Which is the best sim for China?

[sinophile888]

I have searched this website for relevant threads but all seem to be a few years old.

I currently use a pre-paid Telstra plan. Pre-paid because the plan suits me and Telstra as it is the only network I can pick up where I live. Telstra does not support roaming on a pre-paid plan, only a post-paid plan.

I am going to China early next month and visiting Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Wuhan. I mostly want to send and receive sms messages and to take or make a call in an emergency.

I am looking at the Woolworths Global Roaming Sim, a monthly Vodafone plan or a Chinese sim. Would anyone have any recommendations?

 

[moa999]

Local sims are cheap, just a pain to sign up for - lots and lots of forms
Have used China Unicom who had a Western speaking staff member in the Shanghai Pudong branch in a tourist area

From memory it was 1gb and 500 minutes for the equiv of $20 Aus, and also has override codes for really cheap intl calls.

 

[trentusjuventus]

Local sims are cheap, just a pain to sign up for - lots and lots of forms

I was in Beijing last year and simply walked up to a roadside newsstand and purchased a pre-paid SIM for around 50 RMB. I think there might have been some credit on there already, but the same stand also sold recharge cards. The one I was using was China Mobile, just popped it in my phone (make sure your phone is not carrier-locked). We recently also did the same in Chengdu, although at a small phone shop (no need to go to China Mobile specific store). I can't vouch whether this also is the case in the cities/areas you mentioned. From memory data was slow and expensive (30RMB for 5MB I think), however you said you're mainly going to be using text and calls so you should be fine.

 

[jetlagger]

I use China Mobile as it covers most areas & call quality is good.
Nowadays when buying a pre paid SIM you are required to show ID. eg; Passport which will be referenced to your China SIM.

 

[froggerADL]

Telstra does not support roaming on a pre-paid plan, only a post-paid plan.

This is NOT correct. I am on the Encore prepaid plan and it definately supports roaming. I find this to be an excellent plan and I travel overseas regularly. I don't use it for data though, even if it has just been reduced from $15 per MB to $3 per MB! Yes, that's $3 per MB, or $3000 per GB!

 

[joyvee]

I got caught out when using a sim card in Wuhan as I was charged for both inward and outward calls. A new system for me. Don't know if that still occurs. Couldn't work out why I was using up the money so quickly. would check out if that still applies. joyV

 

[sinophile888]

This is NOT correct. I am on the Encore prepaid plan and it definately supports roaming.

Thanks to everyone for their helpful replies.

I am on the Telstra Simplicity plan which really suits me. I double checked the Telstra website but couldn't get the screen shot to work. It definitely said pre-paid was not available in China, only postpaid.

Today I went to a large shopping centre to inquire about the Woolworths sim and to re-inquire about Vodafone. I now know that Vodafone has two stores in the centre.

The first said what I wanted was impossible and sent me to the Post Office. The PO travel sim seemed quite expensive. Then I went to Woolworths and the gentleman at the counter told me that Woolworths’ contract with Optus has been cancelled and that the Woolworths sim had not been available for more than a month. I had read the Woolworths website just this morning and received an email from the help-desk so I was a little surprised.

Then I went back to the other Vodafone store and signed up for what seems a really good deal. It was $30 (on special from $35) for a one month post paid plan with $500 credit, which can be renewed monthly or not. I was assured that the plan will work in China.

Here’s hoping!

 

[DeKa]

The Woolworths Optus SIM which no longer exists is NOT their Roaming SIM product.

The Woolworths Roaming SIM is a Max Roam product. Saying that, I don't think it's very good value.

Also, note that the Vodafone plan you have has no special roaming offer (not that Red Roaming applies in China).

 

[sinophile888]

DeKa, thank you for explaining about the Woolworths sim situation.
I think I was mistaken with the description of the plan which I bought. It is the sim only plan. I hope it works in China.

 

[trentusjuventus]

I got caught out when using a sim card in Wuhan as I was charged for both inward and outward calls. A new system for me. Don't know if that still occurs. Couldn't work out why I was using up the money so quickly. would check out if that still applies. joyV

Yep I think this was the case in Beijing as well. Keep in mind too that if you run your credit balance down to zero, you will not be able to RECEIVE calls/texts either, so keep an eye on your balance (you can charge little as 30RMB on at a time IIRC).

 

[DeKa]

DeKa, thank you for explaining about the Woolworths sim situation.
I think I was mistaken with the description of the plan which I bought. It is the sim only plan. I hope it works in China.

