Best Prepaid Sim Cards For Canada (Guide For Travelers)
Traveling to Canada and you want to buy a sim card to use during the trip? That’s the right way of thinking and you’ve come to the perfect place to find out all you need to know about prepaid Canada sim cards!
At A Glance: Our Favorite Prepaid Sim Cards for Canada
Where to buy them, how much you can expect to pay for one, and the best prepaid sim options are all covered in this detailed guide. Whether you’re a tourist who needs a sim for a few days or an international student in need of a sim card for months, you’ll find a great option right here. So, keep reading to find the best prepaid sim for Canada that perfectly suits your travel needs!
Why You Should Not Get A Prepaid SIM
It always sounds like the best idea to get a SIM when you land in Canada. That used to be the only option.
Yes, you could just Buy A SIM Before you go! I used to use SimOptions for getting one delivered to my house before my trip.
Nowadays, if you have a modern phone (iPhone X, Galaxy S20 or later) then you can use a Canada eSIM instead!
I only use eSIMs because they allow you to:
- get a SIM before you leave
- keep your normal SIM (phone number & texts)
- get the best rates for data when you travel
- get data for shorter periods
- get just the GB you need
Rogers
Rogers has quite a few prepaid sim card plans, which include monthly and semi-annual plans. Their cheapest prepaid sim cards include only a phone number and no data, and they’re up to $25. If you want data on your prepaid sim card, you will pay anywhere from $30 to $225. These plans have Pay As You Go pricing for mobile data usage, and they’re not a good option for you if you tend to use a lot of mobile data monthly.
The $225 is a semi-annual plan, which is a good option for people who are staying in Canada for up to six months. This plan includes 30 GB of data, unlimited calls in Canada, and unlimited texts in Canada and the US.
Telus
Telus has a total of 7 prepaid plans for new and existing customers. You can also purchase a smartphone with a prepaid plan if you want, but only select smartphone devices are included in the prepaid offer.
The Telus Canada prepaid sim card plans are three Talk & Text plans and four Talk, Text & Data plans. The cheapest plan is $15, and it includes 100 minutes, as well as unlimited SMS/MMS for a month. The priciest plan without data is an annual $100 plan, with 400 free texts and 400 free minutes.
As for the Telus sim card plans that include data, they’re all monthly plans that cost from $30 to $55. The cheapest plan includes 500 MB while the most expensive plan includes 8 GB of data. All the plans also include unlimited calls and texts.
Bell
Bell has a total of six prepaid Cadana sim card plans, two of which don’t include any mobile data. They are two Talk & Text plans, and they retail for $15 and $25 per month. The latter is the better deal because it includes unlimited calls and texts.
There are four Talk, Text & Data plans, and they’re similar to what Talus offers. They include from 500 MB to 8 GB of data, for prices between $30 and $55. All these plans include unlimited calls and texts, plus you can get an extra 500 MB of data if you sign up for automatic top-ups.
Freedom Mobile
Freedom Mobile has four regular prepaid sim card plans, as well as one special promotion that they run every now and then. The promotion is by far the best value for money if you’re looking for a larger data allowance, mostly because it includes 15 GB of data for $35 per month. I must point out that it’s not specified whether that 15 GB allowance is for a month or an entire year.
The other plans from Freedom Mobile are two monthly plans and two yearly plans. Two of those plans are Talk & Text only, with the option of purchasing additional data. The plans that include data provide you with 1.5 GB of data per month for $24, or 12 GB of data for an entire year, for $179.
PhoneBox
PhoneBox Canada sim card plans are by far the best option for people who want a prepaid sim card with a generous data allowance. Unlike most other providers, you can get 7 GB of data for just $35 per month from PhoneBox.
Their prepaid plans include up to 55 GB of data, which is more than most other providers in Canada offer. Unfortunately, PhoneBox still doesn’t have an unlimited data plan. But, even without unlimited data options, this provider is by far the best option for international students and everyone else who wants a prepaid sim card with a large data allowance in Canada.
This provider has a total of 7 prepaid plans, all of which include unlimited calls in Canada and international texts. They differ in price and data allowance, and the best value for money are the $45 (25 GB) and $55 (35 GB) plans. They also have two promotional weekly plans that include 2 GB or 5 GB for just $10 or $19 per week. It’s worth noting that you can choose whether you prefer a physical local sim card or an eSim for every one of their prepaid Canada plans.
Petro Canada Mobility
Petro Canada has a variety of plans with and without mobile data. Their Talk & Text plans are cheaper than the plans with mobile data, and they also have a Pay Per Use plan that’s a decent option for people who don’t really use their cell phones that much.
To get a Petro Canada mobile plan you need to purchase a 3-in-1 sim card first for $10. That’s an extra charge you can’t get around because sim cards are not included in any of the provider’s data plans.
The Talk, Text & Data plans from this provider all include unlimited calls and texts, and they differ only in the data allowance. The cheapest ($35) plan includes 2.75 GB of data, while the most expensive plan ($55) gets you 9 GB of data for a month. Keep in mind that the cost of the sim card is not included in those prices.
Fido
Fido Canada has a total of 10 prepaid plans you can choose from. They offer monthly and semi-annual plans and you can choose between plans with and without mobile data. The talk & Text plans from this provider are very affordable and $25 will get you a sim card with unlimited phone calls and texts in Canada.
