Rather than explain why they prefer you use a GSM phone, they just tell you the CDMA won't work. Use zip code 51355 at Tracfone to order a CDMA phone and it will work great for you.
Check your local Family Dollar and Dollar General stores also. In my area (which is a GSM market) they sell some CDMA phones where Walmart and Target do not.
I see Tracfone now only has 2 CDMA offerings. Yesterday they still had the 505c, not now.
If they don't have a landline using the benefit they should be able to get a Safelink phone for free, but it will likely be a GSM phone. I know you can change phones after getting the Safelink phone. And they may even change you to a CDMA phone if you buy one, but I doubt they will port the number from GSM to CDMA but that shouldn't matter with a new startup.
There's no present. There's only the immediate future and the recent past. –George Carlin