Need a German bank account to get a FONIC prepaid SIM?
 

Hello,

In a few weeks, I'm going on a trip to Berlin for about a week. Looking at the various options, I feel FONIC would be my best choice for a prepaid SIM, but in the faq on their site, they mention that only people with a German bank account and address can register a SIM. (See quotes below.)

While I have a feeling this shouldn't be a problem when buying a SIM in a store, I would like to be sure before I buy one. Can someone in this forum enlighten me?

Thanks,

Frodo

You don't need a German bank account and you can register with any existing German address - they do prove if the given address exists, but not if you actually live there. So foreign visitors can flawlessly register a Fonic SIM.
Don't forget to provide some other Fonic customer's number in the "Mobilfunknummer/Aktionscode" field upon registration, which will give € 5 of extra credit to you and the other customer.
For further details on Fonic check these two links:
Germany - Fonic - Prepaid Wireless Internet Access
FONIC ? Prepaid-Wiki

Thanks, Inquisitor, somehow I guessed you would be the one to answer my query. :)

Okay - now if only I had someone's customer number to enter... *hint* ;)

There's actually somebody's Fonic number under the first link given above, but I'll send you mine by PM now.

Just a little update...

I did get Fonic, and it worked perfectly for me!

Thanks once again, inquisitor!

Hey frodonl-

did you use your SIM for basic cell, smartphone or exclusively data use? I am on a trip to Germany next month too, and have been thinking fonic offers the best balance of coverage & speed vs. cost on prepaid, no-contract services- their cost is higher than other offers but being an o2 subsidiary they should have far better coverage and network speeds.

I have an Android smartphone, laptop and DSLR with wifi (Eye-Fi SD card for automatic uploads). I'm torn between just buying a SIM for the phone and wifi tethering all the other devices, or going all-out for the smartphone AND a 'Surf stick' USB key, especially given it seems most hotels charge for Internet access in Europe still and €25/mo. seems cheaper than paying an extra €5-10 to use a hotel's service.

I will be primarily in Cologne and Hamburg- would an electronics store like Media Markt be the best place to purchase these?

Have you considered buying a Lidl mobile SIM? Lidl mobile is a tariff offered in Lidl supermarkets (which btw are coming to Canada in 2012) but realized by Fonic and identical to Fonic in service and tariffs except for the cheaper data rates. They have a monthly flatrate (with bandwidth throttling after 5GB) for just € 14.99/month. In contrast Fonic throttle bandwidth if you exceed 500MB per day (for the rest of the day) or 5GB per month (for the rest of the month), whichever applies earlier.

Do you have any links for Lidl service & product availability? If it is a re-brand of fonic services then it runs on the o2 network so it would be worth a look as long as the SIM and top-up cards are widely available. Really, coverage and network speeds are more important to me than absolute price. So this is why I am shying away from eplus-based services- I would prefer to stick with one of the big Euro/German carriers - T-Mobile, o2 or Vodaphone. Ortel seems to offer very good pricing but they are eplus, correct? (both subsidiaries of KPN)

My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S2, so it definitely would be compatible with any Euro frequencies for coverage.

You need Lidl or Fonic topups. Original o2 topups do not work.


Chris

@all
Please note that our recent discussion about Lidl has been moved to http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/germany/6844-lidl.html

Can I use the iPhone 3G with a Fonic SIM?
 

Sorry about my ignorance on all things international and SIM related. I am traveling to Germany in late October and I have a unlocked iPhone 3g (off contract now).

So, here is my ignorance showing... can I just purchase a Fonic pre-paid SIM card and use it within Germany? I believe by unlocking my phone that I am able to switch SIM cards and carriers. In doing some research, the AT&T store people didn't think I would be able to do it...

I recently bought a Fonic SIM-Card from germansimcard.com
I paid no Vat and got 20 € of credit, the net cost was almost 20$ and I received the SIM-Card and the number before departure.
Since I use the daily flatrate...it just works!

As you might have noticed from the Lidl mobile thread, I favour Lidl over Fonic due to the cheaper and better data tariffs. Except for data tariffs Lidl and Fonic are nearly identical in all other aspects since Lidl is a rebranded product actually offered by the same company (Fonic GmbH).
However in contrast to Fonic Lidl accept PayPal and credit cards for online orders, so this might also be an option:
Lidl Mobile Starterpaket - Lidl Deutschland - lidl.de
Unfortunately they don't ship outside Germany.

Yes, but practically it is much easier to get Fonic starter kits than Lidl starter kits... In so far the link from HowieB might be useful for travellers as well.

Chris

and demanding ~€ 40 for a SIM card, which costs € 10 in Germany is a real rip-off. I do send Lidl SIMs to any forum member at cost (~ € 15 incl. insured worldwide shipping and PayPal fees) - the only thing I earn are those € 5 from the referral program if my Lidl number is provided upon activation.

well, its a commercial service. If you want you can use it, if not you dont have to... :-)

Just to confirm from a registration of a few days ago that the Fonic registration process clearly offers you a choice of initial topup and payment preferences (as radio buttons): from your German bank account, or from the aufladebons / topup vouchers you buy from retailers. (For those not familiar with these: they come in the form of small cards usually hanging on hooks near the other Fonic products at the retailer. When you take the cards to the register and purchase them, the twelve-digit topup code is printed on the sales receipt.)

Also a quick note about the issue of whether passports or other ID are required for purchase of the SIM itself: at the DM-drogerie in Nuremberg where I picked up mine, the suggestion seemed to take the sales staff by surprise. Though I showed them my passport, no one seemed interested in taking any note of the info in it.

Registration went smoothly, and the SIM was online within a few hours. The topup from a 20-euro aufladebon went without a hitch. I immediately signed up via text for the one-day unlimited surfing tariff: both the message confirming receipt of the request and the confirmation that the service had begun came through within minutes.

The Fonic SIM works beautifully in a smartphone, whether just used for mobile browsing or when using the phone as a wireless hotspot. The network speeds were quite high, though I couldn't give you exact numbers. I never did get around to putting the new SIM into an unlocked Huawei stick or MeFi: for the time being, that can wait.

When we're back in Germany next month I plan to get at least two more of these to go in my husband's phone and the stick, and possibly a SIM from the Lidl as well for the MeFi. Thanks again to Inquisitor and the others here whose advice has made this process way simpler than it might have been otherwise. :)

Best! -- Diane

Actually I paid 29 € shipping included, with 20 € credit.
9 € surcharge is not soo devastating for me and if I include the assistance they gave me, the tax they pay to Ms. Merkel...
I can live with that and since I manage a restaurant, I know what service means and how it should be gratified.
Otherwise how can I ask my clients to pay 8$ for a pasta if you can pay 50 cent a pack and 2$ of sauce?

With that free grappa that comes with the bill - I guess you didn't get one with your Fonic SIM.

Actually I got a voucher for a free SIM-Card from them.
I don't need it anymore, but if someone should visit Germany...
The voucher code is Germany and it gives you a 100% discount at checkout.
If you just eat a pasta, there is no free grappa :nono: