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[consolidated] Prepaid SIM cards in USA

Old May 30, 2013, 7:55 pm
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Last edit by: WIRunner
Good comparison of prepaid plans:

http://www.prepaidphonenews.com/2011...and-plans.html

AT&T GSM 850/1900, LTE Data
LTE Bands: 2, 4, 17

Basic and Messaging Phones (No Smartphones, iPhones, etc.)
No monthly fee - 10/minute, 20/text, Data 1/5KB of use
$2/Day (Only billed fee on days used) - Unlimited Domestic Talk and Text, Data 1/5KB when Used or $1/Day for 100MB

Smartphone or Basic/Feature Phones
$30/month Unlimited Domestic Talk and Text; Data is not included: 1/5KB of use, or $5/Month 100 MB
$45/month Unlimited Domestic Talk and Text, 1.5GB Data at "3G" speeds, thereafter throttled to 128Kbps
$55/Month Unlimited Domestic Talk and Text, Includes Unlimited calls to Mexico; 1 per minute for calls to Canada, calls within Mexico and Canada, and from Mexico and Canada to select countries, plus unlimited messaging while roaming in Mexico and Canada. 1 GB Data at "3G" speeds, throttled to 128 Kbps thereafter
$60/Month Unlimited Domestic Talk and Text, Includes Unlimited calls to Mexico, Unlimited Texting when in Canada or Mexico, 4 GB Data at "3G" speeds, throttled to 128 Kbps thereafter

Verizon CDMA, LTE Data
LTE Bands: 2, 4, 13

Pay-as-you-go (Feature/Basic Phones Only)
Daily access fees are billed only when device is used
$1.99/Day - Unlimited Domestic Airtime, Text Messages are 2/message (in or out), Picture Messages are 25/message (in or out), Mobile Web access 99/24 hour period
99/Day Unlimited Verizon to Verizon Calls, Standard Airtime Calls 25/Minute, Text Messages 10/Message (In or Out), Picture Messages 25/Message (In or Out); Mobile Web Access 99/24 Hour Period
$0.00/Day - Standard Airtime Calls 25/Minute, Text Messages 20/Message (in or out), Picture Messages 25/Message (in or out), Mobile Web access 99/24 hour period

Can add the following monthly text messaging options:
$20/month for Unlimited Messaging to anyone on any network in the U.S.
$10/month for Unlimited Mobile to Mobile Messaging with Verizon Wireless customers PLUS 250 additional messages*

Feature Phone Monthly Plans
$35/Month 500 Standard Airtime Minutes, Unlimited Domestic Texts, Unlimited Texts to Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, 500MB Mobile Web
$45/Month Unlimited Standard Airtime Minutes, Unlimited Domestic Texts, Unlimited Texts to Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, 500MB Mobile Web


Smartphone
$45/month Unlimited Domestic Talk and Text Includes 1GB LTE Data, 500MB included when signed up for monthly autopay. Data Stops once allotment is exhausted.

Additional Data for Monthly Smart or Basic Phone Plans
$5 for 500MB, $10 for 1GB or $20 for 3GB. Data access stops once data allotment is exhausted, would need to purchase additional data for the month or restart bill cycle for a new 30 Days

T-Mobile GSM 1900, LTE Data
LTE Bands: 2, 4, 12

$3/month 30 minutes of Airtime or 30 Texts (or a combination)
Data can be added: $5/day 500MB High Speed Data (LTE) or $10/week 1GB High Speed Data (LTE)

$30/month 100 Minutes Airtime, Unlimited Text, 5GB of High Speed data (LTE, HSDPA+) then throttled to "2G" speeds. Includes International texting at no charge to select countries Must be activated on-line, or purchased from Wal-Mart
$35/month Unlimited Airtime, Unlimited Text, No Data Included

The following plans include Unlimited Airtime, and Unlimited Text, Speed is throttled to 8 Mb/s regardless if a higher link is available, once data allotment is consumed throttled to "2G" speeds, or a max of 128 Kb/s. Price is listed monthly.
$40 - 1 GB Data
$50 - 3 GB Data
$60 - 5 GB Data

Add Unlimited landline, and texting to select countries for $10/month, Calls to mobile carriers in select countries are 20 per minute
Add Unlimited landline, mobile calling and texting to select countries for $15 per month

If the device supports it, these plans also have T-Mobile WiFi calling available at no charge.

