U.S. sim card for travelling?

ajaxguy

ajaxguy

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I know I have read some people talk about this on here but cant seem to find it when I search.

I was wondering how I go about using a u.s. sim card in my phone when im in florida? Also how exactly does it work and how much? Like would it be a pay as you go sim card from down there and i would need my phone unlocked and then just use it as regular?

Any info would be appreciated!
 
I got the impression the US systems were different so I bought a throw away phone from Walmart in the USA and pay as I go instead of paying the roam charges. I didn't realize the 1-800 hotel calls still incurred roam charges until I saw my phone bill when I got home.
 
An unlocked canadian phone can be used in the U.S. with a U.S. sim card. For pay as you go, check out t-mobile prepaid and H20 Wireless. H20 also has great rates back to Canada if you are planning on calling home.

If your phone is not unlocked, no matter what you put in it, not going to work.
 
So are you on the pay as you go or monthly plan?

hurricane885 said:
I'm currently in Florida using a iPhone 3GS and this service
http://goredpocket.com/
Main reason i picked it is it uses AT&T's network (decent coverage) and it has up to 200 mins calling to Canada included. Good Luck.
Click to expand...
 
The following is useless if you actually give a s*** what kinda phone you're using.

Grab a major US brand cheap throwaway phone. Lets say T-mobile. It will cost you 20 bucks, and chances are there's already some prepaid $$ on it.

Last time I went, got a nokia paperweight, cost me 20$ US, came with 15$ prepaid time on it. Worked on a daily system, so if you used the phone today, 2 bucks came off your account. After that, unlimited texting and calling within the US all day long. Cheap calls to canada, and cheap texts. So you figure for 20 bucks, you're set for about 7 days. If you're there all month, that plan would be what... 60$ at least, if you never called Canada. And then throw out the phone.

I had done this before, and brought the first nokia and just wanted a sim card to switch (the sim gets cancelled after 60 days) and it was cheaper just to buy another brand new disposable phone.

Reception isn't the best usually, no data...but hey man! You gots a phone!
 
Last time I was in the states I bought a Tracfone for $8. This included a samsung phone and a SIM card. I bought a $15 pay-as-you-go card and that gave me a total of 120 min that expired 6 months later.

With Tracfone you can call a 1-800 to call back to Canada for no extra charge. Also you can set up a 1-800 number so people from Canada can call you phone for free.
 
My phone is with Telus, I go to the states often and just buy a US package for the time frame i will be there.
Actually my IT guys buy it for me, I have Telus commercial acct. Check with your current carrier they may have a similar package and you dont have to waste time in Walmart phone shopping.
 
nobbie48 said:
I got the impression the US systems were different so I bought a throw away phone from Walmart in the USA and pay as I go instead of paying the roam charges. I didn't realize the 1-800 hotel calls still incurred roam charges until I saw my phone bill when I got home.
Click to expand...

That's my tactic also. You can get a phone for $30.00, with $40.00 worth of call credits.
 
Splash said:
Last time I was in the states I bought a Tracfone for $8. This included a samsung phone and a SIM card. I bought a $15 pay-as-you-go card and that gave me a total of 120 min that expired 6 months later.

With Tracfone you can call a 1-800 to call back to Canada for no extra charge. Also you can set up a 1-800 number so people from Canada can call you phone for free.
Click to expand...

Ya the tracphone seems to be the way to go for me! Like $20 i get a phone and more then enough time for when im down there, and i can call canada and it counts as a local call! Thanks guys!
 
All you have to do is get your GSM/3G/4G/HSPA phone unlocked. Buy a prepaid SIM card and AT&T or T-Mobile and start talking with your local phone #. Thats it. If you don't top up the prepaid mins, the SIM card will expire on its own. I have SIM cards from all over, I always have a local SIM card in my Blackberry so I still have my contacts.
 
strictlye said:
All you have to do is get your GSM/3G/4G/HSPA phone unlocked. Buy a prepaid SIM card and AT&T or T-Mobile and start talking with your local phone #. Thats it. If you don't top up the prepaid mins, the SIM card will expire on its own. I have SIM cards from all over, I always have a local SIM card in my Blackberry so I still have my contacts.
Click to expand...

+1

I buy the ATnT plan for $50 for a month, and get DATA --- BUT if you have a blackberry, you have to pay an extra $75 for data on a blackberry. Other smart phones are not surcharged.
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