Tracfone: What Are the Pros and Cons?
- Good selection of phones
- Wide variety of plans available with data carryover
- Offers pay as you go
- Does not sell plans with high-data allotments
- Data is hard-capped but top-ups available
- Not known for great customer support
- Plans can be expensive except for low usage plans
Phone Plans
Tracfone Pay As You Go Plans
 | TracFone PG Network(s): Verizon | Calling Card $25 | Minutes/Data 500/500 MB | SMS/MMS 1,000 | Duration 60 days |
| | TracFone PG 35 Network(s): Verizon | Calling Card $35 | Minutes/Data 750/1 GB | SMS/MMS 1,000 | Duration 60 days |
| | TracFone PG 45 Network(s): Verizon | Calling Card $45 | Minutes/Data 750/1.5 GB | SMS/MMS 1,000 | Duration 90 days |
| | TracFone PG 50 Network(s): Verizon | Calling Card $50 | Minutes/Data 750/2 GB | SMS/MMS 1,500 | Duration 90 days |
| | TracFone PG 365 Network(s): Verizon | Calling Card $125 | Minutes/Data 1500/1.5 GB | SMS/MMS 1,500 | Duration 365 days |
| | TracFone PG 199 Network(s): Verizon | Calling Card $199 | Minutes/Data Unlimited/24 GB | SMS/MMS Unlimited | Duration 365 days |
How Tracfone Plans Work
TracFone was a subsidiary of América Móvil, which is Mexico’s largest telecommunications company. América Móvil is owned by Carlos Slim, who was according to Forbes at one time the richest man in the world. He still ranks today as one of the top ten wealthiest persons alive. In November of 2021, Tracfone was officially purchased by Verizon Wireless.
Tracfone has been around for more than 20 years and is one of the most well-known prepaid brands on the market.
Besides offering phone plans directly, the TracFone brands (now called Verizon Value brands) also encompasses several other prepaid brand names in the USA, and those include Total by Verizon, Simple Mobile, Page Plus Cellular, SafeLink Wireless, Walmart Family Mobile, Net10 Wireless (closing down), Straight Talk Wireless, and GoSmart Mobile. Collectively, the brands account for roughly 21 million prepaid wireless subscribers.
Phone Plan Details
TracFone historically specialized in offering pay-as-you-go service where customers have the ability to purchase prepaid cards that last up to a full year before expiring. That had long been Tracfone’s primary business model. However, the company more heavily markets its monthly prepaid plans which can frequently be seen in TV ads.
Pay As You Go Plan Details
Tracfone’s Pay As You Go plans are available in 60, 90, and 365-day increments. Pricing starts at $25 or $23.75 with autopay enabled for a plan with 500 minutes, 500 MB of data, and 1,000 text messages.
The plans are structured such that the total amount of minutes, data, and text messages are what you get for the duration of the plan, as opposed to monthly allotments that renew every 30 days. So if a customer were to buy the 60-day plan and use up all 500 minutes of talk in their first 15-days, they would not be able to place or receive any more calls for their remaining 45-days of service. Fortunately, allotment top-ups are available for this type of situation. Tracfone charges $10 for an additional 500 minutes of airtime, $5 for an additional 1,000 text messages, and $10 for an additional 1GB of data. A $10 global calling card is also available.
If a subscriber does not use all of their allotted minutes, data, or text message either from a top-up or from their plans service allotments, they will roll over to the next billing cycle and possibly beyond. Tracfone customers get unlimited carryover as long as they keep their service active. So if a subscriber still has 400 minutes left after 60-days of service and they renew their 60-day plan they’ll have 900 minutes that they can use over the next 60 days. Likewise, if they have all 900 minutes left after that next 60-day cycle and renew again, they’ll have 1,400 minutes to use over the course of their subsequent billing cycle.
The Limitations
Tracfone’s Pay As You Go plans have multiple limitations. As already mentioned, the service allotments are finite, and if not managed properly can become costly.
Second of all, since you are buying multiple months of service you are locked in no matter what. If you leave before the plan expires without using up all of its service allotments, that is money down the drain. And the longer a person signs up for service, the more reluctant they may be to leave for a better deal elsewhere not wanting to burn the money already invested in their Tracfone plan.
Last, Tracfone’s Pay As You Go plans are no longer the value that they used to be. Many providers now offer monthly phone plans that provide superior value and are cheaper compared to Tracfone’s Pay Go plans without the need for a longer-term commitment. Still, great hard to beat Tracfone Pay As You Go plan deals can often be found on the HSN and QVC. Through those outlets, Tracfone often bundles phones, car chargers, and cases with an annual plan that costs less than the price of buying Tracfone’s annual Pay Go plan directly from Tracfone itself.
Monthly Plans
Tracfone first released monthly phone plans around July of 2019. A month is defined as 30 days of cellular service. The plans have since been updated several times.
A total of 6 monthly plans are offered. All plans include a finite amount of hard-capped data where data gets turned off once the given allotment has been reached. Autopay discounts of $5 are available for the first two months of service. All plans also support WiFi calling, but to gain access to the feature customers have to first enroll in it. Mobile hotspot isallowed. Unlimited carryover of unused service allotments is included with all Tracfone monthly plans.
You can view Tracfone’s main monthly plans below with the available auto-refill discounts highlighted :
- $15 – unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, 1GB of data
- $20 – 4GB of data
- $25 – 6GB of data
- $30 – 10GB of data
- $40 – 20GB of data
All monthly Tracfone plans have a data-add on card available priced at $10 for an extra 3GB of data. Customers who are willing to prepay for either 90, 180 or 365 days worth of service in advance will save up to 20% vs paying monthly.
Customer Rewards And Referral Programs
Tracfone does offer a customer rewards program. Over time, subscribers can earn free service or even a free phone. Rewards points are earned by purchasing or renewing a Tracfone plan and also presumably by purchasing a phone. The amount of rewards points earned vary based on the plan being purchased. For example, the $15 monthly plan includes 15 rewards points when purchased. However, subscribers must accumulate 1,500 points to earn 1 free month of service with the plan. The $30 plan on the other hand yields 30 points but requires an accumulation of 3,000 points to get it for free.
The rewards program also includes a customer referral program. A subscriber that refers 1 friend gets a free month of service for both themself and their referred friend.
Tracfone
This wireless plan's guide is part of BestMVNO's comprehensive coverage of Tracfone. See BestMVNO's coverage of the latest Tracfone news or visit the links below to sign up for service, or configure your APN settings.