What Are Double Minutes for TracFones?
By Nat Van
TracFone is a nationwide cellular phone service provider that specializes in prepaid service without contracts or activation fees. In addition to the option of buying prepaid minutes, TracFone also offers specials that include doubling of minutes for a specified amount of time. This add-on, known as Double Minutes for Life (DMFL), automatically doubles the amount of minutes purchased. It works only for the phone it is initially applied to, so it is a plan that works best for users without plans to regularly upgrade phones.
Double Minutes for Life Card
TracFone users have the option of purchasing a DMFL card, which varies in price based on whether the company is offering a specialty promotion. This card has no restrictions on it. It is associated with the phone the user owns, and each time new minutes are purchased, it allots twice as many minutes, or double, for the same price. For example, a card with an allowance of 60 minutes over a 90-day period normally costs $19.99 at the time of publication, but with DMFL that same amount of money will purchase twice that, or 120 minutes.
Texting with DMFL
Not only does the DMFL plan affect the cost of minutes, but it also affects the cost of sending and receiving text messages. Each minute is equivalent to a unit, and sending or receiving texts costs 0.3 units. With the DMFL add-on, each text message deducts 0.15 units, which increases the amount of messages a user can send or receive for the same price.
Web use with DMFL
Much like with texting, the cost of using the Internet on TracFones is also cheaper with the DMFL. Surfing the Internet on smartphones normally subtracts 0.5 units for each minute the Internet is used. With DMFL, twice as many minutes can be spent surfing, browsing or using Web applications. Two minutes of usage will result in the subtraction of 0.5 units. However, Internet use on TracFones is rounded up to the next-highest minute.
DMFL Phones
TracFone offers DMFL not only as an add-on to plans but in conjunction with specific phones. Although double minutes can be added on to any phone for an additional cost, buying a DMFL phone ensures that the phone will always have double minutes. Information on these specific phones can be found on the website, and the availability of phones varies based upon the primary location of the user.
References
Writer Bio
Nat Van is a writer who splits her time between California and Berlin. For over five years, she has worked for various news organizations, including the Associated Press and newspapers owned by the New York Times Company. She holds a B.A. in journalism and an M.A. in English.