Sprint CDMA, LTE Data
No longer offers branded pre paid services, all plans are sold through Boost subsidary

H2O

U.S. Cellular CDMA, LTE Data
LTE Bands: 5, 12

Plans are listed per month
"Ready Connect" (Available at Wal-Mart and Amazon.com, and other stores)
$35 - Basic Phone Only - Unlimited Talk, Unlimited Text, Unlimited Mobile Web
$45 - Smartphone - Unlimited Talk, Unlimited Text, 1GB Data
$55 - Smartphone - Unlimited Talk, Unlimited Text, 2GB Data
Maximum of 200MB can be used off network.
Data stops when allotment is exhausted, additional buckets can be purchased for $5/250MB, $15/1GB, $25/2GB

"Simple Connect" Plans all include Unlimited Talk, Text, and Data, the high speed allotment varies depending on the plan, prices are monthly
$40 - Basic Phones Unlimited Data
$45 - 1GB Data
$55 - 2GB Data
$65 - 4GB Data
Data is throttled to "1x" speeds thereafter (max of 196 Kb/s)

TracFone GSM 850/1900 or CDMA
Annual Cards (Good for 365 Days from Activation)
$199.99 1500 Minutes
$159.99 1000 Minutes
$119.99 800 Minutes (Plus double minutes on future refills)
$99.99 400 Minutes
$19.99 Package adds double airtime to all future refills

Pay-As-You-Go
$79.99 450 Minutes for 90 Days
$39.99 200 Minutes for 90 Days
$19.99 60 Minutes for 90 Days
$9.99 30 Minutes for 30 Days (online only)

Web Access for Android Phones
$50/2GB
$20/750MB
$10/300MB

Red Pocket (Link)
512MB - $5
1GB - $10
3GB - $30
5GB - $50
Uses T-Mobile's 4G/LTE network
All plans except 512MB are throttled after exceeding data usage.
SIM cards can be purchased inexpensively through Amazon and ebay

Cricket Wireless GSM 850/1900, LTE Data
AT&T Wireless Subsidy
Plans are monthly, and include Unlimited Talk and Texting, Included data varies; LTE speeds are throttled to 8Mb/s, HSDPA+ is throttled to 4Mb/s, $5 discount available when on autopay
$25 - NO Data Access
$40 - 2.5GB
$50 - 5GB Adds Unlimited Calling and Texting to Mexico, plus 35 additional countries
$60 - 10GB Adds Unlimited Calling and Texting to Mexico, plus 35 additional countries
$60 - 20 GB (Promotional Plan) Adds Unlimited Calling and Texting to Mexico, plus 35 additional countries

MetroPCS GSM 1900, LTE Data
T-Mobile Subsidy
Plans are monthly and include Unlimited Talk and Text. Included Data Varies, once package data is exceeded speed is throttled to "2G" speeds (128Kb/s max), prices include add fees and taxes

$40 - 2GB Data (promotional)
$50 - 4GB Data (promotional)
$60 - Unlimited Data

$50 Unlimited Data plan is available when purchasing a device from MetroPCS, BYOD is not available on that plan

Add-ons
$10/month Mexico Calling: Unlimited Calling to Landlines, 1000 minutes to mobile phones, Unlimited texting to mobile phones, 200 minutes and 200 texts when traveling in Mexico
$10/month World Calling - Select countries include unlimited calls to landlines, Unlimited texting, 200 minutes to mobile phones; 200 voice roaming voice minutes, Send 200 text messages, unlimited incoming text messages

Net10 GSM 850/1900, LTE Data
Pay as you go
$100 - 1500 Minutes, 180 Days
$60 - 900 Minutes, 90 Days
$45 - 600 Minutes, 60 Days
$30 - 300 Minutes, 60 Days
$20 - 200 Minutes, 30 Days

Monthly No Data Plans (Good for 30 Days)
$25 - 1000 Minutes
$30 - 500 Minutes
$15 - 200 Minutes

