Assurance Wireless is a telephone service provider subsidized by the federal Lifeline Assistance program. It is a Lifeline provider that offers eligible customers free mobile devices, unlimited texts, free minutes, and free data. While they offer a certain amount of free minutes, you can always add additional voice minutes (and data) to your plan. In this article, we will learn exactly how to do that.
What to Do Before Adding Minutes to the Assurance Wireless
Qualify
The first thing you must do before adding minutes to your Assurance Wireless service is to become an Assurance Wireless customer. In order to become a customer, you must qualify for the federal Lifeline Assistance program. You can qualify based on your household income, unemployment, or participation in a public assistance program, such as Medicaid or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Learn more about how to qualify and apply for Lifeline assistance at how to get assurance wireless free phone
Find Best Assurance Wireless Plans
Assurance Wireless offers some convenient plans that come with different amounts of minutes and data. You can check them out below and choose the one that will best fit your budget and your minutes and monthly data needs.
The basic Assurance Wireless Lifeline-only free plan varies from state to state. It always comes with unlimited text messages, a certain amount of minutes (it used to be 250, now, it’s up to 1000), and a certain amount of monthly data (generally 4.5 to 6 GB). In California, the basic plan comes with unlimited minutes, therefore, you have no need to purchase extra minutes.
On top of your free Lifeline plan, you can add one of the additional plans listed below.
- $15 plan. It comes with unlimited texts, unlimited minutes, and 1-5 GB of data (500 MG or 4.5 GB is free data, and 500 MG is plan data).
- $20 plan. It comes with unlimited texts, unlimited minutes, and 1.5-5.5 GB of data (500 MG or 4.5 GB is free data, and 1 GB is plan data).
- $30 plan. It comes with unlimited texts, unlimited minutes, and 4.5-8.5 GB of data (500 MG or 4.5 GB is free data, and 4 GB is plan data).
- $45 plan. It comes with unlimited texts, unlimited minutes, and 10.5-14.5 GB of data (500 MG or 4.5 GB is free data, and 10 GB is plan data).
You can choose the plan and purchase it at assurancewireless.com/help-center/data-and-services.
Purchase Phone Minutes or an Airtime Card to Add Minutes and/or Data
In addition to the free basic Lifeline plan and the additional plans listed above, Assurance Wireless also allows you to add some extra minutes or monthly data to your plan.
You can add 250 additional voice minutes each month for $5 and pay $0.10 for each additional voice minute.
In addition, you can add additional data with 30 days of service.
- For $1, you will get 100 MB of additional high-speed data
- For $3, you will get 500 MB of additional high-speed data
- For $5, you will get 1 GB of additional high-speed data
- For $10, you will get 2 GB of additional high-speed data
- For $20, you will get 4 GB of additional high-speed data
- For $30, you will get 5 GB of additional high-speed data
How to Add Minutes on Assurance Wireless
As we have mentioned above, the basic Assurance Wireless Lifeline-only free plan varies from state to state. It always comes with unlimited text messages, a certain amount of minutes (it used to be 250, now, it’s up to 1000), and a certain amount of monthly data (generally 4.5 to 6 GB). To find out exactly how many minutes and data you can get in your area, simply visit assurancewireless.com and press ‘Apply Now’. You will be asked to enter your ZIP code and once you do and press ‘Enter’, you will be informed whether Assurance Wireless is available in your area at all and how many free minutes and data you can get.

In California, the basic plan comes with unlimited minutes, therefore, you have no need to purchase extra minutes. However, in other states, the number of minutes may seem too low and you may decide to add some additional minutes to your service. After all, once you use up all of your minutes, you will only be able to make an emergency 911 call or contact Assurance Wireless customer support and you won’t be able to receive any incoming calls.
To add minutes, you can either pay 10 cents per extra minute or upgrade your free Assurance Wireless plan.
- Pay 10 cents per extra minute
This method may be great for those who seldom use up all of their free monthly minutes and if they do, they only need a small number of additional minutes at the end of the month. To pay 10 cents per minute, you must have some money in your account.
- Upgrade your free Assurance Wireless plan
In case you tend to use up all of your free minutes every month, you can add $5 each month to get 250 additional voice minutes, which gives you 250 to 500 free minutes. This offer doesn’t allow rollover minutes, as such all the unused minutes will be lost at the end of the month.
