How to Activate TPG SIM Card

TPG Telecom Limited is a well-known provider of SIM cards in Australia, making their activation an important procedure. Though they amassed recognition as Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Limited, it was their mergers in 2009 and 2020 that took things to the next level. As of 2020, TPG is in third place in terms of total subscribers in the country, with 5.8 million. Besides offering prepaid and postpaid SIM cards, the company also operates as ISP (Internet Service Provider). Now that you know so much about this Australian mobile network carrier, let’s dig into how to activate a TPG SIM card.

Note. Unlike some other carriers that design two separate methods for new phone numbers and those ported from other carriers, TPG permits both within the same interface. You merely have to enter the correct phone number and await an SMS accordingly.

1. Activate a TPG SIM card via a dedicated page

We’re starting with the hassle-free option that is simultaneously the fastest. It’s extremely user-friendly since it’s akin to two-factor authentication most people have come across nowadays. However, it’s not ideal for porting a phone number from a different carrier to TPG, as the system may struggle to recognize it. It works, nonetheless. The next method is more suitable—it will load your account information beforehand, including details you provided to TPG. Thus, we mainly suggest using this procedure for activating a TPG SIM card when:

1. You purchased a new TPG SIM card and are a first-time user
2. You lost, damaged, or destroyed your old TPG SIM card, and the carrier sent you a replacement

With that acknowledged, let’s go over the short activation procedure of a TPG SIM card.

1. Visit the activation page and enter your phone number

Start the process by heading over to the TPG SIM Activation page. Now, do the following:

1. Enter the SIM card phone number TPG assigned you under “TPG Mobile Number”.
2. Tip. Though an example is mentioned, many people miss it in a hurry. Do not enter the number in an international format that may be printed on the SIM card (with +61)  Instead, start with 04.
3. Click the Send Code button.
4. Await an SMS with a verification code and further instructions. We explain this in-depth below, but the pivotal thing is to keep your old SIM card active, whether TPG’s or that of another carrier when porting.

2. Enter the authorization code and, optionally, configure an account

The code arrived? Great! Proceed to enter it on step 2 (second tab on the page), and confirm changes. Once the system recognizes it, provide necessary details, primarily the e-mail address. Following a success message, you’ll be offered a chance to set up a TPG account with a username and password. This is optional, as you can use a customer ID sent to the aforementioned address. With that finished, all you can do is wait. We broke down the timeline under step 8 below.

2. Activating a TPG SIM through the account dashboard

Another procedure, particularly useful if you’re a prepaid SIM user, is signing in to the website and starting to use the SIM card following a few sets of steps. Follow these steps to activate your TPG SIM card using the My Account page:

1. Visit the TPG AU My Account page.
2. Enter your username, mobile number, home number, or customer ID.
   Tip. If you’ve never registered an account previously, you must enter a 7-digit customer ID. You’ll find it in the message sent to the e-mail address you supplied during the SIM order.
3. Enter your password. If you’ve forgotten it, click the Forgot your password? link below.
4. You’ll now access your account dashboard. Navigate to the View All Mobile Service Account tab under “TPG Mobile Services”.
5. You’ll now see a section dedicated to your account. It’ll state Awaiting customer activation under “Status”.
6. Click the SIM Activation button under “Tools”.
7. TPG will provide a window of information you should read and acknowledge. Confirm details are correct before clicking on Activate SIM Now.
8. Await an authorization code, which has a distinct time span based on the type:
   1. New number. The code will arrive shortly, so insert your new SIM card immediately. In most cases, the activation takes between 15 minutes and 2 hours. However, the carrier states it may require up to 12 hours outside weekends.
   2. Ported number. Keep the old SIM card inserted and active. TPG will send an authorization code to the old SIM card. The whole thing should last a maximum of 24 hours, excluding weekends.
9. Reply to the authorization code as instructed in the message.

3. Contact TPG Customer Support

Ran into issues while activating a SIM card belonging to TPG? That’s something the carrier has predicted. Hence, they left multiple phone numbers corresponding to their Technical Support.

The following helpline number is the primary method of contacting TPG Customer Service. It’s designed to be accessed from another TPG number, if possible. To reach them, you must dial 13 14 23. Once the USSD code activates, select option 2. On a new screen, pick option 3. You should hear ringing and will join the queue for Mobile Support.

If that doesn’t work, you can dial 1300 997 273 Monday to Friday between 8 AM and 9 PM. On weekends and during public holidays, the line is active from 9 AM to 9 PM. Those that don’t have a spare phone number or are getting their first phone can use a landline number: +61 2 9007 3023.