US T-Mobile Prepaid SIM
T-Mobile has a very simple ‘pay-by-the-day’ prepaid option for people heading to the USA. This SIM comes with an Activation Card, that outlines all the steps required to make sure you hit the ground running.
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We no longer stock the T-Mobile prepaid SIM
A number of customers started experiencing poor speed and coverage problems and there are a number of even better solutions (price, speed and reliability wise) that have come on the market.
The best of these alternatives is the AT&T prepaid SIM which is available here.
Please see our full selection of SIMs here.
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We don't stock this product any longer, we would instead recommend the AT&T prepaid SIM due its its superior reliability, speed, and coverage for international phones.
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Pros
Simple to activate & user-friendly ‘pay-by-the-day’ plans
Cons
Slower 2G speeds outside major cities
Credit
More credit can be added via the online portal (which is foreign credit card friendly), and you can also add features/add-ons.
On a computer:
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-refill
On your phone:
Dial *233
At a local convenience store:
7-Eleven, Walgreens, Safeway, Target, and more
Plans
T-Mobile has a good mix of plans of which there should be one to fit your needs.
The most popular and best value plan for the average traveller is $3/day Unlimited Talk, Text & Web plan (of which the first 200MB a day is at 4G speeds).
There is also Monthly plans available which allow add-ons like tethering and an international call pack for an extra US$10.
Speed/Coverage
T-Mobile is one of the largest networks in the US, however the bulk of their 3G/4G coverage is on the 1700MHz signal which most phones outside the US won’t receive- which basically means slower data speeds. You will still get nationwide 2G coverage, and in an increasing number of the major US cities T-Mobile is switching to 3G coverage on the 1900MHz signal, which most later model smartphones will pick up.
International
Calling from the T-Mobile SIM will cost you US$1.99+/min to most international destinations. International SMS costs US$0.10 for both incoming and outgoing. The Monthly plans have a US$10 add-on that allows unlimited calls to Australian landlines (and 55 other countries), and discounted calls to mobiles US$0.33/min.
Skype and Viber are probably your best alternatives to avoid high international call charges as long as you have lots of data.
Data
T-Mobile plans give 200MB/day on the 3G/4G network on the US$3/day plan, after which it is ‘throttled’ or reduced to 2G speeds (US$2/day plan is only 2GB Web).
On the monthly plans T-mobile has Unlimited 3G/4G data (US$70), 2GB of 3G/4G data before throttling (US$60), and 500MB for the month before throttling (US$50).
Tethering/hotspot
The ‘Pay-by-the-day’ plans don’t allow tethering (ie ability to make your phone a hotspot).
The Monthly plans at $50 and $60/month allow the tethering add-on for $10/month (but not the $70/month unlimited plan).
Important info
Unlock phone
To use a T-Mobile SIM, your phone must be unlocked from any network.
Tethering
You need the Monthly US$50 or US$60 plan to add the tethering option
Blackberry
You need to select the special Blackberry plan to have mobile web working
Receive number
You receive a US number when you activate your plan
Plan starts
The pay-per-day plan starts when you use it- you pay for the days when there is any use. Monthly plans start when you assign/pay for the credit online.
Expiry
On the monthly or pay-per-day plans you have 90 days of inactivity before the plan expires and you will lose any unused credit. The best option to keep active for long periods, is switch to the pay-per-use plan and add US$100 and it will be good for a full year.
Roaming rates
Roaming rates apply for overseas use see here- not available for most countries on prepaid (exc Canada and Mexico), however data rates a very high, so not recommended anyway.
Refill options and quick dial numbers
Setup Auto Pay:
Sign in to your account and set-up
Check Balance:
Dial #999#
Forgot Phone Number:
Dial #686 or (#NUM#)
Check Minutes:
Dial #646# (#MIN)
Check Web use:
DIAL #932#
For Prepaid Monthly Plans:
http://home.we2go.com (my account)
Customer Care:
Dial *8646 or 1-877-778-2106
Emergency Dial 911 (for police, fire, & ambulance)