How to renew my service with TF?

[Merjolie]

I haven't been paying attention to TF changes, so I'm out of the loop. I have a phone with extreme low use on TF Verizon. Service ends at the end of July. I already have 6K minutes, 4K texts and almost 4GB. What is the best and cheapest way to renew service?

Or is it time to say goodbye to TF and move to something like RedPocket $30/year plan?

Thanks!!

[hpham]

If Red Pocket $30/year plan provides enough minutes/texts/data for your usage, then it's hard to beat.

TF used to offer 365-day add-on (no talk/text/data units) to TF-branded phones for $49.99, but I don't see it now.

If you're the wheeling-dealing type, HSN is offering a 2-Pack of Moto G Pure phones, each with 1500/1500/1500 and 1-yr of service, for $109.99 . There's an HSN Referral Deal where the referee and referrer each gets $50. That will bring the price down to $59.99. Activate phone #1 with a transfer from your current phone, then activate phone #2 with a transfer from phone #1. In the end, you'll have a new phone with your existing balances + 3000/3000/3000 and 2 yrs of service for $59.99 + taxes (free shipping). Not a bad deal.

EDITED: You can also activate phone #1 with a transfer from your current phone, then wait 60+ days for it to get unlocked by TF, then activate phone #2 with a transfer from phone #1 . Phone #1 then can be used as a spare, or with a non-TF provider after it got unlocked.

I noticed that your profile says you use iPhone. If you prefer to stay with your iPhone, you can transfer service from the Moto phone #2 back to your iPhone.

[PL1]

I haven't been paying attention to TF changes, so I'm out of the loop. I have a phone with extreme low use on TF Verizon. Service ends at the end of July. I already have 6K minutes, 4K texts and almost 4GB. What is the best and cheapest way to renew service?

Or is it time to say goodbye to TF and move to something like RedPocket $30/year plan?

Thanks!!

TF is still selling the 1 YR plans on Ebay for $60 (there may even be a 20% discount ciode SUMMER20SAVE) for VZ, or TMO, or AT&T. I have not heard if anyone has been successful with the old method of adding the sim and transferring the existing balances and number from the old sim. Just thought I'd mention it. (It usually gets cheaper on the Holidays, like $30-$40.)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283448464240 Tracfone Prepaid Wireless Smartphone SIM+Plan-1200 Min,1200 Txt, 3GB Data

[sillyette]

If you're the wheeling-dealing type, HSN is offering a 2-Pack of Moto G Pure phones, each with 1500/1500/1500 and 1-yr of service, for $109.99 . There's an HSN Referral Deal where the referee and referrer each gets $50. That will bring the price down to $59.99. Activate phone #1 with a transfer from your current phone, then activate phone #2 with a transfer from phone #1. In the end, you'll have a new phone with your existing balances + 3000/3000/3000 and 2 yrs of service for $59.99 + taxes (free shipping). Not a bad deal.

EDITED: You can also activate phone #1 with a transfer from your current phone, then wait 60+ days for it to get unlocked by TF, then activate phone #2 with a transfer from phone #1 . Phone #1 then can be used as a spare, or with a non-TF provider after it got unlocked.

If you're up for even more wheeling-dealing fun, you can use one of the two Moto G Pure phones to sign up for Tracfone's rewards program using a referral code (mine! please PM me for my code! ) to get 8,000 points = $80 worth of TF service.

Then combine all the balances from that phone with your existing balances to get more service time and more balances. And the phone will be unlocked in 61 days too. Plus you will get the eternal gratitude of a starving student (me!) for using my TF rewards referral code!

[loboheeler]

TF used to offer 365-day add-on (no talk/text/data units) to TF-branded phones for $49.99, but I don't see it now.

$49.99 365-day add-on is still available on my line. You do need to buy something else to get the offer. A $5 text add-on would do. The old add-then remove from the cart trick does not work anymore.

[TheBard57]

If you want to keep your existing minutes/texts/data, you can purchase an "Extension" for 365 days, for a decent price.

Ebay offers such things for about $60, from third-party sellers.

Tracfone offers that too!

1. Log into your account (I use my desktop when I perform this action)
2. Buy a $5 text or $10 data or whatever add-on.
3. Then, look around the payment page for even more add-ons, similar to $50 for 365 day extension.

Advisory: This works only on TracFone branded phones. If your phone is a BYOP, you will not find that additional extension info.

[tomseys]

$49.99 365-day add-on is still available on my line. You do need to buy something else to get the offer. A $5 text add-on would do. The old add-then remove from the cart trick does not work anymore.

Recently on the new site a few people were able to purchase the $49.99 365 service day add on by itself using the $10 global calling card like this:

https://www.howardforums.com/showthr...ar-of-service?

Don't know if it still works - I no longer have a Tracfone branded line/phone to test it.

(The $49.99 365 day service add-on is only offered to TF branded phones in the checkout cart. BYOP lines do not get it.)

[tomseys]

I forgot I manage a friends Safelink phone which is TF branded.


Still seems to work.

Add the $10 global calling card to the cart.

This takes you to the checkout cart scene below.

First, select the $49.99 365 access day add-on from under Special Offers:


Attachment 171664



Then, deselect the $10 global calling card from the same section:


Attachment 171665


Like I mentioned some folks were able to buy it like this, but like with so many things TF, YMMV.

One other thing to note is that this $49.99 365 day special offer add-on cannot be bought with points.

[whacker]

Thanks for confirming this (again) with details!

[bigbw]

I too need to renew service on my wife's phone. After checking out several alternatives, I just went on the TF web site and bought the $99 one year card, (the min/txt/data were all tripled, not sure if that is normal or a special deal). Are there cheaper ways available, most likely, but this did not require anything special and $99 is still cheap for a years cell phone service.

[mtfster]

Just bought 1 year service as add-on. First you have to add at least $5 texts add-on to cart, then $49.99 offer will appear. You can't remove $5 addon ftom cart now.
I have to use Edge browser on Windows. TF website is not working with Firefox.

[bigbw]

Just bought 1 year service as add-on. First you have to add at least $5 texts add-on to cart, then $49.99 offer will appear. You can't remove $5 addon ftom cart now.
I have to use Edge browser on Windows. TF website is not working with Firefox.

Great, but not possible with BYOP

[hpham]

Great, but not possible with BYOP

With BYOP, you can use the ebay SIM preloaded with 1-yr and buckets whenever it's on sale for $50 or less. Easy to activate with a transfer on TF/AT&T and TF/T-mo. A bit more hassle with TF/Verizon if the same phone IMEI is used.

[mtfster]

Great, but not possible with BYOP

You can buy one year service on ebay for $60.
Works for me on BYOP line.

[bigbw]

With BYOP, you can use the ebay SIM preloaded with 1-yr and buckets whenever it's on sale for $50 or less. Easy to activate with a transfer on TF/AT&T and TF/T-mo. A bit more hassle with TF/Verizon if the same phone IMEI is used.

I have TF/VZ and the last two sims I bought were a real pain to activate with a transfer. I was told they were only for new activations. I was able to get them both done, but too much of a pain.