Flip Phone to Smart Phone SIM Card

[Lor]

My dad has a prepaid flip phone from Virgin Mobile. I want to switch him to a smart phone and transfer to Public Mobile plan.  Do I need to buy a new SIM card from Public Mobile?  Is the SIM card in the flip phone the same as the one smart phone would use.  Must maintain the same phone number.

How do i get started?

Thank you

[darlicious]

@Lor 

The referral code gets added on the 4th page of the activation portal along with a promocode if applicable. As below...

[Lor]

Thank you for detailed explanation.  
Where can I use my referral code ?  Is it when I open the new account for dad?

[softech]

@Lor 

Yes, you need to buy a new PM SIM and activate the account.

Yes, you likely can easily keep your phone number, just request Porting / transfer old number when you activate the account

To absolutely sure your number can be transferred, check this site (it is a Koodo site, but Telus owns PM and Koodo, so the result is the same for PM):

https://secure.koodomobile.com/checktransfereligibilityparrot/default.do?lang=en&appname=otherportal

[Meow · Accepted solution]

To open PM account you need to buy PM SIM, open account and activate PM SIM.

Switching SIM from Virgin to smart phone will just make smart phone to continue using Virgin services.

If you must use same number from Virgin then:

- Get PM SIM, open PM account, activate SIM

- Pick ANY offered local number.

- DO NOT close Virgin account.

- When everything works as expected at PM side, SMS/calls/Internet initiate posting - switch numbers from Virging to PM. LEAVE Virgin SIM in a phone as you will receive SMS from Virging to authorise number transfer. Reply Yes within 90 minutes. Wait until porting is completed.

If you miss 90 minutes windows to reply Yes, you will have to contact PM agent to re-initiate porting. Even after replying Yes porting might not be successful and then again have to contact PM agent for assistance.

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/choose-your-phone-number

[darlicious]

@Lor 

Your Dad would need a public mobile sim card but its a tri-cut sim card so it has a nano, micro and regular sized sim card. You simply snap out the correct size and save the sim card frames in case you need to go up or down in size. Most smart phones take a nano sim and most flip phones nowadays take a micro sim card.