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How to Activate Coles SIM Card

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Did you become a Coles user and were asked to complete SIM card activation to start using their services? That is standard practice in due to Australian law, preventing carriers from giving out preactivated SIMs. Luckily, that is rarely an issue, considering how straightforward the procedure is. Further, their Customer Service representatives are happy to help during long business hours. The only downside is that lots of underage users complain about the inability to register. Many users under the age of 18 have signed up for other Australian mobile carriers, e.g., Kogan. If that’s not a problem (the policy can change, too), you should know how to activate a Coles SIM card.

1. Activating a new prepaid Coles SIM card

We will assume that you are a brand-new user with an unlocked phone and no prior connections to an Australian mobile network provider. Otherwise, you’ll have locking issues we’ll mention in the next section. With that said, their process is designed to be simple. First, a reminder: after checking their online plans out, Coles lets you purchase one, create an account, enter payment information, and will send you the SIM card within 3 to 8 business days. Then, once it arrives, follow these steps to activate your Coles SIM card:

  1. Head over to the Coles SIM card Activation page.
  2. Sign in to your user account. If you got the SIM card from a reseller, create an account below. Coles may autofill some personal data if you do the former.
  3. After logging in, you’ll be taken to Step 1—Your SIM. Now:
    1. Enter the serial number for the SIM card under “Sim Number”. You can find it on the back of the full-size SIM card you got. If that doesn’t work, enter your new mobile phone number, typically above the bar code.
    2. Under “Type” configure the type of top-up (default is AutoRecharge monthly, using the payment information you provide).
  4. In Step 2—Your Address, you’ll be asked to provide personal information and, most importantly, the address they used to deliver the SIM.
  5. During Step 3—Your Number, you must provide your mobile phone number and other details.
  6. Moving to Step 4—Your Payment concludes the activation. Enter payment details, so Coles can charge you for your first top-up and, optionally, configure a recurring payment for peace of mind.
  7. After the confirmation message, you can insert the SIM card Coles supplied into your device. The activation procedure can take between 15 minutes and 48 hours. You’ll know it worked when the network bars appear full.

Note. Activating is only possible within 30 days of the day of purchase (online order). If you bought the prepaid SIM as part of a promotion, you can only enable it and benefit from the promised perks 30 days after the advertised start date.

2. Instructions to port a SIM card phone number to Coles

We want to remind you that Coles Mobile uses the 4G network OPTUS owns across Australia. This is a great thing in all areas but one—carrier locking. To clarify, if you purchased a device from OPTUS, there’s a chance they carrier-locked it, i.e., you would need to unlock the SIM card to begin using the Coles one.

Without getting into the specifics again, we will state you can pay the carrier to unlock it. Alternatively, you can go the unofficial route and save some money by hiring an experienced third-party unlocking service (likely a nearby mobile repair shop). Regardless of the method and the carrier in question, you must fulfill these conditions before beginning transfer to Coles:

  • The device must be unlocked
  • Only the account holder can initiate the account transfer
  • The old carrier service must not be deactivated
  • You must get rid of debts to the old operator
  • User must provide the correct type of plan they are transferring from (postpaid or prepaid)
  • You must provide the account number only for an old postpaid carrier
  • The date of birth must match both carriers, and you must be over 18 years of age

Port number from another carrier to Coles

With all that said, the process is nearly identical to the one above. Here’s how it works:

  1. Instead of step 3, substep 1, you must select Keep Your Number before entering your current mobile phone number. You can also download the Coles Mobile app mentioned below and do the same after logging in.
  2. After receiving a 6-digit code to the old phone number (hence it needs to remain active), Coles will do the rest. The transfer can take between 15 minutes and 4 hours during a business day. If the day ends, Coles will activate the SIM card early the next business day.

3. Reach out to Coles Customer Support

As usual in our activation guides, if things turn sour at any point, users have the option of getting in touch with the carrier. Not all problems are on the client-side, after all. With that said, you can contact Coles Customer Service in these ways:

  1. Calling — Dial 130 265 370 to reach Coles Customer Care. The carrier will respond between 9 AM and 8 PM AEST (Monday-Friday) and 10 AM to 6 PM AEST (Saturday-Sunday).
  2. Live chat — Click the Chat with support icon on nearly all pages on the website. When it expands, enter first and last name, email, and contact number. Set “Enquiry Type” to Activating my SIM card before clicking the Start Chat button. Same working hours as phone.
  3. Download the Coles Mobile app for Android and iOS Coles Mobile app — This is optional since you can chat from the mobile browser. However, the app has an Online Help and Support page that lets you open live chat, manage your account, oversee porting status, and so on.