At first glance, using a Lycamobile SIM card seems complicated. Rightly so! Lycamobile is a mobile network provider from the United Kingdom but conducts business under many names involving “Lyca” in some form. It’s present in over 23 countries worldwide and even across continents. To add to the confusion, the carrier often uses the name Lyca Mobile interchangeably, especially in the United States. Thankfully, knowing its customer base consists of fans of pay-as-you-go SIM cards with international plans, the carrier streamlined its activation procedures globally. With that said, let’s jump straight into how to activate a Lycamobile SIM card.
Foreword
The carrier has a presence in over 20 countries across the globe. Therefore, it would take a long time to cover each one in detail. While we’re inclined to eventually cover them all, we started with countries that have a large user base. Moreover, we tried to demonstrate procedures that can serve as a reference for multiple countries.
Activate a Lycamobile SIM card in the United States
Decided to start using an American Lycamobile SIM card? Good on you! You can become a user in one of two main ways:
Enable SIM card services online
Using the Lycamobile USA SIM Activation page is undoubtedly the fastest way to begin utilizing the carrier’s services. Here’s how that works based on the type of number:
New phone number
Stay in the same tab titled “Activate with new Lyca Mobile number”. Follow these instructions:
- Start by entering the TAC (Type Allocation Code) or IMEI (International Mobile station Equipment Identity)
Tip. Both can be found on the physical SIM card package, near the bar code. TAC is an 8-digit number, while IMEI is frequently 15 digits long. - Click the SEARCH button. Once it finds a match, fill out your:
- ZIP code. The code that corresponds to your location.
- ICCID. Stands for Integrated Circuit Card Identification Number, and is a number of between 18 and 22 digits. It’s printed on the back of your SIM card and should start with 891.
- Email address. Self-explanatory.
- PUK code. Scratch the silver film on the SIM card you received to unveil an 8-digit Personal Unlocking Key.
- Select your language between “English” and “Spanish”, and click on Continue.
- If everything checks out, you’ll see your phone number on-screen. That means you managed to activate a US Lycamobile SIM card.
Porting an old number to Lycamobile
The procedure is, unsurprisingly, pretty similar. After entering the TAC or IMEI and clicking SEARCH, begin entering personal details. There are a few changes since you must add:
- First Name and Last Name. Self-explanatory.
- Port in Number. Provided by your carrier upon your request. Known as PAC (Porting Authorization Code) and MNP (Mobile Number Portability).
- Account Number. The carrier should provide this when you specify you want to switch.
- Password PIN . Inquire with your old carrier. May be PIN (Personal Identification Number) of the old SIM card you can reset with PUK.
After clicking on Continue with the correct information, the form states they initiated the process. Keep using the old SIM card until it goes out of service. Insert the SIM card you got from Lycamobile when that happens, not before.
Contact Lycamobile Customer Service
If you run into trouble during any procedures, feel free to reach out to Lycamobile Customer Support in this fashion:
- Calling. Dial 1-866-277-3221 from any network around the globe (charges apply) or 612 from another Lycamobile number.
- Webchat. Click the floating sticky chat icon in the bottom right corner of any page on their website to chat with a representative.
- Social media. Send a message on Facebook (@LycamobileUSA), Twitter (@lycamobileUSA), or Instagram (lycamobileusa).
Activating Lycamobile SIM card in France, Portugal, Norway, and more
To prove our point about streamlining, you can check Lycamobile websites for Portugal, Norway, Austria, and France. You’ll notice they’re nearly identical. We don’t doubt other countries share web design and layout, and more will join once the carrier adds support. In short, one method should work for multiple countries, with, perhaps, insignificant differences here and there. With that said, follow these instructions to activate a Spanish, Norwegian, French, or Portuguese Lycamobile SIM card:
- We’ll use the Lycamobile Portugal website for demonstration.
- Switch to English in top right corner if you don’t understand Portuguese.
- Click on My Lycamobile in the upper right corner.
- Select Register.
- On the page that opens, do one of the two:
- Enter your phone number into the first text field. Type the last 4 digits of an 18 to 22-digit ICCID into the one below.
- Type your 8-digit PUK after scratching off the silver foil on the SIM card you received.
- Click on Continue. Keep an eye on the progress bar on the left-hand side.
- Select your date of birth using the calendar feature.
- Now’s the time to enter personal details we mentioned in method 1.
- Configure settings about promotions and newsletters, and how/if Lycamobile should contact you.
- Agree to the Terms and Conditions and click on Continue.
- You’ll now receive a summary of your entire input. Double-check it’s correct before selecting Continue.
- If you did everything right, you’ll see a “Congratulations! Registration Successful!” message.
- Insert your SIM card, and you can start calling, texting, or using data right away.
Register a Lycamobile SIM card in Spain
Although the two methods above showcase the majority of what you’ll encounter, there are more options. In the case of a Spanish Lycamobile subsidiary, on top of the online registration method we just covered, there are two others. Here’s what else you can do to complete Lycamobile SIM card registration within Spain:
- Visit a physical store. Clerks in official and reseller stores alike can register a SIM card on the spot. Make sure to bring an ID and some cash. Although the SIM card is free, you may have to pay for plans upfront.
- Send a scanned document. Lycamobile Spain delivers printed sign up forms alongside a SIM card. After filling out the form and taking a photo or scanning it, send the image to [email protected]. Attach a picture of your ID and the SIM card itself, with ICCID and PUK visible. If you don’t get a response, reach out via a contact form on their website, phone call, or social media.