Recommendations for Prepaid SIM card

[Coles]

Hello all,

I'll have an ~30 day stay in SIN and am looking for a good prepaid SIM card. My phone usage is light (1-2 calls per day), 50% local, 50% to US. I'm not familiar at all with the mobile service providers in SIN.

Also, if any has a recommendation on where to buy one without too much hassle (i.e. paperwork), that would be appreciated as well.

Hopefully, this question is not too OT for the forum.

Thanks.

[Singapore_Air]

Someone could confirm but the Singtel HiCard S$30??? could meet your needs. It has inclusive allowance for some local and international calls.

[acey]

I'll have an ~30 day stay in SIN and am looking for a good prepaid SIM card. My phone usage is light (1-2 calls per day), 50% local, 50% to US. I'm not familiar at all with the mobile service providers in SIN.

Also, if any has a recommendation on where to buy one without too much hassle (i.e. paperwork), that would be appreciated as well.

Thanks.

Hi there,
Welcome to Singapore.
There are 3 operators in Singapore- SingTel, M1 and StarHub.
For prepaid, StarHub has the largest market share. And I used to be the marketing manager in charge of coming with the price plans at StarHub, I strongly recommend that you buy the StarHub prepaid card.

Just go to any 7-Eleven store with your passport and you can get a card easily (do not need to fill up any forms).

By the way, Singapore do not operate under the Caller Party Pay regime. So incoming calls are chargeable (unless the specific price plan you are on offers free incoming calls)

[SQ LPP]

When you arrive at Changi, after clearing immigration, in one of the bank for money changer, you can buy the new SIM card. StarHub is sold in one bank and the other bank counter sold a different one I think.
By buying just after you arrive at Changi, it means you can make a call very very soon, provided you have an unlocked phone. (I know most of US phones are locked).
If you arrive between 8am till 8pm, you can go to the departure level after clearing immigration and customs, and go to the Singapore Post Office (near the SIN-KUL shuttle). This Post Office will have M1 and as well as SingTel.
In any case, they will need your passport for registration.

[aaronx88]

Hi,

I believe Singapore Air is refering to the HOT 100 ($28) prepaid from Singtel. This would be perfect for you since you will get FREE IDD call to the USA. There would be $72 allowance for local calls and $28 allowance for IDD.

More info.

http://home.singtel.com/upload_hub/c...rojectCele.htm

Aaron

[acey]

Hi,

I believe Singapore Air is refering to the HOT 100 ($28) prepaid from Singtel. This would be perfect for you since you will get FREE IDD call to the USA. There would be $72 allowance for local calls and $28 allowance for IDD.

More info.

http://home.singtel.com/upload_hub/c...rojectCele.htm

Aaron

One thing to note abt this deal is the $100 of value ($28+$72) is only valid for 50 days.
If you intend to talk a lot during your stay in Singapore, this might be a good deal. For benchmark, prepaid users spend betweenn S$13-S$20 per month on average (ARPU).

[aaronx88]

Hi,

50 days expiry is more than enough for Coles since his stay in Spore is for 30 days. The only disadvantage that I can think of is his usage is too low that it cannot used up $28 of credit in which case, he is better off buying the normal prepaid. But if he is very close to $28, might as well buy the hot 100 and have a peace of mind for his entire stay.

Aaron

[Greatfox]

for a Hi-Card at least, you will have to take your passport to purchase one

[hofo_mofo]

When I was in Singapore this past summer (well beginning of June)..i purchased and activated a prepaid SIM account with M1...i did it at the store on Orchard road (ha narrows it down) in the basement of the Mall, close to a Starbucks (wow this is really not helping)...i believe it was close to if not next to the mall with the SIA office in it. I am certain that it is on that side of the street.

I was only there for 7 days, and i got the smallest card (i think 20 bucks)...but my account gave me free phone calls to Canada, and other countries they listed (US, UK included as well)...i dont know if this was a promotion as it was the Great Singapore Sale cocurrently, but man it was pretty dang sweet!!

Oh yeah all i had to do was bring my passport (which I always carried)

[abraxis]

I'd lean toward StarHub. Free IDD like the others plus an option for free incoming calls for a small daily charge.

[SQ218]

I've always used the Hi-Card when I pop into Singapore and had no problems with it. purchased at one of the banks money exchange counter and you need your passport.

[SQ LPP]

Instead of starting a new thread, I would like to just continue the discussion here. For several years I had the M1 prepaid card. It was very reliable since I can send and receive sms abroad. Then my phone got lost in the new BKK last year. I decided to get StarHub and SingTel number. It was a convenient thing to get after arriving at Changi. But, I could not understand though, why my prepaid cards are not working properly abroad. In some cases, for SingTel, it says "emergency call only." And, for sms, both number can receive sms, but not to send.
So, is it my limited knowledge on unlocked phone set up creating this problem? Or are those the defaults by those two companies (i.e. unable to send sms from outside Singapore)?

[nickbot]

...So, is it my limited knowledge on unlocked phone set up creating this problem? Or are those the defaults by those two companies (i.e. unable to send sms from outside Singapore)?

As far as I know, I don't think it would be a problem with your phone setup - previously my prepaid SIMs for both Thailand and Australia have only worked within their country of origin, whereas my French one worked fine back home in the UK. Consequently it's most likely that this is dictated by the phone company.

[SuperJonJon]

Instead of starting a new thread, I would like to just continue the discussion here. For several years I had the M1 prepaid card. It was very reliable since I can send and receive sms abroad. Then my phone got lost in the new BKK last year. I decided to get StarHub and SingTel number. It was a convenient thing to get after arriving at Changi. But, I could not understand though, why my prepaid cards are not working properly abroad. In some cases, for SingTel, it says "emergency call only." And, for sms, both number can receive sms, but not to send.
So, is it my limited knowledge on unlocked phone set up creating this problem? Or are those the defaults by those two companies (i.e. unable to send sms from outside Singapore)?

My guess is that the roaming ability was not activated on these cards or SingTel / Starhub did not have any agreement with the local telco .

But the fact that you are able to recieve SMS, it would be probably be due to the "SMS message centre" not set correctly.

[acey]

But, I could not understand though, why my prepaid cards are not working properly abroad. In some cases, for SingTel, it says "emergency call only." And, for sms, both number can receive sms, but not to send.
So, is it my limited knowledge on unlocked phone set up creating this problem? Or are those the defaults by those two companies (i.e. unable to send sms from outside Singapore)?

All operators in Singapore have prepaid roaming (you wont be able to make calls direct using + though, as that form of calling is not hot billing).

If you can receive SMS and not send....there is a chance that you do not have enough balance in your account (roaming SMS cost abt >$1 per SMS sent).