USA Sim card

jogdish

Hi,
Heading to the US, San Francisco, for approx 3 weeks. Hopefully will have hotel wifi etc. but would like a Sim for data and the odd text maybe call. Anyone any recommendations where to get one online ? Good deals ?

Dave1442397

The US is way behind when it comes to this, but as long as your phone is unlocked you can go to various places to get a SIM card. Stores like Target and Walmart will sell them and set you up, or you could go directly to a Sprint store and buy one there. I'm not sure which other carriers offer them.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/42385148?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227031089587&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=53411321312&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=111818491712&veh=sem

Pete123456

T mobile and AT&T should do them aswell...

One thing I noticed when I was in the US was the plans can be very expensive... But if you know someone over there they can "add a line" which basically adds you to their plan. A family member added me to his plan for $10 a month and I had 5gb 4G (3G thereafter) and unlimited messages, mms and calls including calls and texts to Ireland but I think he was paying 80 a month for his own but don't quote me on the details.

They may also want to do a credit check for a us phone plan... Proves to them you can pay the bill... But maybe not everywhere.

Pre pay was not popular at all where I was but it can be done

ProudDUB

If the OP is only going to be there for 3 weeks, they are hardly going to need to sign up for a monthly plan, that requires monthly bills and credit checks.

AT&T do a pre paid, pay as you phone plan, but its only good for calls and texts. It doesn't come with a data package.

OP, look into whether or not your hotel has wifi and whether it is free or not. Hotels with free wifi are not as common there as it is here. It's not uncommon for it to be a tenner or more per day, especially if its a hotel geared towards business travelers. Over 3 weeks, that could add up to quite a bit of money.

Atlantic Dawn

Another option might be a Vodafone Irish Pay As You Go SIM with Red roaming enabled, it's €3 a day for 200MB data per day (6GB a month) and unlimited calls, texts.

http://www.vodafone.ie/roaming/red-roaming/

Either way whatever you decide make sure your phone is unlocked or else the SIM card will not work.

JackHeuston

Pete123456 wrote: »

They may also want to do a credit check

Jesus!

Anyway, when I went to the US I brough my phone and my SIM with a roaming plan made specifically for the US and Canada, to call/text back home and have very little mobile data for emergencies.

To call and text locally I simply bought a $15 phone in a supermarket. It doesn't need activation, it works with "minutes" that you can top up etc... It's horrible but that was the easiest way. Wifi was almost everywhere so I had some free Internet at least in towns.

edit: beware that some of these prepaid phones in supermarkets might require an American payment card to be activated. I bought two of them in different occasions. The first one didn't need activation via payment card, I just topped it up the first time with a "minutes card". The second required an American payment card (they were asking for a ZIP code as a security code! WTH! Like in some petrol stations) and honestly I don't remember how I fixed it but I managed to use my card. Can't remember if I broke the automatic system or I had to talk with someone.

ProudDUB

The OP will only need to submit to a credit check, if he/she is signing up to a 12 month contract. They won't, if they are just getting a bill pay/pay as you go phone, for a couple of weeks. You can walk into an AT&T shop, get a cheap $15 phone, get it activated and top it up with credit in 5 minutes....no credit check & no American credit cards needed.

starviewadams

Friend of mine goes over and back to the states a few times a year and recommends these lads

https://campussims.com/

Just google the zip code of any major college to register, and they'll post sim out to you here in Ireland. Got mine last week. No credit checks, proof of student id etc. Just register sim when it arrives and stick new sim in phone when you land and away you go. $25 plan is one I went for when I'm in Boston next week.

él statutorio

Get a T-Mobile or AT&T SIM. They'll work in an unlocked Irish phone, the coverage is pretty decent for both. Prices are cheap, in my experience T-mobile are cheaper.

Sprint / Verizon won't work.

Lots of threads on this here.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

podgeandrodge

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Another option might be a Vodafone Irish Pay As You Go SIM with Red roaming enabled, it's €3 a day for 200MB data per day (6GB a month) and unlimited calls, texts.

http://www.vodafone.ie/roaming/red-roaming/

Either way whatever you decide make sure your phone is unlocked or else the SIM card will not work.

Agree.

Ah-Watch

You wont see it advertised but you can buy an AT&T payg sim in Apple stores, normal service would cost $60 but Apple have them for $30 , unlimited calls and texts and 5GB of internet and free texts back to Ireland. Its only $30 for the first month as an introductory rate for new payg customers and then it reverts to $60 but as you're going for 3 weeks it wont matter, just toss it away when you go home

siobhan08

have at look at Three , I know they do feel at home add on where you can use you plan from home, I went to America for 3 month last year and and an English number as I was living in England at the time. I was able to use my unlimited Data the same as I did in England

Wompa1

I agree with the above....T-Mobile or AT&T.

Verizon don't have SIM cards, Sprint got rid of SIM. As far as I know T-Mobile and AT&T are the only compatible with a European phone.

faceman

I use T-Mobile when I'm in the US. They have some good pre-pay rates.

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-monthly-plans

They say monthly pre-pay but you can only use it for a month with no further obligation if you want.

They also have a daily plan.

Igotadose

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Another option might be a Vodafone Irish Pay As You Go SIM with Red roaming enabled, it's €3 a day for 200MB data per day (6GB a month) and unlimited calls, texts.

http://www.vodafone.ie/roaming/red-roaming/

Either way whatever you decide make sure your phone is unlocked or else the SIM card will not work.

Does that work in the US?

Guru Maith Agut

Apologies for posting in an old thread but . . .


