International Prepaid SIM Cards

Take your mobile with you while travelling and save up to 80% on call costs!

If you are planning a trip overseas and want to take a mobile (cell phone), then it's wise to look into getting local SIM Cards for destinations you are visiting. Not only will you save money on making calls but you will also be able to receive calls for FREE in most countries!

Taking a mobile phone with you while travelling has been a very expensive and often complicated option. Not only do you have to pay a lot more than normal for making and receiving calls, but large parts of the world do not use the same mobile standard, often making your mobile from home worthless overseas. On top of this, if your mobile does work overseas, you might find that your travel insurance company won't cover any costs associated with it being stolen while you are travelling making it considerably less interesting to take your new expensive mobile with you on your round-the-world trip. Although renting mobile phones is usually an option, with prices for rentals ranging from US$29-$59 per week and per minute charges ranging from US$1.50-$5 per minute for both your incoming and outgoing calls, this gets expensive very quickly however.

Enter Prepaid SIM Cards and GSM phones.

For those travellers that are thinking of using a mobile overseas and who don't want to pay the extreme 'roaming' costs of taking their GSM mobile from home, prepaid (or 'Pay As You Go') SIM cards for your travelling destinations can be a huge cost saver. And now you can buy them before you leave home making it a lot easier to make sure everyone has your right number(s) while you are travelling!

So why get a local prepaid SIM Card before leaving?

• You take your mobile and save up to 80% on calls!
• You receive a foreign Prepaid SIM card including initial calling credit
• You receive calls for free
• You make calls at local rates
• Your new mobile number(s) to hand out before you leave
• English instructions

In an attempt to help you in your research, Travellerspoint has taken the time to compare three of the prepaid SIM card providers available online. These companies will ship internationally and offer a large range of SIM cards for different countries or regions. They can conveniently be purchased online.

We have highlighted the areas that we believe each prepaid SIM card provider excels in. You are strongly recommended to check directly with each of these providers to have a thorough understanding of the differences between them and any specials, changes or discounts there might be.

Prepaid SIM cards Comparison Chart *

* this chart serves as a COMPARISON ONLY and is not legally binding. Please consult each company individually to determine exactly what they offer.

Have you read all of this and don't have a clue what GSM is? Read our GSM guide

Planning to travel with a mobile phone? Have a look at our GSM Phone Checklist first.