Purchase Cost |
$59 includes $10 airtime credit |
$49 includes $10
airtime credit |
$49 includes $10 airtime credit |
$19 includes $20 airtime credit |
$2.50 |
€39 (US$58 includes €15 (US$22) airtime credit |
€29.90 (US$44.50 includes €10 (US$15) airtime credit |
$81 includes $15 airtime credit |
varies from about $10 to $80 |
Usually offered at no extra cost
on a regular service plan |
How long before SIM expires(1) |
12 months |
Activity every 9
months, recharge purchase every 12 months |
Activity every 9 months, recharge purchase every 12
months |
Activity every 9 months, recharge purchase every 12
months |
Never |
9 months |
9 months |
12 months |
varies from about 3 months to 12 months |
n/a |
Minimum renewal cost(2) |
$25 |
$10 |
$10 |
$10 |
n/a |
€25 (US$37) |
€25 (US$37) |
$25 |
varies from as low as one outgoing call to perhaps $20 |
n/a |
Fixed monthly cost |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Usually nil |
Sometimes if you pay eg $5/month extra with Cingular, you get discounted international roaming rates |
Prepay or postpay billing(3) |
Prepay |
Prepay |
Prepay |
Prepay |
Postpay to your credit card |
Prepay |
Prepay |
Prepay |
Prepay |
Usually postpay on your regular monthly statements |
How to pay |
Can arrange for auto recharges when balance gets low or can buy extra time as needed |
Auto recharge when balance drops below $5 |
Auto recharge when balance drops below $5 |
Auto recharge when balance drops below $5 |
You are automatically billed as and when needed |
Can buy extra time on their website |
Can buy extra time on their website |
Can buy extra time online or through the phone after registering your credit card with Hop |
Varies |
Included in your monthly statements |
24hr Customer Service |
24/7 service but not free call. |
24/7 service but not free call. |
24/7 service but not free call. |
24/7 service but not free call. |
Yes, free call |
No.
Calls to Customer Service are charged (at a discounted rate) |
No.
Calls to Customer Service are charged (at a discounted rate) |
No
Free call to Customer Service |
often but not always |
Usually, and may have free calling to customer service |
Works with all GSM phones |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes but SMS requires special Soft SIM compliant phone |
Yes |
Works with the SIM you already have, and probably on all GSM phones |
Free incoming calls |
Yes in over 40 countries |
Yes in over 50 countries |
British Virgin Islands only |
In Britain, France, Italy, Spain |
in Britain only |
Yes in 86 countries |
Yes in 80 countries |
No |
Usually yes in the country the service is based in; but not in any other countries |
Usually no |
How many countries it works in |
144 |
110 + |
110 + |
110 + |
170 + |
140 |
140 |
101 |
Usually these cards only work in the country they are based in. Some work in a very limited number of other countries too. |
varies - not all wireless services have roaming agreements with all foreign countries, but usually 100 + |
Country the SIM's number is based in(4) |
Estonia |
Britain |
Britain |
Britain |
Britain |
Liechtenstein |
Britain |
Monaco |
The country you purchased the SIM in |
Your home country |
Voicemail available(5) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Usually yes |
Usually yes |
Cost for voicemail messages to be left |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
The cost of an incoming call plus a call to the UK |
Free |
Free |
n/a |
varies |
Usually the same cost as if you answered the phone while overseas |
Cost for voicemail messages to be played |
Cost of a regular outgoing call in the country you are currently in |
Free through web interface or regular call cost through phone |
Free through web interface or regular call cost through phone |
Free through web interface or regular call cost through phone |
The cost of a call to the UK |
Varies by country |
Varies by country |
n/a |
Varies |
Usually the same cost as a phone call while you're in the foreign country |
Incoming text messages (SMS) supported |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Usually yes |
Usually yes |
Cost per incoming SMS |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Varies |
Varies - eg T-mobile charge 10¢ per received SMS |
Outgoing text messages (SMS) supported |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes on selected phones |
Usually yes |
Usually yes |
Cost per outgoing SMS |
40¢ |
49¢
or more |
49¢ or more |
49¢ or more |
80¢ |
60¢ |
55¢ |
10¢ |
Varies |
Varies, eg T-mobile charges 35¢ |
Data service |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Usually no, but a few prepaid local SIMs do allow data too |
Usually yes, but you probably have to request this as an extra feature before traveling |
Cost for data |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
Very expensive |
Very expensive, eg T-mobile charges $15.36/MB |
Fixed establishment cost/call |
No |
25¢ |
25¢ |
No |
No |
30¢ |
35¢ |
No |
Usually no |
Usually no |
Billing increments(6) |
60 seconds |
60 seconds |
60 seconds |
60 seconds |
60 seconds |
60 seconds |
60 seconds |
1 second |
Usually about 30 secs |
Usually about 30 or 60 secs |
Special features |
Toll free access for callers in the US calling to your phone (but it adds 35¢/minute to your cost)Website interface to send free SMS to Explorer users
No surcharge for calls to mobiles phones in any country |
Call forwarding
Conference calling
Call recording
Online call detail records
Toll free access for callers in the US calling to your phone (but it adds 39¢/minute to your
cost) |
Call forwarding
Conference calling
Call recording
Online call detail records
Toll free access for callers in the US calling to your phone (but it adds 39¢/minute to your
cost) |
Call forwarding
Conference calling
Call recording
Online call detail records
Toll free access for callers in the US calling to your phone (30 mins
free then it adds 49¢/minute to your cost) |
Call forwarding
Call waiting
Online call detail records |
Call forwarding |
Call forwarding |
Call forwarding
Online account management |
Common to find call forwarding and call waiting |
Common to find call forwarding and call waiting.
