What is a Prepaid SIM Card?
A prepaid SIM card has a phone number and predetermined value of calling time. For example, you might buy one with an Italian phone number valued at, say, 50 Euros. The dollar amount depends on the exchange rate at the time of purchase. Each carrier, for example France Telecom, has its own prepaid SIM cards. Just activate the card upon arrival in your destination country and presto! you are ready to make and receive calls. Advantages with a prepaid SIM Card: 1 All incoming calls are free, regardless of the callers location. 2 Both rates depend on the country you are in. 3 Friends and family in your destination country save money since they dial this prepaid, local number instead of your USA phone number. Disadvantages with a prepaid SIM card: 1 People in the USA must dial a foreign phone number to reach you. They should ask their phone company the cost for dialling that number. 2 You must activate the SIM card upon arrival in your destination country. 3 Often, you need a different SIM
The Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is a small computer board that is at the heart of every cell phone. Among other functions, the SIM card contains information such as the phone number, the carrier being used, and the rates to be paid by the user for services. Other information is also stored on the SIM card, such as the user’s phone directory and list of recent calls. SIM cards are available in two basic formats: postpaid and prepaid. A prepaid SIM card is similar to a prepaid phone card in that a specified amount of service is paid for in advance. A postpaid SIM card permits the user to talk for as long as they like. The calls are logged and the user is billed monthly for the talk time and other services used, such as outgoing text messages and the purchase of ring tones. It’s usually a requirement for postpaid cell phone SIM cards that a credit card be on file with the carrier, as they are providing a service in advance of payment that can easily amount to hundreds of dollars
