My experience with Onesimcard.

[Grampa]

Originally Posted by OneSimCard

If you don't plan on traveling for the next 2 years, just call yourself once before it expires to get a new 2 year window.

Thanks for the clarification. However, you can't make that call to yourself if the balance has expired, so in practice, the card will cost $25 every two years whether you use it or not. That's not a huge amount, but it does need to be taken into account when comparing offers or computing cost per minute.

[OneSimCard]

Originally Posted by Grampa

Thanks for the clarification. However, you can't make that call to yourself if the balance has expired, so in practice, the card will cost $25 every two years whether you use it or not. That's not a huge amount, but it does need to be taken into account when comparing offers or computing cost per minute.

Actually, you can purchase a $0 balance SIM card and then 23.9 months from now add $25 of airtime and make 1 call. So in this case, $25 would keep the SIM card active for 4 years/48 months if you do not make or receive any more calls or recharge your airtime. You would have until month 34 to recharge again and roll over the $25 balance, so technically it would not "cost" anything as long as you plan on using your airtime at some point.

[Grampa]

Originally Posted by OneSimCard

Actually, you can purchase a $0 balance SIM card and then 23.9 months from now add $25 of airtime and make 1 call. So in this case, $25 would keep the SIM card active for 4 years/48 months if you do not make or receive any more calls or recharge your airtime. You would have until month 34 to recharge again and roll over the $25 balance, so technically it would not "cost" anything as long as you plan on using your airtime at some point.

I don't know whether you are being facetious, but I'm having a hard time getting my head around what you said. Who would buy a card with the express purpose of seeing how long he can make it last without using it?

My only point is that the combination of a 10 month expiration period and a $25 minimum recharge amount means that, as a practical matter, someone who is not traveling all the time will leave money on the table. It's hard to finish a trip without leaving a substantial balance in the account, and if you don't need to replenish that amount for a while, you will lose it.

[OneSimCard]

Originally Posted by Grampa

I don't know whether you are being facetious, but I'm having a hard time getting my head around what you said. Who would buy a card with the express purpose of seeing how long he can make it last without using it?

My only point is that the combination of a 10 month expiration period and a $25 minimum recharge amount means that, as a practical matter, someone who is not traveling all the time will leave money on the table. It's hard to finish a trip without leaving a substantial balance in the account, and if you don't need to replenish that amount for a while, you will lose it.

Sorry- was not intending to sound facetious, just attempting to clarify your point. Yes, if like you, someone rarely travels overseas and, when they do they only use their cell phone for emergencies, then they are probably better off just using their domestic carrier and paying their rates. There's no need to go through the process of buying a global SIM (or even a local SIM) and worrying about balance expiration just to save a dollar or two on a few phone calls. Most customers though easily spend $25 on calls during a single trip (that's about 60 minutes of outgoing calls from Greece or South Korea, for example).

You would want to compare our rates to your other available options, estimate how many calls you would make and receive on your trip, and calculate your projected savings to determine whether it's worth it for you.

[snidely]

Is there a requirement that a certain percentage of calls be incoming or outgoing? I could see using your card for outgoing calls in many countries (next trip is to Brazil, Argentina, Uraguay). I would never make use of an Estonian based service for incoming - but your outgoing rates are low comparatively speaking.

Thanks.

[bbob]

@Snidely,

outgoing incoming rate or fair use is used by some providers if the phone is alsmost only used for incoming calls. Incoming even when roaming free seems to cost some money so smaller dealers use fair use to limit this. Making outgoing calls means they make money which compensates for incoming calls.

There will never be a problem if you use it for outgoing calls only. When using it that way you are paying them money. The ratio you refer to is only used for incoming related to outgoing calles not the other way around.

[OneSimCard]

Originally Posted by snidely

Is there a requirement that a certain percentage of calls be incoming or outgoing? I could see using your card for outgoing calls in many countries (next trip is to Brazil, Argentina, Uraguay). I would never make use of an Estonian based service for incoming - but your outgoing rates are low comparatively speaking.

We do not currently have a "fair use" policy included in our published terms and conditions, but as bbob mentions that would only apply to someone using our service almost exclusively for incoming calls.

Keep in mind that your callers do not need to dial an Estonian number to reach you, they can dial through one of our common local, toll-free or international access numbers, or you can order a personal second number (US/Canada/UK). It's 29c/min extra to receive a call through any of these numbers, except for the UK number which is only a 25c connection charge per call. All rates can be viewed online at http://www.onesimcard.com/cell-phone-rates/

[Grampa]

Originally Posted by OneSimCard

Keep in mind that your callers do not need to dial an Estonian number to reach you, they can dial through one of our common local, toll-free or international access numbers, or you can order a personal second number (US/Canada/UK). It's 29c/min extra to receive a call through any of these numbers, except for the UK number which is only a 25c connection charge per call. All rates can be viewed online at SIM Card - International cell phone

The 29c/min rate appears to apply only with respect to calls made to a personal second number; calls made to a common access number add 35c/min. At least that is according to the rate schedule listed here:

International Cell Phone Service Rates - OneSimCard

Am I reading it correctly?

[andy]

Originally Posted by OneSimCard

It's 29c/min extra to receive a call through any of these numbers, except for the UK number which is only a 25c connection charge per call. All rates can be viewed online at

I'd be surprised if that UK number was a mobile number as described; perhaps it's a personal number, costing rather more to call it than to mobiles

[OneSimCard]

Originally Posted by Grampa

The 29c/min rate appears to apply only with respect to calls made to a personal second number; calls made to a common access number add 35c/min. At least that is according to the rate schedule listed here:

International Cell Phone Service Rates - OneSimCard

Am I reading it correctly?

Thanks for pointing out that error, it has been fixed in the database. The cost is 29c/min, not 35c/min, through any common access number.