Prepay GSM SIM in US
 

I understand that T-Mobile offers pre-pay GSM in the US. Looking at their website it seems you need to buy a phone to get the SIM, however.

I'm flying into JFK tomorrow, and would like to pick up a SIM I can use in my triband phone thereby avoiding massive roaming charges. There seems to be a lot of reference information archived here about Americans buying European SIMs but not much about the converse!

Any options at the airport, or suggestions of places where I might pick one up?

None at the airport sadly. T-mobile stores will be able to help you, as they sell (though unadvertised) prepaid sim cards.

Prepaid really isn't that widespread in the US.

Scott - thanks ... that is interesting that they do actually sell the cards separately! I'm going directly from the airport to my hotel in any case: and it appears there's a T-Mobile store not a quarter a mile away on W 57th Street.

You should be aware of the following offer which I THINK is still in effect, but check at the TMobile store. It was supposed to be in effect until Dec 31. If you add $25 or more to a TMobile prepaid account before that date the minutes dont expire until 1 year (rather than 90 days) from the date you add the minutes. The original minutes on a new SIM dont count, you have to add $25 or more after you get the SIM. But I believe any minutes (including ones added subsequently) will also take the 1 year expiration date (or 90 days from when you add the subsequent minutes, whichever is later). This could be a very good deal for some people depending on their use and travel needs.

I tried Cingular pre-paid on a recent trip to the US. It was cheap at only $10 for I think 30 minutes or so. However the service was pretty poor. A couple of times people called and got a not in service message. I tried calling the number myself when I had full bars on the phone and got the not in service message. So they obviously use a different authorization and accounting system than the monthly subscribers use. Also, I could not setup a PIN for adding minutes. I don't know if T-Mobile pre-paid is any better in the US?

The T-mobile prepaid service is actually pretty reliable. I've advised several international travellers to purchase one and they never had a problem.

I've used Tmobile speakeasy or easyspeak whatever they call it, and haven't had a problem, it's easier to find refill minute cards then the actual Sim itself. I've ordered mine on line to be mailed out to me ahead of time prior to flying to the US. It's still pretty amazing to me that the USA of all places is one of the worse places in the world to get a temp/travel Sim card.

Success
 

Thanks for all the advice.

I picked up a T-Mobile SIM for $50, plus a $25 credit, and my minutes will not expire for a year now.

I just put my hotel's address into the store finder on the T-Mobile website, and the nearest one turned out to be about three blocks away.

The other one...
 

The other GSM service provider with SIM card is Xingular Wireless.

FYI- For future reference many of the Tmobile dealers will sell the pre-paids on Ebay at a huge discount and already activated. I picked one up for $20, the sim had a $90 credit or 224minutes on it and would not expire for another year. Took 3 days to be delivered. I called tmobile and had the number changed to a local area code.

Yup and they will ship overseas too, that's how I got mine on line. TMobile wouldn't ship the card overseas but the TMobile dealers who sell them on ebay will.

I am a big fan of my TMOBILE prepaid, the year expiry keeps extending when I top up..

Can anyone please recommend a relaible ebay seller who they have dealt with and ships overseas ?

There seems to be a company called Boardwalk (or something similar) with lots of cards on Ebay. Anyone dealt with them ?