Originally Posted by
gudugan
Any updates to this thread? I'm looking for something similar.
- Want to keep a permanent Chinese number but will be out of China for extended periods so don't want to pay too much
- 4G is fine, do not need 5G
- Most important capacity is to receive SMS overseas (i.e. mostly in the USA). Do not need to receive calls or use data overseas.
- I have a bank account so once I get my Alipay/WeChat setup, will not have a problem topping up remotely
I think prepaid doesn't cover this use case too well because the numbers will keep expiring.
Questions:
- Is it possible to get a postpaid SIM card as US person on tourist visa?
- Is Unicom the best carrier for this?
Thanks in advance!
I haven't bothered to try to figure out the nuts and bolts of how this stuff works recently, but I can offer some insights based on my own experiences:
-the number I've been using for the past 5 years is a Unicom SIM that I bought on the street (so probably not post-paid by design)
-at some point, I had to visit a Unicom store in order to complete ID verification
-ever since then, I've been on a plan of some sort (I think my current plan is around Y80 per month for 50 gigs of 5g data, 400 calling minutes, SMS)
-I've never been under contract with this number
-before all of my extended US visits, I call Unicom and downgrade to a maintenance plan for about Y10 per month, which allows me to reply to SMS when necessary, although I don't think had to do this once last year
-I typically only top when my data stops working; to do this, I call Unicom, ask (an actual person) how much I owe, and use WeChat or Alipay...2 minute process, tops
That might sound haphazard to you, but it works like a charm for me.
So, if I were you, I'd plan on visiting a Mobile or Unicom store that issues SIM cards (bring your passport) during your visit and setting yourself up. I'm pretty sure you'll walk away a happy camper.