We’ve done a couple of articles on where to buy your foreign SIM cards when you’re traveling abroad. One of the questions that keep coming up is whether or not buying Amazon SIM cards is a good idea. These days folks buy everything from Amazon therefore, it would make sense that you could buy foreign SIM cards as well. Right off the bat, we can tell you that there is not a yes or no direct answer for this. That’s one of the main reasons why we wanted to cover this topic. In doing some research we found what we may have expected on this topic. Some people have had great experiences doing this others have had to deal with nightmare scenarios.
There are a couple of things that are key in this whole process. For example, if you’re planning a trip and you want to take something with you, you need to buy it and ideally make sure that it works before you arrive at your trip destination. Timing is super important in SIM card buying. When you’re dealing with something that needs to be delivered to you, that timing factor can come into play in different ways.
Another thing that we could just throw out there and not shy away from is, just the nature of online shopping. Some of the things that you buy are going to work and some of the things that you buy just won’t work. That’s true again for anything that you buy. Even though Amazon is without a doubt the world’s number one online retailer it’s not without its flaws. The purpose of the article is to help you decide what strategy fits you best. That way when you arrive at your destination you’ll be ready to go with a foreign SIM that saves you money and keeps you in touch.
- Is Buying Foreign Amazon SIM cards Safe?
- Can You Test A Foreign SIM Card Before Making A Trip?
- Should Cost Play A Role In Deciding Where You Buy From?
- Online Buying Alternatives
- Do I Really Need A Foreign SIM Card?
- I’m Taking A Trip To Multiple Destinations
- Buying On The Street Yes or No
Is Buying Foreign Amazon SIM cards Safe?
We get this question quite a bit and we could also say that if you trade Amazon for eBay for example, and ask the same question we would give you the same answer. The process of buying the SIM card should be as safe as it can get. As long as you are buying directly from the Amazon platform. On eBay for example we’ve seen scams where the seller will try and redirect you to another site and have you make the purchase there. That type of thing should be more of a red flag. If you’re buying directly from the Amazon platform or the eBay platform you should be safe. Even if you get something that ultimately doesn’t work you can push for a refund. In that sense, you’re safe. If you get scammed you can get your money back.
The thing that you have to remember with Amazon is that the platform does have third party sellers. Even if you’re making the purchase from the Amazon platform you’re doing business with a third party seller. This is where things can get a little more complicated. If you’re scammed by a third-party seller or you have some type of problem you’ll get your money back but you’ll have to find a way to get another SIM card. If your card does not arrive on time that could pose another problem in itself. That’s a more manageable one though, just make sure that you make the purchase with enough time to spare.
To give you a more straight answer, it can be safe in the sense that you’re going to get your money back. If you know and trust the seller then things can be even better. The problem is you could run into some sellers that are not trustworthy. At the same time, you’d need to be able to test your SIM card and that can be a problem in your home country. Here a couple of tips though to be able to test these cards out.
Can You Test A Foreign Amazon SIM Cards Before Making A Trip?
This is sadly another one of those questions that you’ll get a yes and no answer to. The first thing that you need to do when you buy a “local” SIM card wherever it is that you buy it, is to check the number on the card. Remember that number is going to become the phone number that you’re going to be using to receive calls on and update certain apps and things like that while you’re abroad. The first thing that you need to do is make sure that the number that you get is actually a local number from the country that you’re visiting. This is something that you can do quickly and in a very simple manner. Google the local area codes of the country that you’re visiting. If the number that you get is part of those area codes you’re probably in the clear.
It goes without saying, but you need to put the SIM card on the phone and make sure that the SIM card is properly read by the phone. When you insert the SIM card go to your settings and look up SIM information. You should be able to see the same phone number as the one that is usually part of the SIM card package if you will, that you should get. If you can make a call to that phone with the country code and the area code from a local phone of yours that would be great. If you can’t get a call through to that number when you’re still in your home country that doesn’t mean that all hope is lost.
At this point, we’re at one of the biggest problems with buying foreign SIM cards on Amazon. Most of the time the foreign SIM cards are obviously not going to work properly in your home country. Therefore, if you try and make a call to that number it’s going to tell you it’s offline. Truly, pretty much the only way to fully test that foreign SIM card is going to be on the ground in the county that you’re traveling to. You’ll see if you get coverage or not.
Should Cost Play A Role In Deciding Where You Buy From?
There are a couple of reasons why we want to talk about this. The answer to the question is obviously, yes of course. You should be looking for a good price on everything that you buy. The thing is, this bargain hunting idea is what ultimately gets a lot of people scammed! When you’re planning a trip somewhere there is a chance that you’ll research that place quite a bite and so the Google or Facebook algorithm could present you with ads on phone coverage abroad. You could see some outrageously great deals out there, especially on social media. Sometimes, they are just too good to be true.
If you’re keen on buying a local SIM card as your way to get coverage abroad it’s a good idea to do some research on the prices that local phone companies have in that country that you’re traveling to. There are certainly countries around the world where phone coverage is going to seem extremely cheap. Especially if you’re traveling from a country where the price on the same thing is much steeper. Make sure that the prices that you find make sense though. If you see that the average cost per line in the country is 5 dollars a month and you’re getting offered a 1 dollar a month deal watch out.
Obviously, deals that are too good to be true are more likely to be a scam. A lot of times what companies will do is force you to buy more data once you have their SIM. It’s not only scams that you have to worry about it. Ideally, you’ll be able to buy a SIM card that comes equipped with the amount of data or minutes that you’ll need for the whole trip.
