Originally Posted by
RyanTan
Hi, as the title suggests, I only visit New York once every year. What is the cheapest prepaid SIM (for GSM phone) option that would let me keep my number for a year?
I had a look at AT&T's Pay As You Go Plan and they requires a top-up of USD$100 to prevent the SIM from expiring for 1 year. By "expiring" does it mean the SIM card (and phone number) is no longer usable?
With T-Mobile PAYG if you initially buy a $100 voucher it will last a full 365 days. After your initial $100 a $10 voucher is all that is necessary to renew for another 365 days. Buy an extra $10 voucher when you're in the states and you'll always be able to have a working account. I believe you cannot buy time with a non-US credit card though the easiest thing to do is to get a voucher or vouchers in the states when you're here. Just note that $10 will fulfill your obligation, but for the best per minute rate you need to fill with either a $50 or $100 voucher. You can also get voucher PINs through places such as
callingmart.