Monthly Unlimited Plans - Price is monthly. Includes unlimited Talk and Text, Amount of high speed data varies per plan and is then throttled to 64 kbps thereafter
$35 - No Data
$40 - 500 MB (additional 250 MB with autopay)
$50 - 3GB
$60 - 3.5GB (additional 1GB with autopay)
$75 - 5GB (additional 1GB with autopay)

Virgin Mobile CDMA
Sprint Subsidy

Monthly Basic Phone Plans "PayLo", Text Messages are 25
$40 Unlimited Talk, Unlimited Text, 50MB of Data
$30 1500 Minutes of Talk, 1500 Text (in and out), 30MB data
$20 400 Minutes, 15 per text, 25 per picture message, $1.50/MB for Data

Unlimited Plans
$20 300 Minutes and Text
$35 Unlimited Talk and Text, 250 MB 3G/4G data throttled thereafter
$35 Unlimited Text, 300 Minutes 2.5GB 3G/4G data, throttled thereafter
$45 Unlimited Talk and Text, Unlimited International Text, 100 International Voice minutes, 1 GB 3G/4G data throttled thereafter,
$55 Unlimited Talk and Text, Unlimited International Text, 100 International Voice minutes, 3 GB 3G/4G data throttled thereafter

Data Share Plans
Plans are monthly and include Unlimited Text, Voice minutes vary by plan, data allotment is 2.5 GB of 3G/4G data and is throttled after the included data is exhausted, $20 starter kit is required and available only at Wal-Mart
$35 - 300 Minutes
$45 - Unlimited Talk

Additional data
$10/Month - 1 GB
$15/Month - 2 GB
$25/Month - 4 GB
$35/Month - 6 GB
$65/Month - 12 GB
$85/Month - 20 GB

$2 One time 100MB DATA
$5 One time 500MB DATA

$5 VOICE EXTENDED COVERAGE 60 MINUTES (ROAMING)
$2.50 DATA EXTENDED COVERAGE 10MB (ROAMING)
$5 DATA EXTENDED COVERAGE 20MB (ROAMING)
$10 DATA EXTENDED COVERAGE 40MB (ROAMING)
$2 100 MINUTES OF TALK (Good for 30 Days)
$5 300 MINUTES OF TALK (Good for 30 Days)

Ultra Mobile GSM 850/1900 UMTS 1700/1900 LTE 1700
LTE Bands 2, 4, 12

Roams off T-Mobile with theoretical full access to the T-Mobile network, but network coverage is slightly reduced as is 4GLTE coverage

All plans include:
Unlimited domestic calling
Unlimited domestic SMS/MMS
Unlimited global SMS/MMS
Standard features: 3-way calling, caller ID, voicemail, 411

Plans range from $19-49/month and generally include free international calling (landline/cell) and local access numbers for friends/family to call.

SIM card costs $1. See Ultra.me for more info.

You can purchase SIM and plan through 3rd parties such as EZKonnect or even Amazon for a discount.
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[consolidated] Prepaid SIM cards in USA

Old Oct 4, 2016, 6:59 am
  #331  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEL
Posts: 1,053
Originally Posted by Morland
I've bought US SIMs in the US many times before with a UK credit card - I've never come across this restriction before. Many suppliers also ship outside the US (even if it rarely make sense to get sent outside the US rather than to your hotel).
It sounds like a restriction specific to T-Mobile's online store... which doesn't make it any less pointless, but at least there are lots of other suppliers of T-Mobile SIMs online.

Originally Posted by LHRRB
I will be visiting the USA in November, Travelling from LAX to LAS (Visiting the famous sights and death valley etc), I need a SIMCARD we arrive into LAX any recommendations on what network to go to and who offers the best value we mainly need data.
Buying SIMs in person in the US, you can pay any way you want. For someone who needs mostly data and is OK with T-Mobile's coverage, a trip to Walmart will get you $30 for 5gb, 100 mins, 30 days, which is a better deal than the 'tourist plan' for many tourists. If you need AT&T coverage, Straight Talk or Net10 is $40ish for 2-3gb and unlimited calls/sms. Walmart also sells a carrier called "Total Wireless" but they're on Verizon's network and won't work unless your phone supports CDMA (rare for phones sold outside the US). Same goes for anything on Sprint's network.

