer my # and minutes. Since it covers all networks do you get the GSM or CDMA nano SIM? Would like to hear experiences of those who transferred to the Moto X.

Anonymous said...

I bought a 4g LTE activation kit from Walmart. The kit has all the different types of sim cards that you need. The moto x pure takes a nano sim card and I transferred from a ZTE valet. I'm using the CDMA sim currently.

julesrules3114 said...

So i gave up & ordered an iPhone 5s off of eBay, for a decent price.
This was the AT&T GSM version, figured i'd try since the Verizon CDMA
iPhone 4s was giving me endless issues.
The same day Tracfone had a sale (free shipping) so i ordered the GSM nano
sim kit.
It arrived, and apparently, Tracfone now sends you a complete kit with all
the sim card sizes for both GSM & CDMA.
That was a nice surprise.
The iPhone 5s arrived from eBay and was in very nice condition, box included.
So i go to the website to activate, but of course it gives me the dreaded error
message during the final step.
I call Tracfone and the automated response has it set up in minutes.
With the GSM 4G LTE all you need to give them is the new sim card number.
So everything transfers in less than hour, except all my minutes are erased!
I call TF, after adding enough to call them, and the sales rep seems oblivious
and distracted.
But she surprised me.
After about a half hour of conversation & being put on hold, in intervals, she
DOES manage to transfer back all my minutes, etc.
And so far, i love the phone AND no dropped calls!
I guess it's either the upgraded phone or AT&T.

So, overall, the process was less painful than expected.
I anticipated far more issues, but the phone works!

Unknown said...

I bought a MOTO X 2013 (refurbished, off Ebay) and activated it using the Tracfone Verizon CDMA 4G LTE kit. Then I bought a MOTO X 2014 (refurbished, off Ebay). I took the Tracfone sim out the MOTO X 2013, and put it into the MOTO X 2014....it works. I love the BYOP program.

Eva said...

So I ordered the TracFone 4GLTE BYOP Kit. It includes the CDMA(works on verizon phone) and GSM(works on AT&T phone). Now my question is...is it possible for me to activate both CDMA & GSM at the same time. Because I have two phone I want to activate. They are both Samsung Galaxy S5. One is Verizon, One is AT&T. And also, if I do activate these phones, am I going to receive a new phone number. Please Help.

Anonymous said...

can I use/ bring my kid previous phone (Samsung S3) from virgin mobile ( not in use) to tracfone?

Anonymous said...

I have been with TracFone for 15 years. When the BYOP program became available I decided to give it a try. I had a TracFone LG L39C with massive Min-Text-Data and a End of Service date of Nov 2018. I had a Cricket Samsung Galaxy Express i437z. I went to Cricket and was given the unlock code for the Galaxy Express for free and it worked. I called TracFone to switch it all over and this is where the fun begins. I will start by saying that I finally got everything switched over and the phone seems to be working properly. My journey started Wed. Nov. 4th 9:00am pst. and ended Sat. Nov. 7th. 4:30pm pst. I counted every call it took to complete this because I wanted to give a legit honest review. It took 6 calls to TracFone and I was switched to 18 different departments. After 2 days they managed to switch over the Mins Text and Data but didn't get the End of Service Date to switch it said 11/07/2015. They had jumped me around so many times I started talking to the same operators from days before but in the end they gave me the correct End of Service Date of 11/__/2018. But Wait!!! It's not over yet. I had been doing all my checking on time and service using my home Wi-Fi and didn't realize my Data wasn't working. I had to make another call to TracFone. They were always very friendly but some of their associates had broken English. My APN file had to be changed so I could receive Data connection. The first person gave me all the information and I had to add it all manually. It didn't work and he told me that two towers in my area were down and that I should be up in running in a few hours. The next day I woke up and my phone didn't have Data connection. So again I made the call to TracFone. I was switched to Maria and she gave me the correct APN settings. The phone came to life while she was still on the phone. It can be difficult but don't give up and try not to get upset and they will make it happen for you.........

Boozwaa said...

I have a brand new iPhone 6s, On the tracfone website it said i need a network access code but no option for buying sim card. Does the network access code include the sim card?

Unknown said...

I found out today that although I can upgrade to a newer smartphone, Tracfone will not transfer my, more then, 5000 minutes from my old phone. I guess their is no smartphone in my future

Unknown said...

I know this is old but I am from Nebraska too and having same problem. The Tracfone website said it was compatible and now it isn't because there is no LTE... (same as you) Did you manage to solve this problem?

mike said...

why is it a dual standard sim its a regular micro sim you didnt choose the right card for the right phone thats not tracs fault

mike said...

its easy fast and simple. thats only if you make the right choices and order the right sim. make sure its a nano not a regular micro if using and iphone 5 and up. you shouldnt have any problems letting trac activate the phone. if your going from 4 to five your going to need the smaller sim either way to activate unless you cut the sim card to fit and unless you cut it wrong it works just fine so make sure if your cutting It you make sure it matches up and your cutting the right side and not cutting off vital metal contacts so your sim works and isnt rendered useless.

Unknown said...

Is that really true are you sure they did not make a mistake?

I have around 1100 minutes, 1200 texts and about 17GB Data on my current Tracfone. So you are saying if I wanted to switch new a brand new phone Tracfone would only transfer 5000 minutes of the 1100 I have? Plus what about my Texts and Data?

Anonymous said...

I have an old Tracfone flip-phone with 2000 minutes, I bought a LG 4G/wifi smartphone from walmart-online, the same phone is sold by tracfone and both said phone would work in my area. My question is can I transfer everything from the old phone to the new smartphone- my old phones 2000 minutes, Service Days, and my old phone number? The new phone is a StraightTalk, which is Tracfone sister company. I do not know if phone will be a "locked" or "unlocked" status or if that even applies to straighttalk phones.
Thanks

Unknown said...

I just receive this information from tracfone when I check the website my zip code and carrier that is tmobile and the model is IPhone S5 said is compatible and will work with nano sim card that already buy but still not arrived....Is correct this information or are errors in the website...thanks

Anonymous said...

I have the same problem. I live in north central Kansas. I tried with a galaxy s4 and was told there isn't coverage here. Does anyone know if there will be? What I don't understand is Verizon has 4g LTE here but why won't it activate? I previously activated a iPhone 4 with no problems.

julesrules3114 said...

If you call them directly, they will transfer all your minutes to the new BYOP.
My iPhone 5s has been working flawlessly with BYOP (unlike my original 4s).
Drain your battery completely to zero, then re-charge.
Somehow, that substantially increases battery life, i was amazed.
I'm interested in the iPhone 6, but i do not want to tempt fate.
I'll stick with the 5s, since it's working correctly with TF and not erasing random
minutes and dropping calls!

Boozwaa said...

I recently bought an iPhone 6s plus and activated it on tracfone. The sim card tracfone sent me was the wrong one, so they sent another one and it was bad. Everything transferred over, but for some reason I could not access the internet.

After spending probably 6 hours total over two days.... being disconnected twice, and getting no resolve on the problem. I decided that despite tracfone techs telling me there was nothing wrong with my sim card I decided to buy another sim card off of amazon.com. So I called back and asked if I can just switch my sim card and try to see if this would resolve my problem of not being able to access the internet. Again, the tech I talked to said there was nothing wrong with the sim that was already in there. But I said can we just try. Went through the process again of activating sim card and iPhone.... then like magic everything worked. Tech person said, "it looks like the sim card we sent you was bad"...no kidding?

So after the long phone calls, which I always dread with tracfone, in which often times I can't hear them nor understand their english, I am now fully enjoying my iPhone on the verizon network.

kONDAVETI said...

I've been using tracfone for more than 3 years with CDMA phone. recently, I moved to Tracfone BYOP to make sue use of high end of smart phones. It is really great that tracfone offers BYOP program at lower process but service is at worst in my area. I called up customer care and I'm told that BYOP program uses - AT & T but not verizon. Service really "sucks" especially when in basements or shopping malls. I wish tracfone could use Verizon as service provider for GSM too.

I strongly advise not to go with Tracfone BYOP where AT & T service is poor. Let me know if someone has any clue how to resolve this issue without moving to CDMA phone?

Anonymous said...

I bought a 3rd gen Moto G from motorola, got the smart phone 4g activation kit from TracFone and activated with no issues. Now my 90 days of service are up and I'm not clear on which card to buy to add air time minutes. There are minutes specifically for BYOP/smart phones but other cards also have minutes, text and data. Do I have to get the (more expensive) smart phone cards to get 4G service or will the regular minutes work just as well? I rarely use data or text.

