Are you looking for the best travel sim cards for your next overseas trip? Whether you're heading over the ditch to Australia, the Cook Islands, Niue or further a field to countries such as India, Thailand, USA, UK, then you'll find it's cheaper and easier to buy a sim card before you travel.
There are many companies that buy sim cards overseas, import them to New Zealand sell them with a small markup to tourists heading overseas. The sim cards are genuine and are often designed for tourists to pickup when they land, but these are often expensive and take time to setup.
Whatever you do, avoid using your New Zealand sim card overseas unless you have a roaming package. Data charges are extortionate and can be as high as $10 per MB, which means 1GB of data could be $10,000! A bad mistake some people have met, read more here.
We've personally used all these travel sim card providers which our favourite being SimCorner. Offering fast delivery, you pop in the sim card when you land, and it self-activates, offering fast speeds, a decent data cap and sms or calling.
Best Travel Sim Card Providers
1. SimCorner
SimCorner offers prepaid SIM cards for international travel destinations across the globe. These are able to be purchased prior to travel and are a simple option for those wishing to avoid the roaming fees that sometimes occur while travelling – save your money for your travel instead!
It is easy to purchase a SIM online and have it arrive within a week if you are located in Australia. Shipping is free for standard post or $6.10 for express post which will have it arriving within 2 days. SIMs can also be shipped internationally to most countries and costs for these are on the website.
Order status is able to be tracked via the website by entering the tracking number of the order. SIMs are sorted based on destination which include USA, Canada, Mexico, UK, Europe, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, Asia, Middle East, South America and South Africa.
Individual country SIMs are available for large continents or multi-country SIMs that allow use in a number of countries. SIMs are available in 8 GB, 12 GB, 20 GB and unlimited, and can be data only or include data, call minutes, texts and the ability to hotspot or tether.
Costs start at $25 AUD and the period of activation differs depending on the SIM selected. Travel accessories and adapters are also able to be purchased via the website shop.
2. SimsDirect
SimsDirect is a travel SIM provider that enables Aussie travellers to stay connected as they explore the world while avoiding unwanted roaming charges.
The company was established in 2018 and is Australian operated and owned. With great prices and fast delivery directly to your door, travellers will be ready to take off in no time with the peace of mind that they will be connected from the moment they land.
SIMs are categorised by country travellers are visiting and can purchased for individual countries or regions or bundled to include multiple countries. Countries are sorted into regions of Americas, South America, Europe, Asia, Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and cover the majority of countries from these continents.
The Explorer SIM is able to be used in 71 countries and provides 12 GB of data only for 365 days at $85 AUD. Other options start at $33 dollars for a range of data allowances starting at 3.6 GB. Some SIMs are data only while others offer data, calls and texts. The activation period also differs per SIM and range from 12 days and up.
They offer an 100% money back guarantee and free shipping within Australia. A customer service team is available to assist with any queries that may occur so that travellers can be assured their connection will be worry-free from the moment of activation.
3. Prepaid SIMs
Prepaid SIMs are a travel SIM provider that deliver low prices on high value prepaid SIMs so that Aussie travellers can roam the globe without worrying about roaming data charges that are often an unwelcome surprise on return.
With years of expertise in the travel and tourism industries, this Australia-owned and operated company is based in Melbourne and dedicated to offering only the best value prepaid SIMs to ensure Aussies enjoy their travels without the inconvenience of costly international roaming fees.
They cover more than 100 countries on the majority of continents worldwide and are able to offer such low prices as a result of the work they have put into developing strong relations with large global telecommunications brands. To prove this, they will beat the price of any lower SIM price customers may find on the same SIM they stock.
Prices start at $29 and activation periods differ per SIM starting at 8 days. Data allowances start at 4 GB and SIMs can include data, calls and texts or solely data. They offer a money-back guarantee so that travellers are guaranteed a positive experience.
Shipping is free for standard post that includes tracking, or customers can pay for express postage to receive their SIM more quickly. Orders that are placed before 4pm are dispatched on the same day to ensure orders are received as quickly as possible.
4. OneSimCard
OneSimCard is an international travel SIM provider that allows travellers to pay less to use their mobile device on their travels.
Instead of paying the obscene international data roaming charges that Aussie service providers charge, travellers are able to purchase prepaid SIMs at a fraction of the cost and still communicate with family and friends while exploring the big wide world.
Features include incoming calls for free in 162 countries, cheap outgoing calls starting at 20 US cents, data in over 130 countries starting at 2 US cents per MB, and incoming texts for free across the globe.
As well as international travel SIMs, the company provides international mobile devices that include an international SIM, and personal Wi-Fi devices that can provide internet connection for 10 users wirelessly when paired with an international SIM.
Corporate accounts can also be created that enable companies to dramatically reduce their international roaming costs for more than 5 employees.
For pricing, travellers can use the website to select the country they are travelling to and the SIM type they require. SIM types available include universal, expedition, eSIM, Europe and more, or there is an option to compare all SIMs.
Orders placed before 3pm will be dispatched on the same day to ensure quick delivery. Shipping is from the US, but SIMs can be delivered internationally. Next Day, 2 Day and 3 Day shipping options within the US are available for those customers requiring their SIMs ASAP.
5. Australia Post TravelSIMs
Australia Post TravelSIMs are an affordable option for Aussie travellers wishing to remain connected to loved ones while overseas. They are easy to purchase in store or online and start with $5 credit loaded.
Activation can be done online or by phone, and then the only thing left to do is add the credit you require. There is a free App available where customers can access and manage their TravelSIM account to ensure they never run out of credit.
Features of SIMS include free receiving of calls and free messaging in applicable countries, superb coverage in more than 180 countries, customer assistance from team members based in Australia at any time of the day, free text messaging between TravelSIMs, ability to keep your original phone number or receive a new number, ability to share credit and data with other TravelSIMs linked to your account, and most importantly, low costs with SMS starting at 25 cents and data starting at 15 cents per MB.
Data packs can be purchased that will work in all countries of a certain zone, which is a cheaper option than purchasing SIMs for individual countries. Zone 1 includes over 90 countries who receive the best data coverage. Zone 1 data packs start at $25 for 1 GB.
Overseas data packs expire 6 months from the last credit payment or top-up. To ensure credit doesn’t expire, travellers simply need to top-up their SIM to extend the credit for another 6 months.
You've seen 5 of the top rated travel sim card providers. If you have any questions or comments be sure to leave them below and one of the team will assist further.
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