Cheapest U.S. SIM card for OTP overseas

[connda]

There is a thread running for U.K. SIM cards of OTP overseas. 
I'm interested in the same for U.S. SIM cards for OTP overseas for the same reasons.

[NanLaew]

Mintmobile.

 

I signed up for an eSIM online while in Thailand last December, just before the New Year.

 

3-month, 5Gb plan that gave me another 3 months free. Cost US$45+tax.

 

There's already a thread in this forum where I explained how to do it and activate it from overseas.

Edited February 17 by NanLaew

[bunnydrops]

I use Lycamoblie, I have the $29 plan, but charges me $26 since on auto-renewal. Incoming calls and messages are free. I rarely use it to call back to the US. there is supposed to be a fee (I think around $ .49 a min.) but have never seen a charge. They have a special this year $10 for 12gb. with the free incoming but I don't think you can use that data here. https://www.lycamobile.us/en/plan/35-high-data-plan/

[Yagoda]

google Fi

[gargamon]

26 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

google Fi

Beat you with google voice. Free. Thankfully I was an early adopter and got it when it was much easier to sign up. Works fine for all my US OTP needs. 

[FarangRimPing]

19 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Beat you with google voice. Free. Thankfully I was an early adopter and got it when it was much easier to sign up. Works fine for all my US OTP needs. 

I've had Google Voice for years but it won't work with many banks, such as mine (Citibank). For that reason, I signed up for MintMobile and have been using it for my banks. 

[bunnydrops]

20 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Beat you with google voice. Free. Thankfully I was an early adopter and got it when it was much easier to sign up. Works fine for all my US OTP needs. 

Google Voice is good. I keep that one also. The one thing I like is that I have it linked to my Lyca phone and they send voice messages received on GV as text to the Lyca. I have never used it for OTP since I don't use it much they are always threatening to take the number back. I am afraid I will forget to use it after I get the warning.

[wimpy]

Do you have to be in the US to activate the sim?

[gargamon]

17 minutes ago, FarangRimPing said:

I've had Google Voice for years but it won't work with many banks, such as mine (Citibank). For that reason, I signed up for MintMobile and have been using it for my banks. 

Worked with Citi for me a few years back, but I moved to Capital One and don't use Citi anymore so cannot comment on the current status there.

 

I have noticed that many banks, etc now allow getting the OTP via email as an alternative to via text. 

 

Edited February 18 by gargamon

[wimpy]

Just now, gargamon said:

 

I have noticed that many banks, etc now allow getting the OTP via email as an alternative to via text. 

 

I have noticed a trend where many services 

Some allow voice calls, which I receive with Magic Jack.

[bunnydrops]

8 minutes ago, wimpy said:

Do you have to be in the US to activate the sim?

Both Mint and Lyca have e-sims. Nanlaew activated his sim from Thailand I assume. I have a physical sim and activated it in the States

[wimpy]

2 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

Both Mint and Lyca have e-sims. Nanlaew activated his sim from Thailand I assume. I have a physical sim and activated it in the States

Mint sounds like it might work. Not going to the US to active a sim.

[Yagoda]

5 hours ago, gargamon said:

Beat you with google voice. Free. Thankfully I was an early adopter and got it when it was much easier to sign up. Works fine for all my US OTP needs. 

I have had Google Voice forever. Its my main number in the states. But it doesnt provide everything I need.

[FarangRimPing]

23 hours ago, gargamon said:

Worked with Citi for me a few years back, but I moved to Capital One and don't use Citi anymore so cannot comment on the current status there.

 

I have noticed that many banks, etc now allow getting the OTP via email as an alternative to via text. 

 

Yes, Google Voice used to work with Citi's SMS system but no longer. That's why I now also have a real US phone number via Mint Mobile.

 

[gargamon]

10 minutes ago, FarangRimPing said:

Yes, Google Voice used to work with Citi's SMS system but no longer. That's why I now also have a real US phone number via Mint Mobile.

 

I moved to Capital One and ditched Citi because the cap1 atm/credit card has no foreign transaction fee. Good timing on my part it looks like. 

[gt162]

 

 

https://www.usmobile.com/

 

https://tello.com/

 

Cheapest plans with WIFI calling is good.

[bamnutsak]

Gazillions of threads on this topic, so a search would yield valuable information.

 

What is your budget?

 

AFAIK, the cheapest would be Google Voice.         voice.google.com/signup  It's free. For me it works with everything I use, dozens of log-ins.

 

UlrtaMobile PAYG is $3/month incl 100 SMSes, and supports WiFi calling.

 

https://www.ultramobile.com/paygo/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285112988423

 

 

Both require sign up/activation by someone (you, friend, family member) physically in the U.S.

 

 

Many 2FA requirements are available in the entity's mobile app.

 

 

Edited February 20 by bamnutsak

[bamnutsak]

On 2/18/2024 at 9:39 AM, bunnydrops said:

Both Mint and Lyca have e-sims. Nanlaew activated his sim from Thailand I assume. I have a physical sim and activated it in the States

 

Note that Mint Mobile is no longer a reasonable option. They did away with UpRoam and now only offer Minternational, which is much more expensive.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1318252-using-mintmobile-new-minternational-plan-to-get-bank-code-txt/

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/mintmobile/comments/19fmbxa/bring_back_uproam_please/

 

[FarangRimPing]

On 2/20/2024 at 12:35 PM, bamnutsak said:

 

https://www.ultramobile.com/paygo/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285112988423

 

If you click on the buy link for ultramobile, it links to the sim purchase on Ebay. Note that it's sold by Mint Mobile, so I'm not sure that it will work with the international roaming we need in order to receive the SMS.

[bamnutsak]

7 minutes ago, FarangRimPing said:

If you click on the buy link for ultramobile, it links to the sim purchase on Ebay. Note that it's sold by Mint Mobile, so I'm not sure that it will work with the international roaming we need in order to receive the SMS.

 

 

It works, both international roaming and the preferred WiFi calling.

 

I have two (2) UltraMobile SIMs, both purchased for $13 on eBay.

 

 

[Pi Tao]

You can also, bought a Skype American number.

[FarangRimPing]

To replace my Mint Mobile plan, I signed up for a T-mobile pay as you go plan. 

 

Prepaid Pay As You Go $3/Month Plan, $0.1/text/minute

 

https://usasimcard.com/products/esim-activation-t-mobile-prepaid-pay-as-you-go-3-month-plan-0-1-text-min

 

This company is actually a service to open the T-Mobile account. I bought the activation package a couple of hours ago, was sent an eSIM, and I activated the number by installing the eSIM which was sent to me automatically. The phone number was activated but I couldn't make any calls because I didn't have any money in my pay-as-you-go account. Any call I made went to T-Mobile service in the US. I had to wait for a while to get a vendor PIN from the service, which was necessary for the next step. I then opened a T-Mobile account on the web, entered my new US phone number, verified my email address, verified the Vendor PIN, and am now all set. Total time was about 2 hours and all was done from Thailand. Now I have a US T-Mobile number and the company that helped buy the eSIM is now out of the picture, ie, all my dealings are with T-Mobile.

 

In summary, it only took me a couple of hours to be up and running with a new US phone number. Next step is porting over my old Mint Mobile number to T-Mobile by calling Mint Mobile Customer service and getting a transfer PIN, then calling T-Mobile Customer service with my old info such as Mint phone number and transfer PIN.