TracfoneReviewer Team said...

Yep, you can buy any Tracfone Airtime cards to use with your smartphone. Tracfone is introducing certain new cards just for smartphones, but you don't have to use them.

Boozwaa said...

Activated another iPhone 6s plus for my daughter today. Again, it was bought from the Apple store. Went online to enter the IMEI number and it qualified. This time I bypassed tracfone and bought the sim card from Amazon since the last one tracfone sent was the wrong size and the correct one they sent me was bad. Tried activating it online but again had a problem and had to do the dreaded call to Tracfone.

I went through the process of giving the rep the info, etc. and then she comes back to tell me that my phone does not qualify. I told her that I had just went online and it showed that it did. She asked me which carrier my phone is coming from and I told her that I just bought it from the Apple store and she proceeds to tell me that only phones that have previously been on a plan from a different carrier, such as, Verizon, qualifies for the BYOP. I told her that I just activated a new one a couple of weeks ago. She tells me that is not possible, in other words she probably thinks I was confused. So she tells me that I cannot do it. So I decided what would be the point of arguing with her and hung up.

I then decided that I would call back this number that I was given the last time to go directly to their "Direct Response" techs and use the case number for my previous transfer and activation. I explained the situation and she was glad to help me even though it was not related to the previous case. Went through the process again with this Tech and then everything went through and it activated. Took only 15 minutes for the whole process.

The moral of the story I guess is, if one tracfone rep says no can do, call back and get someone else. Both My daughter and I are enjoying our phones on the verizon network.

Anonymous said...

John I'm sorry to hear that, however I didn't lose my minutes moving from my pop icon to a Nexus 6. I did lose my data however but I figured I am saving so much using tracfone and only spending about 7 bucks a month on this service it was worth the risk even if I lost my minutes data and text who cares. I can't get this service at this price with this coverage anywhere else. Well worth the risk for me and I'm glad I upgraded. Take care.

Unknown said...

you had no problem transferring you # and minutes? I ordered the LTE kit from Walmart for $3, will be in store by Wed. My phone should be here on Monday. I have about 5k minutes and I always by the 1 year card so I don't have to keep adding minutes. Thanks.

Unknown said...

My Moto X Pure Edition should be here on monday, since it uses any system, is it better to activate with GSM or CDMA? Since the kit comes with both versions can you switch back and forth?

bolbyfairy said...

can you use the less expensive airtime cards for 4g lte service? has anyone tried this?

Unknown said...

Yes, as long as your phone is 4g lte capable....and everything triples. For example, a one year 400 minutes card is equal to 1200 mins, 1200 text, 1.2 gigs of data. If you need more data you can always add 4 gigs of data for $50. Also, everything rolls over when you need to add more, so everything keeps accumulating.

RayW said...

Does anyone know if I can use a Windows phone such as the HTC One M8 phone with the 4G LTE BYOP Tracfone service?

Roefm said...

In process of buying a used Samsung Galaxy s4 that was with sprint but wanted to verify it could be activated first. Put in DEC # & than tried HEX# which is same as MEID# per what online information says but TF online system said sorry not compatible, but than I went on another companies web site that does free verification checks for you & it said that the phone was clear, not stolen & ready for activation. I am not way out in the country so tower capability shouldn't be the problem. Anyone have any clue what the problem of compatibility is? Phone is 4g Lite & sprint is cdma but phone can also take a sim. I have had other smartphones BYOP's like Iphones & LG's & activated & transferred phone number & minutes etc. with no problem.

RayW said...

Well, I ended up getting a Samsung ATIV SE Windows phone instead of the HTC One M8. It was a lot less money and I still wasn't sure about it activating on TracFone. I can confirm, as with Android and Apple, the Windows phone does work with TracFone. So, in the end, I answered my own question.

Unknown said...

Are you using the AT&T network? If so could you let me have the APN Internet and MMS settings? I have a windows phone which is working ok on calls and standard text but data will not activate.

TracfoneReviewer Team said...

Try visiting Tracfone's site for updating your APN settings: https://www.tracfone.com/direct/controller.block?__blockname=direct.byop_apn.landing_tf&app=TRACFONE&lang=en&init=Y&TLJID=Rv1KWryfMh9WJQRxSkjJyglLDj8ThHGnnCH115V1m7Jy6QkGdQcK!1875829147!1454109407111

Unknown said...

