Many are gearing up for overseas holidays and visits to family after being deprived of the opportunity for so long. Make sure that you plan ahead and tick all the boxes. A lot of travel agencies are offering flexible bookings to provide confidence to their customers. Bring necessary safety gear for yourself and your companions. It’s a good idea to get vaccinated as this might reduce quarantine requirements when you land at your destination. An international travel SIM can be your best companion so make you that you bring one as well. Keep the following in mind if you do:
Use an Unlocked Mobile Device
These SIM cards will not work if you are using a locked phone. Many carriers sell phones to their customers with steep discounts but these devices will only work with their network. It is possible to unlock phones but these might have some consequences depending on the agreement. If you have this issue, then you could purchase a cheap phone specifically for travel. You could also insert these on tablets or other devices which are unlocked.
Automatic and Manual Activation
Most of these SIM cards come already pre-activated so you can use them right away after inserting on your phone. Make calls and text as instructed on the accompanying info sheet. The same is true when it comes to using data. However, these are usually configured to charge by time or by MB by default. If you purchased a data plan to save on cost, then you may have to activate this manually through their website before it can take effect.
Card and Balance Expiration Date
Look into the card’s expiration date before making a purchase. Some will no longer work if you don’t use them before a certain date. They will also require top-ups within a certain period to prevent expiration. This is usually 18 months which is more generous than most other SIM card providers. Any remaining balance may be kept active within this period as well unless otherwise stated.
Phone Number and Voicemail
An international travel SIM will usually have a phone number that is local to the place when it was sold. For example, you could have a US phone number if you bought one in America and a Euro number if you bought it within the continent. These may provide you with a voicemail for use in case you can’t answer your phone.
No Comments