Talk, Text & Data plans are more expensive, starting at $30 for a data allowance of just 500 MB. The most expensive mobile data plan from Fido includes 10 GB of data for $75. That’s a very expensive plan, especially considering that you can get a 55 GB data allowance from Phone Box for the same price.
Fido’s semi-annual plans are from $150 to $225 ($30-37.5 per month) with data allowances from 6 GB to 30 GB for the entire period. The semi-annual plans are better value for money than their monthly prepaid plans but keep in mind that you would have to monitor your data usage so you don’t use it all within the first couple of months.
Is A Sim Card Essential When Traveling to Canada?
If you’re staying in Canada for more than 5 days, I’d say that a sim card is essential, especially if you want to have Internet access while you’re out and about. Sure, most bigger cities in Canada have decent free WiFi coverage, but you can’t always rely on that, especially because public networks are far from being perfectly secure.
If you’re considering a sim card just because you need Internet access, you should also consider an eSim to use in Canada. These are often a good value for money and slightly more convenient than physical sim cards. But if having a local phone number is also important to you, then yes, a sim card is essential when traveling to Canada.
Additionally, it is possible to purchase an international sim card / eSim, which will work in many worldwide countries. Surfroam is one of the providers that offer this, and it’s not a bad option if you’re planning to visit several destinations in the span of a few months or a year.
Things to Know Before Buying A Sim Card in Canada
Is Your Phone Unlocked?
Your phone must be unlocked if you’re going to use a Canadian sim card. If you purchased a phone through a contract with a network operator, it’s most likely locked to one network and you won’t be able to use it with a Canadian sim card.
The easiest way to check whether your phone is locked to a network is to purchase the cheapest sim card you can find from any other network than the one you’re currently using. You can also just borrow a sim card from a friend or family member. If your smartphone works perfectly with the new sim card, then it’s not locked and you can easily use a Canadian sim card.
But if the phone refuses to connect to a different network, it means your device is locked to a provider and you won’t be able to use a foreign sim card in it.
Are You Using A GSM Phone?
There’s a difference between GSM and CDMA networks, and the simplest way to put it is that CDMA phones are locked to a specific network provider. If your phone is GSM, it will work without major issues with a Candian sim card, but that’s not the case with CDMA phones.
So, how can you know for sure if you’re using a GSM phone? It’s easy – just dial *#06#. This will bring up a list of unique serial numbers that identify your device. An IMEI number indicates that your phone is GSM; while a MEID / ESM number indicated that your phone is CDMA. If you see IMEI (MEID), it means your device supports both and you’ll be fine.
It’s worth noting that most newer phones are GSM, and if you purchased the device in the past few years, you most likely won’t have any issues using a foreign sim card.
How to Buy A Sim Card in Canada
Buying A Sim Card Before Traveling to Canada
You can try to purchase a sim card online before you travel to Canada, but this will often include pretty high shipping costs. It’s not necessary to buy a sim card before you arrive in Canada because they are widely available in the country.
Also, consider an eSim for Canada if your smartphone supports embedded sim technology. You can buy it online before you travel to the country and activate it after you arrive in Canada. Plus, since it’s a virtual sim card, you don’t have to pay any shipping.
Buying A Sim Card in Canada
You can buy a sim card in Canada in physical stores of all network operators, at certain international airports, and in most convenience stores. It’s worth noting that Canadian sim cards sold at airports are generally overpriced, so I would recommend waiting to settle in your hotel and then just heading to the nearest convenience store.
How Much Does A Sim Card in Canada Cost?
That depends on what’s included in the sim card, but you can generally expect to pay around $10 for a prepaid sim card for Canada, not including the cost of the plan. Mobile plans that include only minutes and texts are usually up to $25 but plans with a mobile data allowance are often $30-75 per month.
The larger the data allowance the more you’ll pay for a sim card, but it’s worth noting that the physical sim cards are generally much cheaper than eSims. There’s also the benefit of having a phone number, especially since most providers include quite a few free minutes and texts with their physical sim cards.
How to Activate & Top Up Your Canadian Sim Card
Activating our prepaid sim card should be fairly easy. Just insert it into your device and connect it to the network of the provider, and it should start working immediately. If you got one of the data-only sim cards, you will activate it when you first turn on mobile data and connect to the Internet.
Managing Your Mobile Data in Canada
Don’t worry too much about managing your mobile data while you’re in Canada – it’s super easy, and you can even set up a certain data usage threshold and be notified when you reach it. Most network providers will give you a number that you can call or send a text to, and you’ll be able to see just how much data you’ve used up to that point.
Some will also let you manage your data and check data usage in their app, provided that they have one. It’s also possible to check data usage statistics in your smartphone’s mobile network settings, plus you can set up your phone to send you a notification once you’ve used up a certain amount of data.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest prepaid sim card in Canada?
The cheapest you can get a sim card for is $10, but that will only get you a prepaid sim card. Canada network operators often separate the cost of sim cards and mobile plans, so there will be an additional charge for a mobile plan. The cheapest prepaid mobile plan in Canada is approximately $15 for a Talk & Text plan that doesn’t include any mobile data.
Can foreigners buy a sim card in Canada?
Yes, foreigners can absolutely buy a sim card in Canada. It’s worth noting that you can only buy a prepaid sim card, because postpaid subscriptions are reserved only for residents of Canada and require a Canadian ID.