Do i still get triple minutes with byop? The tracfone rep i got on the phone said no but some websites say yes please help

TracfoneReviewer Team said...

Yes, all smartphones with Tracfone get triple talk, text and data.

Anonymous said...

Will a NEW, unlocked Motorola Moto x Pure Edition be activated on the BYOP? If so, any tricks necessary to get on CDMA (Verizon} as GSM (AT&T) has poor coverage here.

Anonymous said...

BAD PROGRAM! I thought this would be a great program, almost to good to be true. I was very careful in purchasing a phone that would be compatible on the network. I found a nice iphone 5s on verizon 4g LTE that was compatible, so i bought it. When I tried to activate it, I was told there is not Verizon coverage in my area. Over the past two months, I have spent 15+ hours on the phone with Tracfone and it is still not activated. On one phone call, I was transferred high enough to someone who could help. He told me this was a problem on Tracfone's end and to call back in 48hrs to see if it is fixed. I did but have gotten nowhere. I am about ready to give up on on tracfone. Very disappointed

Anonymous said...

Do not get this program. I thought it would be perfect for me, but I was wrong. I checked the compatibility of an Iphone 5s before I bought it, and it was compatible. Now I bought it and tracfone can't activate it. Talk about false advertising.

Unknown said...

How long does it take to transfer my old tracfone to byop? I've been waiting for hours and now both my phones don't work

Anonymous said...

Bought an iphone 5s GSM used like new phone from Amazon and transferred my number from my iphone 4s Verizon tracfone account. Everything worked so smoothly (surprisingly). I bought the 4G LTE kit at Walmart & did everything through my account on the Tracfone website. The only snag was I kept waiting for my old phone (4S) to say "no service". This did not happen & the next morning I turned on the 5S & saw it worked. Just not sure how long the transfer took. This is the easiest tracfone transaction I ever had. Also all of my minutes, texts & data transferred no problem. I made sure check my account & save the screen shot to have proof of minutes before transfer. Only downside is now virtual voicemail does not work on tracfone network on 5S. It did work on the 4S using tracfone through the Verizon network.

Anonymous said...

Yes you can, you can do it through the website or by contacting a tracfone representative

Anonymous said...

I have the exact same problem. I activated 2 phones with tracfone. They sent me the micro sim, activation failed and they sent the nano sim and activation succeeded. For the 3rd phone they sent the micro sim again but this time the first 2 people I talked to could not figure out how to send me a nano sim. I am going to try tracfone a couple of more times to see if I can get someone competent person. If not I will purchase a Tracfonr nano activation kit from WalMart. The only think is I need to do that online. I visited the store and there were none there.

Anonymous said...

After 2 hours and 5 reps I found John who was able to change my order to a nano SIM card. The problem is that the Verizon IPhone 5 sends you down the "Other/Don't know" path on the website which kicks out a micro card. The website needs to be updated to ask you if you have an IPhone 5 or later so that you are sent the nano card in that case. For now the recommendation is to call in the activation and request a nano card at that time. They may still STILL send you a micro card, but at least you have a chance of getting a nano card. It's not the reps fault, they need either experience or additional procedure documentation. Just plan on patiently spending a few hours each time with different reps until the website is fixed.

Unknown said...

i have the exact same issue...was it ever solved?

Unknown said...

I just used a zip code close to mine (not too close in my case, I used one from Omaha, I live 2 hours away) When I entered that zip code everything was perfect. Enjoying my phone, excellent coverage and unbeatable Tracfone prices. Tip: Look in the Verizon map a place near you with good LTE coverage. Find out the zip code for that area...

lls123 said...

Found this article very helpful: http://www.prepaidphonenews.com/2016/02/new-policy-may-require-verizon-prepaid.html

Anonymous said...

Just activated a BRAND NEW personalized Motorola Moto X Pure Edition I bought directly from Motorola. I used an activation kit that had both the CDMA and GSM SIM cards along with added 60 min card I bought from Walmart. The Moto X is NOT locked to any specific phone provider so I was able to choose between using CDMA or GSM. After checking around to see which should give me the best coverage for my area I chose to activate the CDMA SIM. Using the Tracfone BYOP website I transferred my number over. I did have to contact Tracfone via chat to make sure I got my minutes transferred, which did take some time. Overall it took approx 2hrs to now be completely switched over (from the time I activated my phone on the Internet to chatting with the tracfone rep). I'm VERY happy! :) Figured I would add my experience into the mix since I have been watching this page and debating whether or not to try to upgrade to a REAL smartphone (my previous phone was a Tracfone branded LGL39C I bought in 2014). Hope this helps somebody out there. Thanks so much for this website and everyone else's input!!!

julesrules3114 said...

