Forum Discussion

Canuck_Travelle's avatar
May 14, 2021

Tracfone Top Up from Canada

We are Canadians, we have a Prepay Tracfone and it runs out June 1st this year. We put $100 US on it every year for a year extension and it rolls over the existing time to it. I tried to add another $100 US on it thru the Tracfone website but it seems ok but does not go thru.
I wonder if other Canadians might have Tracfones with time still on them and what they do.
I hate to lose my minutes, I have a lot and to start all over again when we finally get back to the US would be a bummer.
I guess I could call them but in calling in the past I end up in a call center in Guyana, S-America and its extremely difficult even though the center talks English to understand the person. I have heard that one can call a Tracfone number in Miami which would get around that difficulty in understanding the language.
Anyone else in Canada have Tracfone and renewed their airtime without any difficulty?
Thanks for any help!
  • Community Alumni's avatar
    Community Alumni
    Glad it worked out

    ... Eric
  • Thanks everyone for their replies.
    I used Chat this morning with a rep but they referred me to a person in Tracfone that called me a few minutes later, not too bad English, rep was in the Philippines. I guess it was my Aeroplan Visa that somehow would not go thru I think because of the ZIP/Postal Code issue....have no idea why but I tried another TD Card and it went thru, only negative was the last card the lad forgot to use the PROMO...oh well it was $15 US so anyway not a big deal, happy to get the Account renewed, it did add 1200 Minutes, 1200 Texts and another 1.18 GB Data so we are good to go....if and when the US border opens.

    Here in NB they are vaccinating those turning 18 this year. I looked at the NB Site and if one was 18 and looking at the site at 8AM this morning one could get Pfizer or Moderna at 10AM at the Coliseum the Vaccination Government site.....Amazing.

    So if that keeps up everyone that wants a vaccine should be able to get it almost immediately. My second one is early July. Saying all that I think the border will open sooner than anticipated as the US authorities being ahead of us are calling for opening it up much sooner.
    Thanks for the responses....Ernie
  • Thanks Michael, I was thinking of trying that, might be better than voice communications....Ernie
  • I'm not from Canada, but we have 3 Tracfones, one for my wife and one of each kid (almost 20 and 18). Calling Tracfone is a pain. Since they added it to their website, I have always used Online Chat for help and find it much more useful. Just don't mention that you are in Canada.

    -Michael
  • Community Alumni's avatar
    Community Alumni
    Ernie I have a US upstate NY address that I use for things like this but I still use my Canadian Visa credit card and haven’t had any issues buying new minutes online. I’ve had my account for many years so maybe my ‘data’ is somehow grandfathered into their system. Sorry I couldn’t have been more help.

    ... Eric
  • Darryl&Rita, thanks for the reply, yeah, if only we had known when we left in March, 2020 we would have bought a card at Wal-Mart but we had no idea that this whole COVID-19 thing was going to go on and on.

    We allways put a $100 card in the account before we leave giving us a year plus a few months like it has to be renewed by June 1st of following year so that has been great for 17 years.....until now, with 10,000 minutes on it I kinda hate to lose the time banked.
    Oh well got a few weeks left to figure it out....and hoping the US/Canadian Border is also open this fall.
  • Hi Eric, thanks for your reply. I tried to add time by going through the Tracfone site and I even used a Promo and everything was accepted but can't get around the ZIP CODE thing as I want to put in my Postal Code but no way to do that, tried leaving it out...no go, tried to use my Zip Code for our house in Florida won't take that either. Also the site at least on my tablet will not allow anything but numbers, no letters. Looks like a glitch on their site.
    You got any magical way to get around that? If not I might have to call them, it's real odd as one can put in Canada as one's Country and I can put in New Brunswick as my province but still asks for the ZIP CODE. Really appreciate any help....thanks....Ernie

    As an aside it sorta reminds me when getting fuel down south usually at "Flying J"s and if you put your Canadian credit card in and put your zip code for your house in Florida it would tell you to go inside to pay but if you took the numbers off your Canadian postal code and added two zero's it would work at the tanks.... until the last time we went south before Covid-19 it stopped my card, had to call TD as what I did comprised my card...it worked for 10 years....until it didn't....LOL
  • Community Alumni's avatar
    Community Alumni
    I just pay the bill online with a credit card and next time that I cross into the US it has updated. You can also check your account online after paying and it will show your new service date and all of your remaining minutes.

    I’ve been doing this several years now.

    ... Eric