How to Add Minutes to Your Free Cell Phone

A government-assisted cell phone provides you with up to 250 monthly minutes to go with your free cell phone. While that’s a generous contribution from the government, it’s really barely enough airtime to get by on for a month. But good news! You can easily buy more minutes for your phone from each of the major Lifeline cell phone companies. And if you use a promotion code, you can get some very good deals.

We’ve listed below how-to articles for the three major Lifeline companies. They all have different procedures, so be sure to read the one that pertains to you. And if your phone is from Safelink Wireless, make sure you go to the article about the promo codes.

How to buy extra Safelink/Tracfone Wireless minutes
How to buy extra Assurance Wireless minutes
How to buy extra ReachOut Wireless minutes
Safelink/Tracfone Promo Codes

{ 88 comments… read them below or add one }

Nikki March 18, 2013 at 5:13 pm

how do i know which one my bf’s government fones through, all i know is it says boost mobile on the back but he gets free mins put on it once a month im trying to add mins to it but idk which carrier he has it through bc his dad gave it to him and all it says is boost mobile and there is no option for boost.

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teresa April 11, 2013 at 9:32 pm

I have assurance wireless, over the last month and a half I have had no service in or around my home???? I get a call it goes to voice mail, I try to access voice mail, the call drops and is not audible?? I have to go over 2 miles from my home to make a call, it still drops calls and if I go 5 miles than I can have a successful call. I called assurance 8 times over the last month and could not get an answer to why no service? the other day they asked me if i had other buildings and trees near my home?? the nerve..of course Im poor on housing and live in an apartment and we live in oregon? where is is not any trees. I had no problems the first year at all. Yesterday I went to target and they told me the truth that sprint is revamping there network so the cell towers are not working that great?? Why cant assurance be truthful. So I called assurance and told them about the sprint revamping ( which is who assurance wireless uses for there service) and the “Live Advisor” spilled her guts and told me everything??? but why is it taking well over a month to have service?? Im disabled and need a phone in my home..Im not getting any answers fro assurance??? what can I do I cant use my life line any where else?? i cant activate my net 10 phone but for the low minutes I have to pay over $20.00 Im now paying assurance $5.00 for barley any service untill when ever sprint gets done doing whatever.. This vent is for those on assurance who have not been told by assurance or target what is going on with your service..

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joe ochs April 14, 2013 at 1:56 pm

i would like to know why im not getting my free minutes

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ruby thompson April 22, 2013 at 8:47 pm

i put 5 dollars on my phone today for the extra package thing n i didnt get it instead its taking minutes off at a time how do i get this straighten out my cell number is *** 879 9110

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ruby thompson April 22, 2013 at 8:52 pm

i want the 250 min for 500 instead its taken 2 dollares off for texting i cannot talk n thats all i can do i have no voicebox n i rely on the texting to talk with my family n friends

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Kimberly Webb April 28, 2013 at 11:08 am

I just got monthly minutes and my phone is not working. When I call it from another phone I get a busy signal. Can you help

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Francis Holland April 29, 2013 at 1:17 pm

my phone is shut off.Can i buy minutes for Phone 4702140603?

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kristine May 3, 2013 at 4:48 pm

I need ,imutes now. please

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carlos cano May 15, 2013 at 6:35 am

I would like to have android straight talk or any other com partible phone but .I don’t know if it work with gov plans if it works how much it cost the telephone and how much is the plan whit internet at this moment I pay 26.50

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