So i'm loving the iPhones on BYOP, and yes, i upgraded yet again.
Tracfone told me i could not switch sim cards between phones, but
i tried anyway, and my new phone accepted the old nano sim & transferred
everything over instantly.

My question is:
I want to sell the old iPhone now that i have the new one, but is my account
still tied to the old phone?
Can someone purchase it on eBay, add their own sim, and have it function?
Or will it say, phone is in use?

I'm not sure if my account is tied to the sim or the actual device, with BYOP.

Anonymous said...

I purchased an S7 SM-G930FD Duos World Phone. I bought the Tracfone activation kit from Best Buy and follow the online instructions and transfer my tracfone number from LG Ultimate 2 (Tracfone Device) to my new BYOP. I waited for the Tracfone BYOP to mature to pull the trigger. Now my S7 works perfectly with calls, text and data. It connects to ATT cell towers and I get 4G all the time. No issues at all and have been using this phone for over two months. Good luck if you buy and unlocked galaxy s7. It works... :)

Anonymous said...

I activated a reconditioned Verizon unlocked iPhone 5s that I purchased on eBay. I didn't transfer another tracfone - I just set up a new account. Everything worked but it was a slightly confusing process. I went thru the activation on the Tracfone website - it prompted me to first remove old profiles from my iPhone - I couldn't even find this option with iOS 9. Then it prompted me to open a browser and go to an APN update page - I repeatedly got an error when I tried to do that saying "Unknown Error". The APN update is supposedly needed so that you can get cellular data. However, after powering off then on a couple times (I waited overnight too, but I'm not sure if that made any difference), the cellular data was working anyway. So I'm thinking that this is an old step in their instructions that is no longer needed? The other confusing thing was the Tracfone "Bring your own smartphone SIM Kit" that I purchased on Amazon for the CDMA nano Sim Card - included in the package was a Network Activation card with a scratch off pin code which it said I would need during activation. I never needed that. So again, are these just old instructions? Everything works, but it was a little confusing.

Unknown said...

I need help activating an iphone 5c unlocked phone i purchased off ebay, they claim i cannot activate phone ? simcard is directly from tracfone

Unknown said...

TracFone FAIL! Just purchased a LG G Vistw (VS880pp) from Best Buy. Verified it was unlocked until activated, so I ordered my activation kit and went home to set it up. I checked the website (www.tracfonebyop.com) for compatibility and got the "Congratulations" message. I didn't want to open until I checked there FIRST! So, on getting the good news, I opened the box, pulled out the Verizon SIM that comes in the phone, and put in the SIM from the activation kit. I went back to the site, and when I tried to activate, I got an error telling me to call tech support. First, I got Guyana. She said it was NOT compatible. She said needed a HEX number. It's not on the phone and the phone doesn't have one. I then did live chat with LG. They said the IMEI is the HEX and I need to tell them. I also asked if LG's info showed any compatibility issues with Tracfone. They said it did not and should work fine. Then called Tracfone back and I got Colombia. She got my info and was checking, and then.......disconnect! Called back and got the Philippines. He was more helpful, but we got the same compatibility issue again, so he escalated to another department. This guy and I checked everything, then he asked me about LTE. LTE? Of course, it's a 4G LTE, I said proudly. That's when he said the LTE was the issue and he could not, at this time (?) activate the phone because of some kind of data issue with LTE. Wow! Hope I can get my money back on this phone? So, website is incorrect (he said they were a different company), I now have to resume my search, and have tele-travelled across 2 hemispheres and 4 countries over 4 hours of a day I can't get back. BYOP BEWARE!!!

LFPV said...

If you have a 4G LTE phone (I have pre-ordered the Moto G 4th Gen) and it is CDMA and GSM compatible - which is better to use with Tracfone if given the choice? I have an activation kit which includes the SIM card for either CDMA LTE or GSM LTE. Thx for any help you can be with this.

