Previously activated but not used Sim

[Janey]

I activated one of two sim cards.  After activation and account set up, I realized I assigned the wrong phone number to the wrong sim card.  I have one phone activated now but the other phone won't accept the previously activated sim card even though it was registered 30 minutes prior.  How can I use this card for the second phone?

[RosieR]

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@Janey wrote:

What I should have done was move the activated card to the other phone (associated with that number) but instead changed the sim card.  At the time I thought it made sense, not realizing I wouldn't be able to reuse the card for the other phone.

Thank you both for your assistance, I think I'll just bite the bullet and order a new card.  🙂 

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Hi @Janey well if you are buying a new sim card, read this thread.  Public Mobile sim cards on sale for $1.99 each.  Get a couple, just in case.   I had ordered PM sim cards from CCS before and delivery is quite fast 2-3 days.

Welcome to Public Mobile and the Community!  

[Janey]

What I should have done was move the activated card to the other phone (associated with that number) but instead changed the sim card.  At the time I thought it made sense, not realizing I wouldn't be able to reuse the card for the other phone.

Thank you both for your assistance, I think I'll just bite the bullet and order a new card.  🙂 

[LurganIeUk]

@computergeek541 I think so too but @Janey is saying no. Remains fishy. 

[computergeek541]

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@Janey wrote:

That's correct.  It was activated under a number which was 30 minutes later assigned to a new sim card.  The original sim card now appears as "invalid".

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Although my original message was a mistaken reply to the information in your first post of this message thread, it now applies.

A Sim card cannot be activated twice.

When you activated the sim card and then switched that account to a different sim card, the first one is now unusable. You can't activate it again. 

So, it's my understanding that you activated it, and when the service didn't work, you sent in to the self serve account and assigned that account's service to a different sim card?  

Unforutnately, the sim card that was used to originally activae the account is now garbage.

As to why the service isn't working, it could be a phone compatibility issue, or it could be an account provisioning issue.

[LurganIeUk · Accepted solution]

If an hour or so has passed. Try your problem SIM card like this:

Go to the PM activate page 

Enter the SIM number

Type anything into the next field. 

If nothing happens it is a ready to use SIM

If you get a red message of “Invalid SIM” then you will have to buy another or look for a free one on Craigslist. 

[Janey]

Just the one account as I wasn't able to set up the second due to the inactive sim error.

[LurganIeUk]

Yup...I agree. Did you create 2 Public Mobile accounts? Or did you do one account with one SIM card then go back and change the SIM card on  that one account?

[Janey]

Ok.  Here we go.  It's confusing.  🙂. I needed to transfer two phones from another provider.  I ordered two sim cards.  Unfortunately when I entered the information for the first phone I input the number for the other phone instead.  As I couldn't change the phone number for the account but only the sim card, I switched the card for the one yet to be used and successfully registered it.  That left me with the first, registered sim card to attach the second number to.  But, since had been activated earlier it was recognized as invalid.  Confusing, I know.

[LurganIeUk]

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@Janey wrote:

That's correct.  It was activated under a number which was 30 minutes later assigned to a new sim card.  The original sim card now appears as "invalid".

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Ahhhh something fishy. If you activated 2 cards they should  have 2 different phone numbers. I think you need to elaborate. 

Did you create 2 accounts? 

[Janey]

That's correct.  It was activated under a number which was 30 minutes later assigned to a new sim card.  The original sim card now appears as "invalid".

[LurganIeUk]

But an activated SIM card should be able to move from phone to phone. Is that not what @Janey is asking?

[computergeek541]

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@Janey wrote:

I activated one of two sim cards.  After activation and account set up, I realized I assigned the wrong phone number to the wrong sim card.  I have one phone activated now but the other phone won't accept the previously activated sim card even though it was registered 30 minutes prior.  How can I use this card for the second phone?

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Sorry, but sim cards can only be activated once.