DO NOT use MyMemory.ie for these cards. I purchased 2 for an upcoming trip to the US for myself and my wife and paid via Paypal. After completing the transaction I noted at the bottom of the form that it said, I would receive a confirmation email.

Being used to purchasing online I still hadn't received it 3 hours later so I sent a message (they also do not have an email address, only a submission form) vis their website.

An hour later I got a reply saying the following:

Dear Mr ********,

Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately Sim Cards are strictly restricted to 1 order per customer which will mean that your order has been declined.

I apologise for any inconvenience caused

Kind regards,

Tom Videira
Mymemory

Declined it may have been, but the feckers still took my money for the transaction and I am now in a Paypal dispute to get my money back from them. That will happen, as Paypal are great for that.
But if you used a credit card to pay you may not be as lucky.


Be warned!


Thanks

Stenth

JackHeuston wrote: »

The second required an American payment card (they were asking for a ZIP code as a security code! WTH! Like in some petrol stations) and honestly I don't remember how I fixed it but I managed to use my card. Can't remember if I broke the automatic system or I had to talk with someone.

Often, you can use "00000" as a zip code with a foreign card and it will accept it. Doesn't always work, though.

Axwell

As long as you have an unlocked phone just get a pre pay off AT&T, you can get it in any Walgreens or CVS, its called AT&T go..the plan i was using with data, calls and texts was $40 for the month and you can have it top up manually or automatically if you are there longer. WS there for 3 months before Christmas and never had an issue with it the wholetime.

Igotadose

Axwell wrote: »

As long as you have an unlocked phone just get a pre pay off AT&T, you can get it in any Walgreens or CVS, its called AT&T go..the plan i was using with data, calls and texts was $40 for the month and you can have it top up manually or automatically if you are there longer. WS there for 3 months before Christmas and never had an issue with it the wholetime.

Do check the coverage map for the carrier you choose; did the same as Axwell, but chose a bad carrier and had dreadful service.

Axwell

Yeah good point. AT&T have massive coverage though which is why i recommend them. A lot of the other networks just piggy back off their cell towers or Sprints i think it is. Same as tesco mobile etc do here. So you risk having poor coverage with the random other ones available.

Onecoolcookie

Similar to OP, heading to the states for 3 weeks but really only need data during that time. What are my best options? I'm on vodafone so could easily go the vodafone red route if that's best.

embraer170

Onecoolcookie wrote: »

Similar to OP, heading to the states for 3 weeks but really only need data during that time. What are my best options? I'm on vodafone so could easily go the vodafone red route if that's best.

What did you use in the end?

The Black Oil

Is it worth picking up one of the cards on Amazon.co.uk?

jack presley

The Black Oil wrote: »

Is it worth picking up one of the cards on Amazon.co.uk?

That's what I did on a recent trip and it was perfect. 'Most Sim' was the brand which used the T-Mobile network. There's an option to buy it for various number of days. I had the 7 day one. I was down south and the coverage was perfect both in towns and in the countryside.

freak scence

bought an at&t sim when i was over took out month plan , data was very good on it in remote locations

The Black Oil

Thanks both. It'll mostly be for Google Maps and some driving, hopefully.

endofrainbow

Buy a cheapie Tracfone for $20 dollars in Walmart CVS or Walgreens. Comes with preloaded minutes

irishcsifan

I'm going to new york in November. I'm with vodafone pay as you go but my phone is unlocked. Would you recommend getting a usa sim card?

Agent Coulson

Heading over in November myself has anyone used the esims you can get.

I saw T-Mobile do an esim app with a preloaded 30 day unlimited voice, text, data for $50 anyone tried this one out?

masterboy123

Hi,

Visiting USA soon and looking for sim deals. I found T-mobile sim card on Amazon UK. Anyone tried them?

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120143147#Comment_120143147

I've used this Three SIM before and it was perfect, you can't make calls on it though, data only so I used in dual sim phone with WhatsApp, it also supports tethering. 12GB of roaming data for circa €30.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobile-Pay-Broadband-Data-Black/dp/B01CMD4VKC

Nigel Fairservice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120143147#Comment_120143147

I used the T Mobile one in Los Angeles last year and it worked perfectly. Local calls worked as well.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09X3VM975/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

masterboy123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120143653#Comment_120143653

Wow, that's great news. Did you activate the sim in Ireland?

Nigel Fairservice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120143703#Comment_120143703

There was a slip of paper that arrived with the sim with an email address on it. You tell them via email what date you want the sim card activated. Mine was working great when I landed on my arrival date in Los Angeles.

masterboy123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120144349#Comment_120144349

Great stuff. Thanks

masterboy123

My US trip is coming up very soon and I haven't got my hands on a good sim deal.

Anyone tried three sim?

Three Mobile 16GB data Pay As You Go SIM https://amzn.eu/d/h79TSTb

tandcapply

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120310271#Comment_120310271

Did it work for you?

Going to the states mext week and looking for internet while there

masterboy123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120389901#Comment_120389901

I am here now. I got Lyca mobile 60GB from Amazon and very happy to recommend it. Getting 5G everywhere and free calls/texts.

tandcapply

Thanks, bought a Tello simcard yesterday (arriving at relations in the states) and will check if it's any good when there next week

arrianalexander

Looking into this for long term going to New York next year with OH

Our phones aren't compatible with e-sim cards

Want one just really for basic data , using Google maps , what's app so we can explore.by ourselves and be able to contact each other and app for ny sub app to use for paying

Will only be there for a max of 10 days

When in hotel we will just use WiFi it's just out and about we will use it