You can also buy an additional $15, $20, $30, or $45 plan. They all come with unlimited minutes and a certain amount of monthly data (1/5 GB to 10.5/14.5 GB). In this case, you won’t have to worry about rollover minutes, as you will have the minutes and data for as long as you have the plan.
There are several ways how to purchase the additional minutes on Assurance Wireless. You can purchase additional minutes or plans online at Assurance Wireless official website, with promotion codes, directly from your Assurance Wireless phone, through Assistance’s automated phone service, or by buying a Virgin Mobile top-up card at any of Assurance Wireless retailers across the country.
Add minutes online
Visit Assurance Wireless’s official website at assurancewireless.com and log in to your account using your phone number and account PIN. Once you do so, the ‘My Account’ page will open. You can also go directly to myaccount.assurancewireless.com and log in there. There, you will be able to enter your payment method or your top-up card PIN choose either to buy additional minutes or to purchase an additional plan. You can either choose to pay for the plan immediately or at the beginning of your next cycle. You can read more about Plan Add-ons at assurancewireless.com/help-center/data-and-services.
Add minutes with promotion codes
Assurance Wireless customers may sometimes receive a promotional code for purchasing extra minutes or plans. In case you haven’t received any promotional codes directly from the provider, you may type ‘Assurance Wireless add minutes promotion codes’ into your browser and you will find some websites, such as offers.com, coupons.com, and couponxo.com that might offer some promotion codes that you can provide while adding minutes online to get a discount.
Add minutes directly from your Assurance Wireless phone
To do so, press the ‘OK’ key on your Assurance phone to see the Menu. Press the ‘2’ key to get to My Account, and then press the ‘1’ key to get to Top-Up. Enter your Top-Up card’s PIN and press ‘OK’.
If you wish to change your plan, go to your account by pressing the ‘Up’ arrow. You will see your current offer as well as the minutes you have used this month. Press the ‘Down’ arrow to see the ‘Other Offers’ section. Select the offer you want by pressing the up and down arrow keys and press ‘Select’. You can either choose to pay for the plan immediately or at the beginning of your next cycle.
Add minutes through Assistance’s automated phone service
Take your Assurance Wireless phone and call Assistance’s customer service at 1-888-321-5880 or by dialing 611. To add money to your account, select the ‘Top-Up’ prompt and you will be able to choose from several options to add money.
To purchase additional minutes, select the ‘Change your plan’ prompt. You will be able to choose from several add-on options. The plan you choose won’t be added to your account until the start of your next monthly cycle. They may require a minimum $10 top-up per purchase.
Add minutes by buying a Virgin Mobile/Assurance Wireless top-up card at your local retailer
Another way to add minutes to your Assurance Wireless service is by buying a Virgin Mobile/Assurance Wireless top-up card. You can purchase a top-up card at your local Walmart, K-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Walgreen’s, RadioShack, Virgin Mobile, etc. You can pay for the card with your credit card, debit card, or PayPal.
How to Easily Recharge Assurance Wireless Phones for the USA?
The Assurance Wireless add minutes process described above is the same in all the U.S. states and the texts, calls, and data you get can be used all over the country. International calling and texting options depend on the plan you have. Assurance Wireless is an American service provider, therefore all the recharging methods listed above go for the U.S. territories only.
Read one of our past articles Assurance Wireless Compatible Phones
How to Check Minutes After Adding Minutes on Assurance Wireless
Checking your new balance, monthly minutes, remaining minutes, data, and texts on Assurance Wireless is simple.
You can do so online by visiting myaccount.assurancewireless.com and logging in to your Assurance Wireless account. Instead, you can also visit their main website and click the ‘My Account’ icon on your home screen. On the next screen, you can click ‘My Account’ to see your minutes and data.
Another way to check your account balance is from your phone. The exact process depends on the model of your phone.
For example, if you have ZTE Quest™, Unimax U673C, Coolpad Avail, ZTE Awe, ZTE Reef, Kyocera Event, or Samsung GALAXY Ring™, you must press the ‘My Account’ icon on your main screen. Open a browser and visit the Assurance Wireless home screen. Go to ‘My Account’, sign in with your phone number and account PIN, and vies your balance of texts, minutes, and data.
