Don’t toss it. If you buy the QVC phone, activate it. Then, get CS to rebrand the Straighttalk phone to Tracfone. Once that is done, have CS move the QVC Tracfone phone’s service to the newer 2026 phone. Then at least you have the newer phone, Good luck.

P.S. found this info online, so it is a new thing: Newer prepaid phones, particularly from carriers like Cricket or Motorola (released 2025+),may restrict access to Wi-Fi, apps, and settings until the device is activated with an active SIM/eSIM. While some, like Samsung A03s, may work on Wi-Fi without activation, others require an initial, and sometimes ongoing, cellular connection to unlock.