Current Best Method To Use Points To Add Minutes To Phone NOT In Account With The Points?

[Boz1]

In this case, the line is currently active in a different account, with a 09/09/2026 expiration date.

Is the best way to remove the phone from the account it's currently in, add it to the account holding the points, use the points to add minutes, and then move the phone back to its original account?

I want to use 6,000 points to buy 6 x 500 minutes add-ons.

Is there a different or better way to do this?

Thanks!

[PaulCrawhorne]

Can't anymore between different accounts iirc.

Yes you can shuffle the lines around and back but what a hassle, and risky.

Best to just keep four active lines per MyAccount, and keep inactive devices elsewhere

[hpham]

In this case, the line is currently active in a different account, with a 09/09/2026 expiration date.

Is the best way to remove the phone from the account it's currently in, add it to the account holding the points, use the points to add minutes, and then move the phone back to its original account?

That's how I'd do it. Recently, I moved a phone from acct A into acct B to use up 5000 pts in acct B, then moved the phone back into acct A.

Acct B had 5000 pts and the line in it was going to expire at end of August, so I wanted to use up its points. I move the phone back into acct A because acct A has 8000 pts and I want to save them for future use (the phone has service out to 2028). Also, acct A is at the top tier for referring and get referring points reliably. Acct B was created earlier this year, made 2 referrals and didn't earn any points.

[Boz1]

Can't anymore between different accounts iirc.

Yes you can shuffle the lines around and back but what a hassle, and risky.

Best to just keep four active lines per MyAccount, and keep inactive devices elsewhere

Why / how is it risky?

[Boz1]

That's how I'd do it. Recently, I moved a phone from acct A into acct B to use up 5000 pts in acct B, then moved the phone back into acct A.

Acct B had 5000 pts and the line in it was going to expire at end of August, so I wanted to use up its points. I move the phone back into acct A because acct A has 8000 pts and I want to save them for future use (the phone has service out to 2028). Also, acct A is at the top tier for referring and get referring points reliably. Acct B was created earlier this year, made 2 referrals and didn't earn any points.

Thanks. I just moved the receiving line to the account with the points. I also have an active line in that account that isn't being used.

I'm planning to move the receiving line to the account with the points I want to use, waiting a day, then combining the balances from the unused line with the line I moved into the account, waiting another day, and then purchasing 3,000 minutes, 6 x 500 minute add-ons, with the 6,000 points, and then moving that line back into the original account after another day of waiting.

[PaulCrawhorne]

The risk is they screw it up, you need to spend lotsa time with CS and maybe lose stuff never get it back.

I would just do one operation at a time, and maybe wait more than 24hrs after confirming / testing everything is stable before doing the next

[kaZZoo]

purchasing 3,000 minutes, 6 x 500 minute add-ons, with the 6,000 points, .

Are you referring the 500/500/500,

I see it as 1500 reward points.

[hpham]

Are you referring the 500/500/500,

I see it as 1500 reward points.

I think he's talking about the 500-minute add-on which costs $10 or 1000 points, do it 6 times.

[jet1000]

I'm planning to move the receiving line to the account with the points I want to use, waiting a day, then combining the balances from the unused line with the line I moved into the account, waiting another day, and then purchasing 3,000 minutes, 6 x 500 minute add-ons, with the 6,000 points, and then moving that line back into the original account after another day of waiting.

The purchases should go fine. I would make sure you see the 500 minutes register each time before doing the next one. Sometimes either the website balance or texting BALANCE to 611611 doesn't update instantly.

That's smart in waiting a day before each transaction.

I haven't seen issues with just moving the device between the accounts and I do it often.

[sillyette]

Thanks. I just moved the receiving line to the account with the points. I also have an active line in that account that isn't being used.

I'm planning to move the receiving line to the account with the points I want to use, waiting a day, then combining the balances from the unused line with the line I moved into the account, waiting another day, and then purchasing 3,000 minutes, 6 x 500 minute add-ons, with the 6,000 points, and then moving that line back into the original account after another day of waiting.

Boz1, is the "receiving line" the one with 09/09/2026 expiration date?

If that's the case, and if you're planning to do a combine with this line, I would be worried that it's a huge risk given the horror stories about combine-balance. (Or maybe I'm just too chicken where anything Tracfone is concerned!)

[hapollo8]

Or maybe I'm just too chicken where anything Tracfone is concerned!)

I hear you... I feel the same but quite a few veteran members here say doing it yourself between the accounts you have control over seems to minimize that risk and has a high success rate with less errors.... go figure.

the risk to something going wrong seems to increase exponentially when you involve a CSR in the process.

Think when you involve a CSR, you risk getting an untrained one who claims to know what they are doing, that it's against policy or some other excuse or can't do it right because of the lack of training. Then trying to get it fixed after the fact being an exercise in frustration.

[hpham]

I hear you... I feel the same but quite a few veteran members here say doing it yourself between the accounts you have control over seems to minimize that risk and has a high success rate with less errors.... go figure.

When moving a phone from one account to another, you can do it yourself, and there's little to no risk. You request the site to remove the phone from your account, TF sends a text to the phone, you respond with the text, the removal is done. If it fails, the phone stays in the same account, no harm. Same process with adding a phone to an account. If it fails, the phone is "floating", it still works and has its buckets/days. Not a big deal.

With a combine, you can't do it yourself so you have to ask a rep to do it. That's when there's a risk of the rep screwing up things.

[PaulCrawhorne]

And having LOTS of balance and service time in the source buckets that you got by "gaming the system" (RPs and harvesting bundles) rather than paying retail pricing

will often be seen as suspect, and make it very hard or even impossible to retain or recover once wiped

[Boz1]

Boz1, is the "receiving line" the one with 09/09/2026 expiration date?

If that's the case, and if you're planning to do a combine with this line, I would be worried that it's a huge risk given the horror stories about combine-balance. (Or maybe I'm just too chicken where anything Tracfone is concerned!)

Yes, and thanks for the feedback. I'm going to do it, anyway, since I've done many combines from other throwaway lines to this line in the past. I HAVE read that it's getting more difficult to do this recently, but I'll be really careful, and I'll end the chat and try again if I get any bad feelings from the chat CSR. If I can find the time, I'll be doing this sometime today, or tomorrow.

[PaulCrawhorne]

when you involve a CSR, you risk getting an untrained one

Yes the real secret to success is developing the spidey sense to know when to bail.

But know that it's often the WELL trained ones who claim it's no longer allowed or even impossible.

The veterans who are willing to break the rules are the ones you want, but they are getting thinner in the ground.

This varies by call center, so giving at least a few hours between attempts may increase your odds.

Even just a few minutes will help not just getting the same CSR again.