Italian SIM prepay detailed comparison
 

Italian SIM prepay detailed comparison

After comparing information on this site, I have concluded the following about Italian SIM prepaids.

1) Wind Senza Scatto, 0.17/min, 0.34 for 2min, 0.51 after 3min (charged by the second) , with 0.12/SMS, or more likely 0.15/SMS (if SMS is to a non-Wind #)

2) TIM, Easy Time new, 0.18, 0. 26, 0.48, 0.15/SMS
3) TIM, MTV Mobile Go, 0.30, 0. 45, 0.60 0.08/SMS

4) Vodaphone, 0.15, 0.30, 0. 45, 0.15/SMS

Number 3 looks the best for someone interested in local SMS only, but where do I buy a MTV Mobile Go startpack? Where do I recharge it? Can I do that online with a foriegn credit card? Or which shop? I have a codice ficale (generated by a Italian website recommened to me by this site), will that suffice?

I am looking for the cheapest local SMS, which pack do you recommend? I am visiting Italy for six months, and need to a few messages/day.

Also, there is a list of virtual prepay? What does virtual mean?

Sorry Number 2, should read 0.18, 0.36, 0.48, 0.15/SMS

First of all, HERE are all the tariffs.

Second: SMS with Wind Senza Scatto are 0.12 to any number in Italy or the World. Wind has also other offers with set-up fee which are better than the other operators, plus the "Wind6SMS" option with SMS at 0.06€.

Third: MTV Mobile packages are sold at TIM shops and they use TIM top-ups. There's no sim-only package, i.e. you have to buy a phone, making it surely more expensive than the competitors if you already have a phone.

Fourth: except Wind, all other operators have surcharges for SMS sent to non-Italian numbers, remember it.

Wind SMS fees
 

Does Wind charge for incoming text messages as well as outgoing? Or like TIM does it just charge for outgoing text messages?

European operators never charge incoming messages and incoming calls only if you are abroad (i.e. outside the SIM's home country).