TracfoneReviewer Team said...

Good choice on the Moto G, looks like a great value. First, check with Tracfone about which they use in your area. One way to check is to view the phones available for sale on the Tracfone website, and type your home ZIP code in. If both CDMA and GSM phones show up, then you can choose either one. If only one or the other type of phones show up, go with that one. You can also ask around and see what network is popular with friends/family in your area. If everyone seems to be using either ATT or Verizon, go with whatever they use. In some areas, both CDMA and GSM networks have great coverage so it doesn't really matter.

Unknown said...

I have a windows phone on AT&T using CDMA sim and I cannot get the data connection to work. Calls and text work perfectly. Tracfone representatives on call & online chat have provided many different codes to reset my phone settings but nothing works, however it works very well in my old Samsung S2.

Unknown said...

Maybe you should try using a GSM sim card on the phone since that shares AT&T Network.

LFPV said...

Thank you - since I had already activated a GSM sim card I stuck with that - it's AT&T. Looks like coverage just a tad better with AT&T. It was nice of you to take the time to answer my question. Much appreciated.

cinwi said...

Have a BLU Advance 4.0L which passed compatability at Tracfone site. Ordered a GSM Tracfone BYOP SIM kit sold by Tracfone thru Amazon with some other stuff. When we tried to activate, Tracfone said it is a Straight Talk SIM. No luck online, via chat, on phone. Will try another SIM kit ordered straight from Tracfone but this was very frustrating!

Gran Puba said...

Word to the wise or to whom it may concern. Never call tracfone customer services. You probably know why by now, but if you Google the department in Florida, you get Americans & don't get lied to. I just read through all these comments and the bad experiences u have with their customer service is typically repated to them lying because they don't know the answer to something they should. Most of the time I either get lied to or figure it out on my own with no help for the other line. Rest assured that when they say something can't be done 9 out of 10 it is.

Jake LaRue said...

I have been using a Samsung Note 4 with TracFone since September 2015. When I started, I received triple minutes/data/texts, but now when I add data or texts my purchase is no longer tripled.

Unknown said...

You have to have an UNLOCKED phone to BYOP to Tracfone. You cannot transfer a Verizon phone to Tracfone as your phone is dedicated to Verizon. If you've been with Verizon for 6mo or more you can ask them to unlock your phone so you can transfer your service to Tracfone.

Unknown said...

Go to another MVNO provider, like US Mobile, TPO (The People Operator), TING, Go to the Best prepaid and No Contract Phone service in the US and this website is update constantly wit the current information on taking your unlocked phone (one where you can replace the SIM), and get service from any MVNO.

Anonymous said...

i have a tracfone zte stratos. After powering up the phone, but before activating at tracfone, should i be able to see mobile network bars shown on phone?

Unknown said...

Wanted to get the Moto G 4th gen phone but the statement on the bottom of the Amazon ad says it is not compatible with Verizon CDMA. "Unlocked cell phones will not work with CDMA Carriers like Sprint, Verizon, Boost or Virgin". Higher up the ad there is a chart which says it is compatible with Verizon, At&t and others. I want to get it for $199 but want to use Verizon. Can anyone clarfy this? Thanks

TracfoneReviewer Team said...

It should work fine with Verizon CDMA. The Moto G 4th gen is fully compatible with both CDMA and GSM networks - making it a very convenient phone. I'm not sure why Amazon says it isn't compatible? If you buy from Amazon and it isn't compatible for some reason you should be able to return it.

Anonymous said...

I have a Verizon compatible iPhone 5s that tracfone says is compatible to activate. Before I decide whether to do that, could anyone tell me if the iPhone will be able to be used at, say, Verizon again should I decide to switch back from tracfone? Thanks!

Unknown said...

I was about to order a new Unlocked iPhone SE from Apple direct and use the BYOP CDMA kit, but a chat with Tracfone rep said I could only use the GSM SIM kit. The rep said it had to be a Verizon phone, which tells me I had to have used it on Verizon first, not a new Unlocked phone. I also asked whether I could purchase the phone compatible for Verizon from Apple, but was told it had to be a Verizon phone. Very confusing information out there. You cannot enter the information about the phone on Tracfone's site until you actually have the phone, so it is a crap shoot to make a purchase. (grumble)

Unknown said...

186 011 597 966 467

Unknown said...

Yes# 05011967