Buying a Prepaid Sim Card in USA – Best Prepaid SIM Card Data Plans For USA Travel
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Stay connected when journeying to us! It sounds easier than it sincerely is because the American sim card market isn’t as superior as in Europe or in other elements of the world. But don’t fear, it isn’t that complex either! Buying a sim card within the USA is a high-quality manner to get online and keep away from excessive roaming charges. In this manual, I will display to you the whole thing you need to recognize: in which to shop for one, up-to-date expenses, the satisfactory 4G/5G network, e-sim cards, my recommendation, and greater.
This article is updated with the modern charges and data as in step with July 2022.
Don’t count on having a variety of alternatives! In the international’s maximum well-known countries there are the simplest 2 cell net companies that sell pay-as-you-go sim cards for us, tourists. YES, you study that right… TWO OPERATORS!
Very an awful lot endorsed are global sim cards that cover the united states, greater approximately than later. But the most inexpensive way to live related whilst traveling to the States is an e-sim card for the united states, of route additionally blanketed in this newsletter.
As a full-time international vacationer looking to go to every united States of America in the world and visited extra than a hundred thirty-five international locations as of July 2022 permit me to inform you that shopping for a nearby pay-as-you-go sim card in the we you’re touring is the cheapest way to have information in your telephone. The network coverage can be fine, the facts velocity maximum and locals calls are covered and limitless.
In total, I wrote more than 200 neighborhood prepaid sim card publications for places and countries like Canada, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Israel, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Turkey, Cairo, Paris, London, Johannesburg, Thailand, Vietnam, Panama, South Africa, Europe, Saudi Arabia and so forth.
Prepaid USA sim card costs are NOT competitive, so I recommend you to use a worldwide prepaid sim card with statistics to stay related when journeying in the USA or an e-sim card for America.
Why buy a sim card in the USA
WiFi is everywhere in recent times, but whilst visiting in the USA, I am certain you want to be connected on the road and now not handiest on your inn room. Think approximately ordering a taxi thru an app, locating close recommended restaurants, using Google Maps for guidelines, and genuinely staying in touch or checking social media apps and e-mail.
Being related to the net makes journeying a lot less complicated and also more secure! Don’t get stuck someplace due to the fact you don’t have a facts connection on your telephone.
Buying a sim card for the united states is simple, it takes just a couple mins, and you are related right away, it’s far like plug and play. You placed the sim card on your telephone and it right away works.
Also, don’t rely on public WiFi. There is no assurance and the net velocity can vary. Also, remember that surfing the internet on public WiFi is thru an UNSECURED connection. The use of a VPN is recommended in those instances.
My advice
Traveltomtom recommends a T-Mobile sim card for us. It has a very vast 5G network and for $50 you get unlimited information for 30 days, it’s far less expensive than AT&T. However, the great USA sim card offers may be found online, see under.
There are international sim cards with international network coverage in 2022 that we propose. In the hyperlink, you may find an assessment and comparison of the high-quality global sim playing cards for touring in 2022. You you can order online before your experience in the USA and get them shipped to your home deal with. For $39.90 USD you’ll get a sim card with 12 GB statistics inside the USA.
But do you want it even less complicated AND CHEAPER? The fine manner to get records on your cellphone whilst traveling abroad in 2022? Get an e-sim card for the USA! You can already get 10 GB records for $26 USD.
Make positive your telephone is unlocked, before shopping for a sim card in the USA. Foreign sim cards simplest work in unlocked phones. If you aren’t sure about this ask your company in your property united states before your ride.
E-sim card for traveling within the USA
The maximum convenient and easiest manner to stay linked whilst journeying to the united states is getting an e-sim card that works within the USA. You can easily order them online within less than a minute. You will then receive a code in your present-day mobile telephone, you input it and your e-sim card is activated. Check out those top-notch e-sim card offers for us:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $11 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $16 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $26 USD
I additionally found another e-sim card for the USA that offers you 6 GB records for 10 days for $17.Ninety USD. Click right here to order this e-sim card for us.
Where to shop for a USA sim card
The international airport on arrival
Unlike any other united states of America round the arena, it’s miles NOT smooth to find sim card shops or resellers at worldwide arrivals in most of the airports in the USA. I still can not get my head around this! Like for actual America? At Houston Airport the man from the statistics table becomes like, uh what… A prepaid sim card?
That stated I am determined to retain writing sim card guides for USA airports and already started out with the Big Apple. Flying to New York? Check out my guides for buying a sim card at New York JFK Airport or buying a sim card at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Many extra coming in 2022.
I even have written uncountable sim card publications for international airports: Paris, London, Rome, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Dublin, Johannesburg, Dubai, Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, Cairo, Panama City, Dominican Republic, etc. At every global airport global, you will locate sim card stores subsequent to vehicle condominium organizations and cash exchangers, unfortunately now not in the USA! In the last years, I landed in Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York JFK, Newark, and Miami and it become a catastrophe.
