Still Reachable

US SIM cards and phone plans for international students and new arrivals

Getting a US number without a Social Security number, what a plan really costs in your state after wireless taxes, and which network covers your campus or town. Built from carrier terms, FCC coverage filings and Tax Foundation data.

Welcome, and congratulations on whatever brought you here: the admission letter, the job offer, the visa that finally came through. Getting a phone working is one of the first errands, and it is easier than the forums make it sound. The no-SSN page linked below separates a credit check from a Social Security number and from the ID a carrier accepts. Advertised prices are national. Read the plan for whether taxes and fees are already included, and add a local charge only when that plan lists taxes separately. Which network reaches your town is the other local difference.

US phone plan without an SSNWhich prepaid carriers publish no credit check, and why an SSN, a deposit and an ID are three separate questions. Start here if you landed this week.Verizon for international studentsA new US number, a compatible phone, an account application, and a student discount are four separate checks. Start with the number and the account type.Switch to Verizon with a US numberAT&T and T-Mobile transfer PINs, account ownership, device unlock, and the balance left on the old phone.Compare named prepaid plansCricket, US Mobile, and Boost, one named plan at a time: data, US minutes, calls abroad, and the line count. A port-in price is not the price of a new number.Which plan has the most data?Unlimited with no high-speed cap, the largest premium allowance, and the cheapest fixed bucket are three different answers. Compare the plans by the definition you mean.Cheapest calls abroadWhether the plan names your country matters more than the country count. India, China, Mexico and Canada rows, minutes and add-ons.Plans for international studentsA prepaid US number without an SSN, data for campus Wi-Fi gaps, calls home, and the state tax that changes the price.Verizon One for student apartmentsA mobile and home internet bundle for new customers. Check whether the rent already includes internet before comparing the bundle price.Foreign phone on VerizonModel, sales market, carrier lock, network compatibility and SIM or eSIM are separate checks.Verizon BYOD versus a new phoneCompare service and device cash over the actual stay, including the exit balance and credits actually received.Free eSIM: what is actually freeA carrier trial, an ad-supported tier, and a paid plan with credit are three different offers. Compare data, hotspot, length, card and number rules.Infimobile prepaidA named US prepaid shop: 12-month prices and a 60-day activate-by on the cards, Authorized Areas in the T&Cs. This is the arrival number, not a hold of a home SIM.

Compare a plan and estimate the switch

Phone plan comparisonFilter verified mobile offers by whole-account budget, lines and high-speed data. See the reasons, the unknowns and the source date.Phone switch cost calculatorStart with a published plan, add your stay and device costs, and read a ledger of service, promotions, taxes, fees and exit items.

Phone plans by state