Tracfone Beginners Guide - New to Tracfone? Start Here!

How to Get Started with Tracfone Prepaid Service

If you're new to Tracfone, or want to know more about how it works, this is the place to begin!

How Tracfone Works - Beginners Guide

Learn the basics of what Tracfone offers, the  phones and airtime available, and how to get your phone up and running!

Also get a general overview of the different kinds of prepaid minutes, from add-on to unlimited, we've got all the details to get you started with Tracfone here.

Update: We just shared the Top 10 Most Common Tracfone Questions and the Answers, so be sure to take a look at that as well.

Let's get to it!

What is Tracfone Wireless?

Tracfone Wireless is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that provides both prepaid service and a variety of branded smartphones to use with their service. They do not have any contracts and all airtime has unlimited carry over for talk, text and data.

Tracfone Wireless is the parent company of several other brands including Straight Talk, Net10, Total Wireless (now Total by Verizon), and some others. All of these brands offer prepaid service with Tracfone generally offering the most affordable options. (Learn more about all the different Tracfone brands)

Tracfone was recently acquired by Verizon which is leading to a variety of big changes, such as the rebranding of Total, and will likely include Verizon phasing out the use of ATT and T-Mobile networks by Tracfone users and switching them all over to Verizon's network. All phones activated going forward will likely only be allowed to be activated on Verizon's network.

What Does Tracfone Offer and How Do Minutes Work?

Tracfone offers prepaid cell service in the form of airtime cards that can be purchased from a variety of places, including online and in stores. Below are the service options.

Tracfone has four different types of cards:

• Regular airtime cards - Can be used with regular phones or smartphones, comes with varying amounts of airtime and service days
• Smartphone-only airtime cards - Can only be used with smartphones, comes with a certain amount of talk, text, data and service days
• Unlimited smartphone cards - Only for smartphones, comes with unlimited talk and text, a certain mount of data (1-8 GB) and 30 service days (there is also a 1 year card)
• Add-on cards - Only for smartphones, comes with either talk, text or data in a specific amount and no service days.

The Smartphone airtime cards can be used with any smartphones, and offer specific amounts of talk, text and data (plus service days) on each card. Generally, the smartphone cards are a better deal than the regular airtime cards, for those that use a moderate amount of talk/text/data each month. The smartphone cards range in price for $15 to $125, with different amounts of service days and airtime on each card.

Unlimited smartphone cards are somewhat new, and offer unlimited talk and text, 30 service days, and a certain amount of data (1-8 GB). These cards are between $20-40. For people that use a lot of airtime, especially calling or texting, these cards are a great deal. 

Unless otherwise marked, the Regular airtime cards come with 90 days of service. So, for example, if you buy a 60 minute card (which usually costs $20), you get 60 minutes for calling and texting, and also 90 days of service time. The regular airtime cards come with either 60, 120, 200 or 450 minutes. When you add a regular airtime card to a smartphone, the airtime is automatically split into talk, text and data. With the 60 minute card, that would be 60 talk, 60 SMS texts and 60 MB Data.

If you use all the 60 minutes, you can't make any more calls or texts. And if you go beyond the 90 days without renewing, you also can't make any more calls or texts. So you don't want either to run out!

The nice thing is that minutes and service days roll over. So if you already have 100 minutes, and 10 service days, when you add a 60 minute card, you will end up with 160 minutes and 100 service days! The smartphone cards work in the same way.

It is important to keep track of your minutes/service days because you don't want to run out. Here's our guide to the best ways to track your airtime.
 
Tracfone service can be very low cost, as little as $10 a month (even less for some!). And there are prepaid plans that automatically add airtime and service days so you don't have to worry about it.

Airtime is deducted for sending or receiving calls, for sending or receiving texts, and also for using the web (when not connected to WIFI).

On Android smartphones, airtime is split into three pools, one for calling, texting and data. Learn more about how minutes work by reading our Guide to How Minutes Work with Tracfone Smartphones.

Now, let's move on to activating your Tracfone.

How to Get Started with Tracfone

Setting up a new Tracfone devices is very easy, and can usually be done in a few minutes, with it taking a few hours to fully activate. 