Last edited by der_saeufer; Oct 4, 2016 at 7:04 am
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Old Jun 25, 2017, 2:20 pm
  #332  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
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SIM Card for Mexico and USA travel

I'm going to be travelling in US and Mexico for about 6 weeks. I've got an IPhone 5S and am mostly interested in data, but may make occasional calls and texts.

Will spend about 4 weeks in Mexico and 2 weeks in the US, so want a card that will work well primarily using data in both countries.

I'm going to be arriving initially in the US for a few days, so prefer to get something there, ideally mailed to hotel, but can go to a store to get it.

Any suggestions on which card/plan to go with?
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Old Jun 25, 2017, 5:53 pm
  #333  
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Originally Posted by HanBkk
I'm going to be travelling in US and Mexico for about 6 weeks. I've got an IPhone 5S and am mostly interested in data, but may make occasional calls and texts.

Will spend about 4 weeks in Mexico and 2 weeks in the US, so want a card that will work well primarily using data in both countries.

I'm going to be arriving initially in the US for a few days, so prefer to get something there, ideally mailed to hotel, but can go to a store to get it.

Any suggestions on which card/plan to go with?
ATT GoPhone $45 plan is what you want, but requires at least 50% usage in the USA. If you will be in Mexico most of the time, then you need a Mexico SIM that has data roaming in the USA.
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Old Jun 25, 2017, 11:30 pm
  #334  
 
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
ATT GoPhone $45 plan is what you want, but requires at least 50% usage in the USA. If you will be in Mexico most of the time, then you need a Mexico SIM that has data roaming in the USA.
Thanks. I think that is what I'm looking for. It only requires 50% of call and text usage in US. I won't use either of those much, but will be mostly in the US. I'll be using mostly data in Mexico.
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Old Mar 15, 2018, 2:06 pm
  #335  
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Is the wiki of this thread up to date?

Looking for a prepaid sim card for my mobile hot spot (Huawei E5577C) which I'll be using during a 2 week holiday in the US. There will be two phones connected to the hotspot, so looking at at least 8GB of data. Any recommendations?

Last edited by florens; Mar 15, 2018 at 2:11 pm
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Old Jun 15, 2018, 5:57 pm
  #336  
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
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Posts: 71
I'm on US sim card three with three visits. I find its getting a lot harder to buy one in store. First time I got the 30$ t-mobile card online using a friend's US credit card for payment. By the time I returned the next year it wasn't active anymore. Second year I got a similar t-mobile offer instore CVS I think. Again too much time to my next visit sim card invalid. The last time I had so much trouble finding a place to physically sell me a prepaid sim. The ones at the same store than the year before wouldn't ring through as they were so old they were already invalid, other stores sent me to bigger locations. The AT&T card I bought in Walmart was already invalid due to age and couldn't be activated. Next day an AT&T store simply threw it away and gave me a new sim as a replacement. I planned to not let this one expire but to top it up with the minimum credit to keep the card alive without the data plan being active and costing me money.
I'm a bit chaotic and mixed up pin numbers so I couldn't log into my AT&T account online to top it off and couldn't find another way to top it off without the sim being active. I couldn't request a new pin as they send those via text and the card doesn't work in Europe.
So again I'm left with an inactive sim and the question what to get the next time I'm in the US. Is there a card that doesn't expire for a minimum of 12 months? One with am easy way to keep it active from abroad?
Which plan is currently the best prepaid possibility and how do I get physical hold of a new sim card? I'll be in the US for three weeks, I need a good amount of data between my banks real time credit card charge notifications, uber or lift bookings, Google map use, WhatsApp and I messenger back home, mobile boarding passes and so on. I need texting though 100-200 would do. I would like some call time but I have exceeded ten minutes only once while stuck in an airport on the way back during a delay.
I would like a cheap way to keep the card active for the next visit.
So far I'll probably go back to either AT&T or t-mobile. T-mobile is a tiny bit cheaper but AT&T had the customer service.

Do either of them have a vendor for sim cards in either atl or jax airport?
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Old Aug 12, 2022, 1:36 pm
  #337  
 
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Well, this thread has gone right quiet, hasn't it? Is that because the product to which it pertains has succumbed to the winds of progress, or what?

