For my upcoming Vegas summer trip I would buy a "pay as you go" cell phone for hobbying (I'm not american).
But how does it work? You buy the cell phone and is it immediately working? Do you need to activate it? Do you need to show an ID when buying it?
Sorry, lots of questions but I would appreciate if someone could explain me this
Thank you for any answer

Edit: With "pay as you go" I meant a prepaid one. I think it's the same thing but I'm not sure. Sorry for any mistake

-- Modified on 5/23/2010 9:35:29 AM

1. It does not work immediately. You buy the phone at say a Walgreens (Pharmacy) and you should probably buy an airtime card with it. Unless you plan on gabbing for hours, 60 minutes or so should work. You then need to activate the phone. This works two ways - you have to call an 800 number from another phone or do it online. For Tracfone, you can do it online and you will get to a section that asks for your name and address BUT there is a button right below that section that I translate to "there is no way in hell I'm giving you my personal information!". Click that, and you will eventually have a section that will allow you to add your airtime code. You can do it then, or add airtime through the phone interface. Just follow the instructions and your phone will be good to go. 800 number should be similar.
2. So, yes, you need to activate it but it's pretty easy and stress free.
3. No, ID is not necessary. Unless you also happen to be buying alcohol on the same purchase or using a credit card to buy a gift card, they will not ask for ID. Even if you show ID, that's just for the cashier to check and your name doesn't exactly get stored anywhere. But, pay in cash, there is 100% no record you did it, and you're good to go.

It's pretty easy. I once bought a Tracfone (it's just a brand) in Vegas and the lady walked me through the process of how it works in great detail. I suspected she knew exactly what I was doing, and that made me wonder about a few other things...

Thank you for your answer, really easy to follow.
Very much appreciated

Use the web to activate. I recently activated by phone and ended up giving up some personal information. I am single, the the faux pas won't hurt me. My reecent hobby rate is way down from the past rate. I would have to be exceptionally unlucky to use the phone and get caught up in a police sting.

I agree. There may be a thread somewhere on which burner phone brands don't require personal information. Once I figured out how to do that on Tracfone, only brand I've used. Airtime is added after activation, so for anyone I would say if you mistakenly end up giving up your personal information smash that phone with a hammer and just buy another one. If anyone were to ever ask why you activated a specific prepaid number on a prepaid phone (that you never used), say you were considering getting legal advice on a sensitive matter.

I'll use the web to activate for sure.
My English is fair but not perfect, especially at the phone, so no need to be involved in a hard conversation without being forced to.
Thank you

If you are the paranoid type, you would want to avoid activating it on the internet as it can be tracked back to you, if you used your home or something similar.  This is an extreme case and very very unlikely it will ever go to that level for something like this, but its just an fyi.

However, some phones already come with some minutes already on them.  You can activate your phone with THAT phone, then you would be good to go, with only a few minutes so buying a $15 refill card (or whatever amount you want, I'd suggest a low amount unless you plan on going out every other day and having long conversations on it)

Another thing to consider is reception.  I got a TracFone first and got zero reception where I live, so I tossed it (only $15) I went and got a Verizon one (same as my normal phone) and reception was fine.  Was $35 but it came with 10 minutes, and I could actually use it

If someone buys a Tracfone and tries to activate the phone by using the 800 number you will come to a prompt where they ask for your name and other info.  DO NOT give it to them.  Just stay on the line and wait, don't say anything at all.  After awhile the automated system will move on to the activation process without giving them that info.

Whenever you dial an 800 number in the United States, the 800 number owner gets your caller id info (number and name), whether your caller id is "blocked" or not.

Members of Congress are calling for a ban on anonymous cell phones after the Time Square attack.


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Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and John Cornyn (R-TX) joined forces and announced a new bill that would require an ID at the point of sale.

US states have followed suit; similar laws have been introduced in Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia and South Carolina,
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It is not clear if the ID requirement would also apply to buying airtime cards for existing phones.

Best grab your phones while you can. Retailers might start demanding ID even before the laws pass in order to show "good corporate citizenship."