On the other hand, if you have an ALCATEL ONETOUCH® Cinch™ or Jax S1360, you must press the ‘Up’ key on your phone and select 2: Balance & Usage. There, you will be able to see your balance.
You can also check your balance by contacting Assurance’s customer service at 1-888-321-5880 or by dialing 611.
What to Do if You Experience Any Adding Minutes Errors, Problems, and Questions
In case you experience any issues or errors while trying to add minutes to Assurance Wireless or if you have any questions whatsoever, you can always call Assurance Wireless customer service toll-free at 1-888-321-5880.
In case you also need information How To Replace Assurance Wireless Phone
Can You Transfer the Minutes of an Assurance Wireless Phone to Another Phone?
Unfortunately, there is very little data on how to transfer the minutes from one Assurance Wireless phone to another or whether it is possible at all.
Nonetheless, if you are trying to transfer your Assurance Wireless balance to a phone with another account holder, you won’t be able to do so.
If, on the other hand, you are trying to transfer your balance to your new or replacement Assurance Wireless phone that is in your name, you can do so by simply putting your Assurance Wireless SIM card into the new phone and activating it, if necessary.
What Type of Plans Does Assurance Wireless Offer
Assurance Wireless offers its basic Lifeline-only free plan and some additional plans.
Basic Lifeline-only free plan:
- The basic Assurance Wireless Lifeline-only free plan depends on the state and area. It comes with unlimited texts (in all states), a certain amount of minutes (up to 1000; in California it’s unlimited and thus adding minutes is not necessary), and a certain amount of monthly data (generally, it’s 4.5 GB; in California, it’s 6 GB).
Additional plans:
- The $15 plan. It comes with unlimited texts, unlimited minutes, and 1-5 GB of data (500 MG or 4.5 GB is free data, and 500 MG is plan data).
- The $20 plan. It comes with unlimited texts, unlimited minutes, and 1.5-5.5 GB of data (500 MG or 4.5 GB is free data, and 1 GB is plan data).
- The $30 plan. It comes with unlimited texts, unlimited minutes, and 4.5-8.5 GB of data (500 MG or 4.5 GB is free data, and 4 GB is plan data).
- The $45 plan. It comes with unlimited texts, unlimited minutes, and 10.5-14.5 GB of data (500 MG or 4.5 GB is free data, and 10 GB is plan data).
FAQ
Does Assurance Wireless Offer Unlimited Minutes Due to the Covid19 Coronavirus Crisis?
While Assurance Wireless doesn’t offer unlimited minutes due to the Covid-19 crisis, the federal Lifeline Assistance program does offer some benefits. To keep citizens connected during the pandemic, they have temporarily waived recertification, reverification, general de-enrollment, income documentation, and documentation requirements for subscribers living in rural areas on tribal lands. Additional orders have ensured that no current Lifeline subscribers are involuntarily removed from the Lifeline program during the crisis. In addition, the FCC has made it easier for people who have lost their employment during the pandemic and who qualify for Lifeline benefits to enroll in the program.
What Are New Assurance Wireless Promotions?
You can check the Assurance Wireless website or call their customer service to check for some promotions and special deals. In case you can’t find any there, you may be able to find some by typing ‘Assurance Wireless add minutes promotion codes’ into your browser. You will find some websites, such as offers.com, coupons.com, and couponxo.com that might offer some promotion codes, which you can provide while adding minutes online to get a discount.
Can I Get Assurance Wireless Free Minutes?
Assurance’s Lifeline-only basic plan comes with approximately 1000 free minutes each month (in California unlimited). In case this amount of minutes doesn’t suffice, you must buy additional minutes.
Is It Legal to Add Minutes on an Assurance Wireless Free Government Phone?
Of course, it is legal to add minutes on your Assurance Wireless free government phone. To do so, you can follow the instructions provided in the ‘How to Add Minutes on Assurance Wireless’ section.
Do Assurance Wireless Minutes Roll Over?
The $5 for 250 additional voice minutes offer doesn’t allow rollover minutes, as such all the unused minutes will be lost at the end of the month. However, if you buy an additional $15, $20, $30, or $45 plan, you don’t have to worry about rollover minutes, as you will have the minutes and data for as long as you have the plan.
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