How to Get Started with Tracfone:

1. Get a Phone - Choose a phone offered by Tracfone, or bring your own compatible unlocked phone. Check compatibility on the Tracfone website.
2. Activate Phone - Start the activation process on the Tracfone website, or text 'activate' to 611611. Follow the steps to get your phone activated. You can choose to use your existing phone number, or get a new one. For unlocked phones, you may need get a SIM card (or have one mailed to you).
3. Select an Airtime Card - Choose an airtime card to fit your needs, and add it during the activation process. Tracfone offers many different airtime cards, including unlimited options, and some with up to a year of service.

When you finish the activation process, be sure to follow any additional steps, including restarting your phone and testing the calling/texting functions.

Each Tracfone device should come with a small red card that includes instructions, and the phones serial number which you will need to register the phone. For BYOP phones, you will need a BYOP SIM card kit which Tracfone will mail to you.

You can activate your phone by following the directions, and either calling Tracfone or going online to their website. You can choose to either activate your phone with a new number, or transfer your number from your old phone.

The process for activating phones with Tracfone is usually very easy, and doesn't take much time. But occasionally, and especially with BYOP phones or some smartphones, you might run into problems that cause it to take longer. The key is to be persistent and patient.

Once your phone is activated, you will be able to manage your minutes on the home screen (except for the smartphones, where you can use the Tracfone My Account App). You can also check your minutes by signing in to the Tracfone website and going to your account page. Learn 4 Ways to Check your Tracfone Airtime for some additional methods!

Visit our Guide to Activating Smartphones and BYOP devices for more information on these newer phones.

Now that your phone is all set, you can add minutes to it, and start enjoying the freedom and flexibility of a no-contract phone.

What Phones Can I use with Tracfone?

As we mentioned above, Tracfone sells locked devices for use on their cell phone network. They get these phones through partnerships with many major cell phone makers like Motorola, Samsung, Apple and others and offers them at often discounted prices. Tracfone also allows users to bring almost any unlocked phone that is compatible with their network.

Tracfone offers a lot of different phones, and it releases new options frequently. see all new phones on our List of the Latest Tracfone Smartphones. 

Visit the Best Tracfone Smartphone List for our top picks, or also see our Best Budget Picks (under $100).

Tracfone cell phones are locked to Tracfone for a certain amount of time, but they can be unlocked in most cases. Check if your Tracfone can be Unlocked in our recent guide.

See more smartphones options on our Cell Phone Reviews page. Also learn How to Add Texts to your Smartphone and How Data Works on Tracfone Smartphones for more in depth information.

'Bring Your Own Phone' or BYOP, is a program Tracfone offers that allows users to bring their own device to use with Tracfone service. In general, an unlocked phone is required, but some locked devices will also work. There are a wide variety of unlocked smartphones available that offer great performance at a reasonable cost. Take a look at our list of the best unlocked smartphones to use with Tracfone.

To activate a phone with the BYOP program you just need your device and a BYOP SIM kit. Learn more about what phones will work and the activation process on our BYOP page.

The BYOP program is great for users who want to get the most out of their phone or enjoy shopping for bargains on unlocked phones.

Tracfone Promo Codes

If you are new to Tracfone, you might not know about Tracfone Codes! These are codes provided by Tracfone which will give you extra minutes or discounts for free whenever you add a new prepaid minutes card. There are certain codes that work for different Cards. Tracfone hasn't been updating these codes as much in the last few years, but there are still some discounts available.

Visit our Tracfone Promo Codes page for all the codes, and more details.

Additional Tracfone Resources and Helpful Links

We want to share a few more additional resources for learning more about Tracfone, and getting the most from your device. So browse the following links and take advantage of the information.

For the latest deals and sales on Tracfone devices, head over to our Deals and Discounts category which features periodically updated blog posts that share the lowest prices on Tracfone devices and minutes.

If you have a new smartphone, two posts which are great resources are The Best Android Apps for Tracfone, and Tracfone Smartphone Cases and Covers.

Don't miss our new list of 23 Pro's and Con's for Tracfone.

Well we hope this information will help you out, and be sure to leave a comment if you have questions! Also share this along with a friend who could also use it!

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Thanks for visiting!