The first-rate vicinity to buy a sim card for the USA is at a reputable retail shop. The body of workers right here will give you great advice on your desires and everything can be set up quickly and within mins, you may walk out of the store with operating facts connected to your telephone.
The best way to locate the nearest shop is to visit Google Maps and kind in for example t-cell. Google Maps recommend T-Mobile see locations. Click on it and discover the closest save. The bigger purchasing department shops in huge cities frequently have cell smartphone issuer shops.
Convenience stores
Yes, it’s miles feasible to shop for USA sim playing cards at convenience stores like 7Eleven, CVS, and of direction at Walmart. They are primarily located in the back of the counter and accumulating facts approximately the programs is an ache. Don’t count on the team of workers to understand anything about those prepaid USA sim playing cards. Not encouraged!
Buy a sim card for the united states online
If shopping for a US prepaid sim card on arrival is too much problem then test out my article about the exceptional global sim playing cards for tourists in 2022, it has a few absolutely excellent options which you could immediately order online.
Online you will discover many options for sim-playing cards to use in America. These pay-as-you-go sim-playing cards can be shipped to your private home cope with and are automatically activated from their first use. Click right here for extra than 10 prepaid sim playing cards with data for traveling in the USA. It is a bit extra highly-priced, but very handy and smooth.
The In a country with more than 300 million people it is almost unimaginable that there are only 4 main mobile internet operators:
- T-Mobile
- AT&T
- Verizon
- Sprint (bought by T-Mobile)
If you are looking to buy a sim card for us you could already neglect approximately Verizon and Sprint. These two USA cellular internet operators use a one-of-a-kind technology than the relaxation of the arena: CDMA. Which essentially way that they don’t use a sim card and that international telephones are not compatible with their networks.
Although I knew approximately this I simply desired to make certain and visited this Verizon keep in Atlanta, Georgia to get the ultra-modern facts. VERIZON does NOT provide prepaid USA sim cards for vacationers. There is a way around even though, a little complex, but possible. Click right here to buy the Verizon sim card for America provide on Amazon. This is just a pay-as-you-go sim card, with no statistics, calls, or text covered!
Basically, an excessive amount of attempts if you question me, due to the fact the next step is including credit score, then every other step activating a statistics bundle.
For vacationers visiting the USA which means there are handiest 2 options left: a prepaid sim card from T-Mobile or from AT&T.
Registration technique
The registration manner for pay-as-you-go sim cards in the USA may be very trendy. When buying a sim card you will want to bring your passport. In the store, a replica of your passport or an image could be taken and could be connected to your registration. Your new US sim card and variety could be registered to your name and passport number.
To avoid this you may order a pay-as-you-go USA sim card online and get one shipped to your property deal earlier than your experience or get yourself an e-sim card for us.
Prices prepaid sim playing cards the USA in 2022
T-Mobile USA
The T-Mobile USA charges a $10 activation fee for a prepaid sim card. They offer 3 different sim card packages, see the above photo. All of them come with UNLIMITED CALLING & TEXTING and are valid for 1 month.
- $40 = 10 GB data
- $50 = Unlimited data + 3G hotspot
- $60 = Unlimited data + 10 GB 4G hotspot
The data is only for use in the USA, you pay $5 extra for a max of 5GB to use in Canada and/or Mexico.
These are the latest T-Mobile prepaid sim card deals as of July 2022, for more info check the T-Mobile USA website.
AT&T USA
the activation fee for an AT&T USA prepaid sim is $15. They also offer 3 different USA prepaid sim card packages with UNLIMITED CALLING & TEXTING and are also valid for 1 month.
- $30 = 5 GB data
- $40 = 15 GB data
- $50 = Unlimited data (speed reduction if the network is busy)
- $75 = Unlimited data (speed reduction after 22 GB if the network is busy)
You can use an AT&T USA prepaid sim card without spending a dime in Mexico and Canada. You can use information roaming at no extra prices, that’s a cool gain may additionally you furthermore might travel to Canada. However, there are a variety of disadvantages to AT&T. May lessen pace if the community is busy? Hell no, I could by no means want that! Also on its website, it says no access to 5G for the $30, $forty, and $50 plans.
These are the modern AT&T prepaid sim card deals as of July 2022, take a look at the AT&T USA internet site for more info.
When we observe the comparison of the prepaid sim playing cards USA the conclusion is simple: AT&T USA IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN T-MOBILE USA! Based on the charge I am in reality recommending a T-Mobile USA sim card over an AT&T sim card.
Best 4G/5G community inside the USA in 2022
Whether you’re visiting us as a traveler or for enterprise the chances of no longer having a telephone sign are very small. The network in the USA is countrywide pretty excellent and yes there is direction 5G inside the United States.
AT&T 4G/5G network coverage map
Both T-Mobile and AT&T have intensive community coverage and cowl ALL visitor regions within the USA! That said, from the above USA cell community insurance maps up to date for 2022 we can in reality see 2 things:
AT&T has higher coverage in far-flung regions
T-Mobile has a much better 5G community
Click right here for the professional network insurance of T-Mobile and AT&T, consistent with their websites.