I have a month coming up (late Sept. to late Oct.) in America and I'd like to find a pre-paid SIM for data usage only, on a CDMA iPhone. I don't need voice calls or text messages. Searches on 'CDMA' in America all seem to point to Verizon and their website is awfully confusing. We are usually able to connect sufficiently at hotels or restaurants on their guest WiFi but I'd like to have the possibiity of a back-up by direct link for times when there is no WiFi around.
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Old Aug 12, 2022, 1:42 pm
  #338  
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Originally Posted by henry999
Well, this thread has gone right quiet, hasn't it? Is that because the product to which it pertains has succumbed to the winds of progress, or what?

I have a month coming up (late Sept. to late Oct.) in America and I'd like to find a pre-paid SIM for data usage only, on a CDMA iPhone. I don't need voice calls or text messages. Searches on 'CDMA' in America all seem to point to Verizon and their website is awfully confusing. We are usually able to connect sufficiently at hotels or restaurants on their guest WiFi but I'd like to have the possibiity of a back-up by direct link for times when there is no WiFi around.
The major carriers are all in the process of getting rid of anything older than LTE, if they haven't fully finished doing that already. You may be better off buying a new prepaid hotspot once you arrive if you don't need voice or text (example: https://www.verizon.com/internet-devices/prepaid/).
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Old Aug 13, 2022, 8:05 am
  #339  
 
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Originally Posted by henry999
... on a CDMA iPhone.
CDMA is pretty much not a thing any more. All providers are LTE and 5G, but the compatibility between bands (frequencies) and phones is actually more of an issues for many foreigners now than previously - although not so much with iPhones.

What model of iPhone do you have? In particular, does it support eSIM or not?
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Old Aug 13, 2022, 8:30 am
  #340  
 
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Thanks, docbert. It's an iPhone 6 (A1586). Here are the specs:

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Old Aug 13, 2022, 9:46 am
  #341  
 
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That's a "Verizon" iPhone 6. You can get a Visible SIM card (runs on Verizon's network) and pay $25 for the first month, then just let it expire. The other carrier whose network has lots of prepaid options is T-Mobile, but without band 12 support you're going to have a bad time.

You're probably better off putting an American SIM (or eSIM, if you can) in whatever phone you use in Finland. Recent iPhones and higher-end Android phones tend to support enough LTE bands to work fine on either side of the Atlantic.
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Old Aug 13, 2022, 10:03 am
  #342  
 
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Originally Posted by der_saeufer
You're probably better off putting an American SIM (or eSIM, if you can) in whatever phone you use in Finland.
Unlikely: that's a Nokia 3310.
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Old Aug 13, 2022, 10:10 am
  #343  
 
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Originally Posted by der_saeufer
That's a "Verizon" iPhone 6. You can get a Visible SIM card (runs on Verizon's network) and pay $25 for the first month, then just let it expire.
Thanks. That sounded good for a minute but then I saw

>We are compatible with most unlocked iPhone models after the iPhone 6s.

and I've got the ordinary 6.
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Old Aug 13, 2022, 11:05 am
  #344  
 
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Originally Posted by henry999
Thanks. That sounded good for a minute but then I saw

>We are compatible with most unlocked iPhone models after the iPhone 6s.

and I've got the ordinary 6.
That's odd. Visible is LTE-only, which means they've always required VoLTE capable devices--but the 6 has VoLTE so I wonder why they claim it doesn't work. Maybe they just don't want to provide support to anything not running the current version of iOS.

Verizon's whole network requires VoLTE now that CDMA is being switched off, but again you should be fine with a 6.

I second just buying a prepaid hotspot or (easier to find) a cheap prepaid Android "phone in a box" at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc. Your Nokia 3310 definitely won't work because the two carriers that operated GSM networks in the U.S. have both switched them off.
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Old Aug 13, 2022, 1:32 pm
  #345  
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Originally Posted by der_saeufer
I second just buying a prepaid hotspot or (easier to find) a cheap prepaid Android "phone in a box" at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc. Your Nokia 3310 definitely won't work because the two carriers that operated GSM networks in the U.S. have both switched them off.
On that note I've actually seen "2G" on my OnePlus 9 with T-Mobile recently. Of course, that's still newer than what the 3310 supported.
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