Online Buying Alternatives
If it’s not a good idea to buy from Amazon then who should you buy from? There are a couple of alternatives if you’re keen on buying these SIM cards online. Our partner SIM options, for example, gives you access to SIM cards from a wide variety of countries. One of the problems that you’re sure to find on places like Amazon is that it’s not that easy to be able to find reliable sellers that offer SIM cards to some more remote destinations. Sure, you’re going to find the typical “European” SIM card option. A lot of times these SIM cards work differently in some of the countries within the EU by the way. So, in a lot of ways they may not be the best option out there. If you’re looking for US SIM cards funny enough buying those on Amazon can be a little less risky.
Another option besides, SIM options and Amazon that you’re going to have if you want to buy online is to buy directly from the local store of the mobile service provider that you like. Then have them deliver the SIM card to your hotel or something like that. Not all of the mobile service providers are going to be that open to be able to send anyone a SIM card. Some companies have very strict restrictions when it comes to SIM card purchases. Mainly because they don’t want folks using a bunch of different phone numbers to try and blackmail people or do different things. We can’t stress this enough: different countries will have different rules over SIM card usage.
Do I Really Need A Foreign SIM Card?
This is a topic that we’ve covered in a bunch of different articles. We can give you an overview though so that you won’t have to skim through the whole site. The short answer is you really don’t need a foreign SIM card to be able to have coverage abroad. The main reason why we promote the idea of getting a foreign SIM card is that it’s typically the most cost-effective option. Roaming costs or having an international travel plan, for the most part, will ultimately cost more than getting a foreign SIM card. At the same time, the travel plans and roaming set ups usually don’t provide the best coverage. Your regular phone company is usually piggybacking coverage off of a local network, but you’ll get the lower tier coverage a lot of the time.
Another option that you’re going to have if you don’t want to go through the foreign SIM route which we could agree can get complex is getting a mobile wifi hotspot device. Basically, these gadgets are going to allow you to connect your phone to a wifi connection virtually wherever you are. If you’re someone that already communicates a lot through apps like Instagram, Whatsapp, or even Zoom or Skype this could be a good option. You won’t have to worry about roaming fees if you make sure to turn your phone data off. The problem is that in this route you won’t be able to make local calls. That sometimes is important on a trip.
Pretty much the conclusion that we always come to is that for short trips using another one of these alternatives could make sense. Especially if you have a good international plan from your regular carrier. If you’re going to be taking a bit of a longer trip the foreign SIM card option is just the one that makes the most sense.
I’m Taking A Trip To Multiple Destinations
We talked a bit about the European SIM cards that you can find from some mobile carriers. These options are out there, you can also find multiple Asian countries essentially being supported on the same SIM card. These alternatives are the obvious choice if you’re going to be making a trip to multiple countries. Make sure that you read the fine print though before you ultimately buy any SIM card. Sometimes, for example, we’ve seen that on the “European cards” data is not counted the same within the UK or outside of it. If you have 2GB of data they can burn up faster outside of a particular area. You may only have access to 4G speeds in certain areas and not in others.
If you like the SIM card option, but you’re visiting multiple destinations you could go for the cheapest SIM card in each country. This can work if you’re going to be in a spot for maybe two or three days. You’ll most likely be able to find SIM card options with essentially minimal data and minutes virtually anywhere around the world for under 10 dollars. We mention the 10 dollar mark because most international plans, at least the ones that American providers offer will charge you around 10 dollars a day for international coverage. If you’re paying under 10 bucks for the SIM card it could make sense.
Yet another option that you could look into is the wifi hotspot option. You can actually let these guys know that you’re going to be visiting multiple countries. We know that the wifi hotspot option is going to be on the expensive side for some folks. Having to keep track of different SIM cards though can be a problem for some people. So you’d rather pay the extra money for a more comfortable solution.
Buying On The Street Yes or No
So you want to avoid all of the trouble that could potentially come your way if you buy online. As we mentioned, it’s not just scams that you would need to worry about. Any problem in the delivery process could literally put you in an awkward spot. Buying directly in the streets of the new country that you arrive in could be a good option. Especially if you speak the language of the place that you’re visiting. That sounds dumb, but a lot of times it’s a good idea to buy SIM cards online to make sure that you understand what type of coverage you’re getting. If you don’t know the language again scams are a possibility, but the main issue could be not having any idea what you paid for.
If you’re going to buy in the street make sure that you buy directly from the service provider or at a certified store. In a lot of countries, you can literally buy SIM cards in supermarkets. If you’re in an important supermarket chain in that country, again scams probably won’t be an issue. Just make smart decisions in that sense. Don’t buy from shady street vendors or in flea markets. Unless you’re with a travel guide that could potentially vogue for the people that are selling you the SIM card. Buying SIM cards directly off the street could present some of the same risks that buying from shady online stores does. Therefore, you should have some of the same precautions. One good thing that you’ll have when buying directly at the store is that you can check if the SIM card works on the spot.
Final Thoughts On Buying Amazon SIM Cards
As we just mentioned, you need to take some of the same precautions when buying online as you would when you’re buying in the street. There’s no nice way to say this, some countries have more scammers than others, so if you’re unsure that you can get decent help where you’re going take extra precautions. Check for different prices, different brands, and make sure that you have a good idea of what services go for. Just being smart and using common sense as you would with any online purchase can go a long way. Some of these potential issues though, should not necessarily make you shy away from the foreign SIM card option. It’s usually the most cost-effective alternative and gives you the best coverage overall.