People calling your regular cell number back home get forwarded to wherever you are (but at extra cost to you). |
|
Pricing Policies |
See
Note 7 |
See
Note 8 |
See Note 11 |
See Note 12 |
See
Note 9 |
See
Note 10 |
See Note 13 |
Flat rate pricing in all countries |
Varies widely from SIM to SIM |
(sample rates are from T-mobile) |
Calls to other mobiles on same network |
Charged at the same rate as a call to Estonia |
Charged at the same rate as a call to Britain |
Charged at the same rate as a call to Britain |
Charged at the same rate as a call to Britain |
Charged at the same rate as a call to Britain |
49¢ to $2.49 depending on location |
40¢ to $2.70 depending on location |
Charged at the same rate as other outgoing calls |
Often offered at a discounted rate |
Usually no discounts when roaming internationally |
Australia |
Free/50¢ |
Free/49¢ |
29¢/29¢ |
99¢/79¢ |
$1.25/$1.25, $1.50 |
Free/49¢, $2.09 |
Free/40¢, $2.15 |
35¢/95¢, 95¢ |
|
$1.49/$1.49 |
Britain |
Free/60¢ |
Free/49¢ |
29¢/29¢ |
Free/99¢ |
Free/$1.25, $1.50 |
Free/49¢, $2.09 |
Free/40¢, $2.15 |
35¢/95¢, 95¢ |
|
99¢/99¢ |
Canada |
$1.50/$2.00 |
$1.29/$1.49 |
$1.39/$1.39 |
$1.79/$1.99 |
$1.25/$1.50, $1.50 |
79¢/$2.69, $3.99 |
$1.35/$4.05, $4.05 |
35¢/95¢, 95¢ |
|
49¢/49¢
plus long distance charges |
China |
75¢/$1.25 |
$1.29/$1.49 |
$1.39/$1.39 |
$1.79/$1.99 |
$1.75/$1.50, $2.95 |
Free/49¢, $2.09 |
55¢/$2.15, $2.70 |
35¢/95¢, 95¢ |
|
$2.99/$2.99 |
France |
Free/60¢ |
Free/49¢ |
39¢/39¢ |
Free/99¢ |
$1.25/$1.25, $1.50 |
Free/49¢, $2.09 |
Free/40¢, $2.15 |
35¢/95¢, 95¢ |
|
99¢/99¢ |
Germany |
Free/60¢ |
Free/49¢ |
39¢/39¢ |
79¢/99¢ |
$1.25/$1.25, $1.50 |
Free/49¢, $2.09 |
Free/40¢, $2.15 |
35¢/95¢, 95¢ |
|
99¢/99¢ |
Italy |
Free/69¢ |
Free/49¢ |
29¢/29¢ |
Free/99¢ |
$1.25/$1.25, $1.50 |
Free/49¢, $2.09 |
Free/40¢, $2.15 |
35¢/95¢, 95¢ |
|
99¢/99¢ |
Mexico |
$2.50/$3.00 |
$2.29/$2.49 |
$2.39/$2.39 |
$2.99/$3.49 |
$1.95/$1.95, $2.95 |
$1.09/$3.99, $3.99 |
$2.05/$5.45, $4.05 |
35¢/95¢, 95¢ |
|
$1.49/$1.49 |
Russia |
Free/45¢ |
$1.29/$1.49 |
$1.39/$1.39 |
$1.79/$1.99 |
$1.95/$1.95, $8.95 |
49¢/$2.09, $2.69 |
55¢/$2.15, $2.70 |
35¢/95¢, 95¢ |
|
$4.99/$4.99 |
United States |
$2.50/$3.00 |
$1.29/$1.49 |
$1.39/$1.39 |
$1.79/$1.99 |
$1.75/$1.50, $1.50 |
$1.09/$3.99, $3.99 |
$1.35/$4.05, $4.05 |
35¢/95¢, 95¢ |
|
n/a |