What is the high-quality pay-as-you-go sim card within the USA in 2022
When comparing America pay-as-you-go sim cards we can come to the very simple conclusion that T-Mobile is the quality sim card within the USA in 2022! They offer first-class pay-as-you-go sim card deals and also have a satisfactory 5G network inside the u. S . A ..
For a ride to the USA, I could suggest a USA sim card with unlimited statistics from T-Mobile. You pay $10 activation charge + $50 plan = $60 (+tax), however, you’re sorted for the rest of your journey! This sim card is valid for 1 month and T-Mobile has the biggest 5G community in us of a.
I additionally bought a T-Mobile sim card in Las Vegas and traveled across the US for 3 weeks. I never had a problem connecting and the 5G network enjoyment became amazingly FAST! Even in a number of the National Parks that I visited there has been either a 5G or 4G signal: Zion in Utah, Grand Canyon in Arizona, Shenandoah in Virginia, everywhere I had an outstanding signal at some stage in my adventure with a T-Mobile sim card.
At Times Square New York you’ll discover a T-Mobile shop and an AT&T store one hundred meters from each other. You can walk in, purchase a pay-as-you-go sim card and you’re related within five mins.
But if buying a sim card in the USA on arrival is an excessive amount of problem then I have a first-rate solution for you. Get your USA sim card online or get an e-sim card for the USA. An e-sim card is also MUCH CHEAPER! Click on the link to discover 10 GB of data for just $26 USD. Or take a look at my article about the quality of worldwide sim playing cards in 2022 consisting of loose roaming in the USA.
Buy a USA sim card online
On top of us, prepaid sim cards shape T-Mobile and AT&T noted above you could additionally purchase one of the following international sim playing cards online and they’ll work for journeying in the USA. Here is a listing of the best 8 worldwide sim playing cards for America:
- Lycamobile UNL Talk Text
UNLIMITED (international) calls*
UNLIMITED (international) text*
1 GB
valid for 1 month
Price: $14.99
Click on the link above to order this sim card from Amazon. I would not recommend this sim Lycamobile sim card for the USA. Value for money is NOT good! Check below for much better options. You can order any of the following international sim cards for the USA directly online through this link! - Three UK PAYG AIO15 – $29.90
NO calls
NO text
10 GB data
valid for 30 days - Three UK PAYG AIO20 – $39.90
NO calls
NO text
12 GB data
valid for 30 days - Three UK PAYG MBB 12GB – $59.90
NO calls
NO text
12 GB data
valid for 1 year! - Three UK PAYG MBB 24GB – $79.90
NO calls
NO text
24 GB data
valid for 2 years! - Orange Holiday World – $49.90
NO calls
NO text
10 GB data
valid for 14 days
THE MOST RECOMMENDED USA SIM CARD FOR TOURISTS BELOW - T-Mobile Prepaid SIM 50GB – $69.90
UNLIMITED (international) calls*
UNLIMITED (international) text*
50 GB (Canada + Mexico included)
valid for 15 days - AT&T Unlimited Data + Talk + Text – $79.90
UNLIMITED calls (USA, Canada, Mexico only)
UNLIMITED text (USA, Canada, Mexico only)
30 GB (Canada + Mexico included)
valid for 30 days
Comparing all of the above global sim playing cards for the USA then individually I might endorse the closing 2 alternatives: T-Mobile and AT&T. Both USA sim playing cards have calling included, whereas the others DO NOT!
Depending on the length of your experience I might preferably pick out T-Mobile but is your ride to the USA is longer than 15 days then virtually get an internet AT&T sim card from the hyperlink above.
As you could see shopping for a sim card in the united states online is even less expensive than buying a sim card on arrival in the USA. Plus you keep the trouble of going to a cell telephone keep when arriving inside the USA. But by way of now, you already know that I sincerely propose an e-sim card for visiting in the USA.
On my very current ride to the united states, I also recorded a vlog about shopping for a pay-as-you-go sim card within the USA, check it out under.
Here are some more North American sim playing cards for traveling to us. Sim playing cards for Canada and sim playing cards for Mexico also work inside the USA. As stated earlier than I DO NOT RECOMMEND international sim playing cards, take a look at my article to discover the first-class global sim cards for touring the world. Even a number of the satisfactory Europe sim playing cards have free roaming within the USA included. Check them out within the hyperlink above.
Order your USA sim card online earlier than your experience, and get it added to your home deal with… Switch the sim card inside the plane and experience a record connection as soon as you land!
May you have got any more questions please leave me a comment, I’m glad to assist. Looking for some severe wanderlust notion then head to my Instagram @traveltomtom and follow alongside my adventure to go to each united states within the globe. As in line with July 2022, I was to greater than a hundred thirty-five nations, so nevertheless a protracted way to go.
