TracFone Unlock Policy and Tips to Bypass – Detailed Guide

In UnlockHere, we believe all users should have the freedom to use their mobile phones with any network without restrictions, and that understanding and meeting the Tracfone unlock policy shouldn’t be so complicated. That’s why we’ve come up with the perfect guide, in which we’ll explain all there is to know about this carrier’s SIM-unlocking criteria and present you with the perfect alternative to fix your smartphone even if you are not eligible.

What is the Tracfone Unlock Compliance and why does it apply to Phones from other Carriers?

What is the Tracfone Unlock Compliance and why does it apply to Phones from other Carriers?
What is the Tracfone Unlock Compliance?

A lot of people don’t know this but Tracfone’s service is not only offered under this brand name, but they also own a lot of other companies like, for example, Straight Talk, SafeLink Wireless, Telcel América, Simple Mobile, etc. Now, the reason why there is a Tracfone unlock policy shared among all those companies is that before, they used to deny users the opportunity to obtain service from other providers, which resulted in a settlement led by the FCC.

In those negotiations, they set what we know as the “Tracfone Unlock Policy” with the Federal Communications Commission, which covers all of Tracfone’s brands and allows customers to unlock their devices under certain conditions. So, even though now there’s a chance you can get your device SIM-unlocked, you’ll have to meet those conditions and requirements for them to approve your request.

Will Tracfone lock my Device even if I pay Full Price for it?

Yes, contrary to what a lot of people think, the carrier will enable the lock no matter if you didn’t finance your smartphone on an installment plan and didn’t take any promotional discounts. In fact, they also lock devices that were bought from other companies and that were originally sold as “unlocked”, so no matter if you own a non-Tracfone phone, they’ll still put the restriction on it.

Is it True that I need to reach 12 Months of Active Tracfone Service for the Unlock?

Is it True that I need to reach 12 Months of Active Tracfone Service for the Unlock?
Is it True that I need to reach 12 Months of Active Service?

Unfortunately for many people, this is correct: The carrier requires a minimum period of paid and active service on their network before you’re eligible for SIM-unlocking your device. This means that it’s not like you can leave whenever you want, on the contrary, you have to wait and keep using your Tracfone Wireless service plan for a certain timeframe.

Now, the amount of time you’re required to stay active starts at 60 days, but in most cases, your phone must have been active on the network for at least a year. This depends on the type of plan that you have and other aspects that they take into account, but anyway, this is one of the most important requirements of the Tracfone unlock policy.

Cases under which the required minimum period of active Service can Change

  • Deployed Military Personnel:
    When a customer registered as military personnel receives orders to relocate outside of the coverage area and has the corresponding deployment papers, Tracfone will unlock their phone upon request no matter if the user met the minimum stay period or not.
  • Tracfone Devices on an Installment Plan:
    If you financed your smartphone on a monthly payment plan with the carrier, you must wait until you finish paying for it (only if that is more than the regular timeframe of 1 year). So, if you bought your mobile phone in, for example, 24 installments, then you’ll have to wait 2 years to get your unlock code.

What other Eligibility Requirements are there on the Tracfone Unlock Policy?

What other Eligibility Requirements are there on the Tracfone Unlock Policy?
Eligibility Requirements on the Tracfone Unlock Policy

Unlocking your device directly with the carrier can be very complicated, not because of the process itself but because of the criteria you have to meet. Aside from the one mentioned in the previous section, you’ll also have to make sure the phone is fully paid for, your account is up to date, and your IMEI doesn’t have any blacklist report. There can be more requirements depending on the type of plan you have and the specific terms of your contract, but those are the principal ones you’ll definitely be asked to meet.

Where do I call for Questions regarding the Tracfone Unlock Policy?

If you have questions on regards of the SIM-unlocking terms and conditions that this carrier manages, you’ll need to contact them by calling 1-888-442-5102. In that same line, you can check your eligibility, learn more about your phone’s locking status, place your unlock request, and even check the status of your request if you already submitted it.

Is it True Tracfone charges $300 for users to get the Unlock Code they need for their Phones?

Unfortunately, yes, but that’s not always because if your phone is eligible for the unlock, the Tracfone customer service representative won’t charge you anything; however, if you don’t meet the eligibility criteria, you’ll have to pay a fee. Most specifically, we’re talking about the minimum period of active service on the Tracfone network, which if you don’t meet, will have to pay an early termination fee calculated based on how long you were active before placing the request, but that is normally $300.

Is it possible to Unlock a Tracfone Phone without meeting the Carrier’s Requirements?

Is it possible to Unlock a Tracfone Phone without meeting the Carrier's Requirements?
Don’t meet the Tracfone Unlock Policy?

You sure can, thanks to UnlockHere’s unlock service, now it is possible to fix any locked smartphone in a matter of minutes, no matter if we’re talking about an iPhone or an Android phone. With us, there’s no need to meet the conditions of the wireless service provider or anything like that, as long as your device is locked to the Tracfone network, you can request an unlock for us to do the job!

Tips and Recommendations for Unlocking Tracfone Mobile Phones 

  • Remember to keep the IMEI number of the locked device handy: No matter if you process your request with the carrier or with an external service like UnlockHere, you’ll need it. You can find this important code by dialing *#06# on the smartphone or looking it up on this settings app or the original box in which it came in.
  • Make sure the phone is not reported on the blacklist database: As blacklisted devices cannot get connected to any network at all, they won’t work even if you unlock them from their carrier. So, before you proceed with UnlockHere’s or Tracfone’s unlock process, make sure the device’s IMEI is not reported (this happens a lot when people buy second-hand phones).
  • Use a trustable unlocking service to fix your locked phone: If you already tried calling the carrier’s customer support department but they didn’t help, the best tip we can give you is to use UnlockHere’s safe, effective, and free unlocking software.

#1 Method to unlock your Phone from Tracfone without any Eligibility Requirements!

#1 Method to unlock your Phone from Tracfone
#1 Method to unlock your Phone from Tracfone

In UnlockHere, we believe all users should be allowed to use their old and new phones with any network and provider they want without restrictions; at the end of the day, they’re the owners of the phone, paid for it, and should be able to use it freely. That’s why we had to step on and put ourselves on the task of finding a safe, quick, and simple solution to the problem, and we found it on Nifty, our AI-powered unlock assistant, which can unlock any device locked to Tracfone for free.

How can I unlock my Phone using UnlockHere’s AI-powered Platform?

This process is very simple, all you have to do is visit UnlockHere.com (our official website where all requests are processed) and select the carrier-unlock option to access the form that corresponds to that process.  Now, talking about the form, well you’ll need to fill it out with the following key pieces of information, which are very important for us to successfully unlock your Tracfone device:

  1. Your name.
  2. Your email address.
  3. The specific brand of the phone.
  4. The IMEI number of the Tracfone smartphone.

After that, submit your request and activate it via email for us to start working on your case, which shouldn’t take longer than one or two hours depending on the number of requests we’re processing at the moment. Remember that all this is 100% free of charge, so you won’t have to pay anything, and there’s definitely not a $300 early termination fee for not being active on Tracfone service; this is the best opportunity you’ll find!