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Old Oct 2, 2017, 8:18 pm
  #1  
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Cheap 1 week data plan for travelling in the US?

I'll be spending about a week in Boston and NYC. I want to buy a sim card for my iPad Air 2 once I land at BOS or in downtown. Which carrier offers at least 1 GB of data for a decent price?

Thanks!
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Old Oct 2, 2017, 10:07 pm
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I believe the iPad Air 2 is eligible for the T-Mobile $10 5GB for 5 Months offer.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 11:59 am
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t-mobile also has the 30$ three week int'l traveller plan, 2GB data, free texting and 1000 min calling.

I'm not sure a foreign ipad with the embedded sim will allow for the 5GB plan, I think that is only for the USA embedded SIMs. CBW

you could also buy a t-mobile paygo card for 3$, and add one week of data with calling for 10$/1GB.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 1:20 pm
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T-Mobile has a tablet data only plan. Top up for how much data you need.

Quite inexpensive.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 1:50 pm
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If you are going for T-mobile, try to get their SIM card ahead of time (online). The retail price of the SIM kit at the store is quite expansive.

AT&T also have a prepaid data plan like $25 for 2GB. And last time when I asked for a SIM it was free at the store.
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 2:03 pm
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Originally Posted by Need
If you are going for T-mobile, try to get their SIM card ahead of time (online). The retail price of the SIM kit at the store is quite expansive.
T-Mobile tries to get $25 for a SIM at the store. As "Need" indicated, it is cheaper in advance. Looks like $10 through this portal, shipping included:

https://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/...im-starter-kit
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 2:51 pm
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I bought my T-Mobile on Amazon for $3. Best to buy before you get to a store.
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Old Oct 4, 2017, 12:53 am
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Originally Posted by Need
If you are going for T-mobile, try to get their SIM card ahead of time (online). The retail price of the SIM kit at the store is quite expansive.

AT&T also have a prepaid data plan like $25 for 2GB. And last time when I asked for a SIM it was free at the store.
Too late I think. I'll be arriving in BOS on the morning of 10/11 after an overnight flight. By the time you read my post, it'll be 10/4. I'll be spending a few days at my cousin's place in BOS so if I can get the sim card to arrive at his place, then sure let's make this work.

If AT&T is $25 for 2 GB of data and free sim card, then I'll just bite the bullet and go for it to avoid wasting time since it's so late now, but of course, the cheaper the better.
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Old Oct 4, 2017, 12:55 am
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I also forgot to ask this in the OP. So the precise details of my trip is this, I'll be spending 8 days in total split between Boston and New York City. Then, starting from November 30th, I'll be spending 5 weeks in the US split between Hawaii, Los Angeles, and Boston. If I get a T-Mobile or AT&T sim card, can I pause or suspend my account after my 8 day trip and resume when I fly back to the US on November 30th?

Thank you!
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Old Oct 4, 2017, 12:58 am
  #10  
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Originally Posted by Cozmo456
I bought my T-Mobile on Amazon for $3. Best to buy before you get to a store.
I think that's from a third party dealer. Amazon.com is selling it for US$9.99.

https://www.amazon.com/T-Mobile-Prep...obile+sim+card

I'm assuming that's the card and I can just cut it to Nano-size, put it into my iPad Air 2, select a data plan, and pay it with a credit card? Amazon is claiming I can get it by October 6th if I order now. Should I try it? lol!
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Old Oct 4, 2017, 5:37 pm
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Originally Posted by lsquare
I think that's from a third party dealer. Amazon.com is selling it for US$9.99.

https://www.amazon.com/T-Mobile-Prep...obile+sim+card

I'm assuming that's the card and I can just cut it to Nano-size, put it into my iPad Air 2, select a data plan, and pay it with a credit card? Amazon is claiming I can get it by October 6th if I order now. Should I try it? lol!
T-Mobile runs specials on those SIMs, I've gotten them for as low as $0.99.
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Old Oct 5, 2017, 9:11 am
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Originally Posted by lsquare
I also forgot to ask this in the OP. So the precise details of my trip is this, I'll be spending 8 days in total split between Boston and New York City. Then, starting from November 30th, I'll be spending 5 weeks in the US split between Hawaii, Los Angeles, and Boston. If I get a T-Mobile or AT&T sim card, can I pause or suspend my account after my 8 day trip and resume when I fly back to the US on November 30th?

Thank you!
I think both T-mobile and AT&T prepaid card data is only good for 30 days or so. You cannot suspend your data and use the rest 2 months later. Your Sim Card is probably still good in November but you just have to purchase data plan again, but you can probably do it online instead of going to a store since you already have the SIM card.
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Old Oct 5, 2017, 12:38 pm
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Although it's not the absolute cheapest, another option is to get a Verizon data-only prepaid SIM card. More info: https://www.verizonwireless.com/prepaid/

In short, the $35 and up tiers are active for 60 days instead of 30. Depending on data usage OP may be able to only re-up once instead of at least three times (once for the first trip and twice for the second trip). I use it with my Verizon Mi-Fi for the rare times I'm out of a T-Mobile service area and it seems to work pretty well. The iPad Air 2 also only had one model available for the entire world so there should be no problems with accessing their LTE bands.

If OP expects to use a lot of data, however, the other options mentioned in this thread are better.
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Old Oct 5, 2017, 12:57 pm
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Originally Posted by Need
I think both T-mobile and AT&T prepaid card data is only good for 30 days or so. You cannot suspend your data and use the rest 2 months later. Your Sim Card is probably still good in November but you just have to purchase data plan again, but you can probably do it online instead of going to a store since you already have the SIM card.
T-Mobile SIMs are good for life. You used to get 200MB free per month on the same device forever.

But devices do not last forever.
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Old Oct 7, 2017, 1:29 am
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That is no longer offered.
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