The Vodafone SIM only plan you have will work in China (providing you have roaming enabled on it) but at these rates:

Make call $1.50 per min
Receive call $1 per min
Text 75c
Data $10.24/MB or buy a pack to reduce it

http://www.vodafone.com.au/personal/international-roaming?channel=desktop

What I was try to say is the $5/day Red Roaming offer does not apply to your plan (it's not a Red plan) and would not apply in China anyway.

 

[DeKa]

I just looked up the Woolworths Global Roaming SIM offer.
It's actually not *too* bad for China: Rates Page
[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="width: 100%, colspan: 2"]Incoming Call More...$0.41[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 100%, colspan: 2"]Call To China More...$0.46[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 100%, colspan: 2"]Call To Australia More...$0.46[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 100%, colspan: 2"]Sending Text to China More...$0.34[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 100%, colspan: 2"]Sending Text to Australia More...$0.34[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 100%, colspan: 2"]Receiving Text in China More...Free[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 100%, colspan: 2"]Data Price Per 100KB More...$0.09[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 100%, colspan: 2"]Calling Your Voice Mail More...$0.46[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Obviously a local SIM would be heaps cheaper.

For people calling this SIM, they need to call a +44 UK mobile number.

 

[sinophile888]

The Vodafone SIM only plan you have will work in China (providing you have roaming enabled on it) but at these rates:

Thanks for all your advice and research, DeKa.

How will I know for sure if roaming is enabled? I don't have any problems roaming in Hong Kong on my Telstra Simplicity plan. Will I have to do something through Vodafone to enable roaming?

I also thought that the Woollies sim card looked good, but was deterred when told they no longer were sold.

I am happy enough with the Vodafone sim as I have $500 of value for the month and the sms rate is 75c. That should get me through the month. I like to let my husband know when I have finished at the tailor, the jewellers, leather good shops etc. He prefers to wander around and have foot massages, haircuts, go to DVD shops and such rather than just wait with me.

 

[equus]

You do realise that your $500 included value only covers your usage in Australia?

The plan will roam, and the prices are as you have indicated, but it doesn't come off your included value - you will pay that actual amount (75c per txt) on the bill at the end of the month for all usage made overseas, in addition to the $30 for the "value" which covers you use in Oz.

 

[sinophile888]

You do realise that your $500 included value only covers your usage in Australia?

The plan will roam, and the prices are as you have indicated, but it doesn't come off your included value - you will pay that actual amount (75c per txt) on the bill at the end of the month for all usage made overseas.

That was not how it was explained to me at the Vodafone shop. I was told that I would get more than 500 sms messages and 1Gb of data. Perhaps I should write off my initial $30 investment and go to a different Woollies to get the sim I originally intended to get.
This is so much trouble for a few sms messages, although we will be in China for more than 2 weeks.

 

[sinophile888]

On DeKa's research and advice, I have just run Vodafone and they confirmed what DeKa said. I would be paying global roaming rates and have no use for the $500 allowance. Vodafone were very co-operative and have cancelled the sim. I will be charged for one or two days of the month and the rest will be recredited to my credit card.
Thank you so much to all the contributors, especially DeKa.

 

[equus]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but probably better than getting g a $500 bill when you return.

The T&C for the "$35 SIM Only Plan" (with the $5 discount) which appears to be what you have are fairly clear.

The $500 is for use on "Plan Inclusions" plus infinite Vodafone to Vodafone voice calls WITHIN AUSTRALIA and 1GB of data (also within Australia).

It then list "Plan Inclusions", and uses a few confusing sub-headings, but then a sub-heading which is the warning "Plan Services you pay for" - and International Roaming is listed there, along with Premium Text and a few other things.

If you are heading to China via Hong Kong you may also like to look at Hong Kong prepaid sims which may have special roaming deals for China, if not just go the cheapest way and get a China sim.

Your best bet may be to take the Vodaphone sim you have now - as you know it should work, albeit at a cost, and then try and get a local sim before you have to actually use it.

 

[sinophile888]

I think our posts overlapped. Thanks you, equus.

I thought the Vodafone deal looked pretty good, in fact now, too good to be true. My street can only get coverage from Telstra, so I have never looked into anyone else’s rates for any plan. And apparently everything is cheap compared to Telstra.

I am now tossing up between a Woollies global roaming sim and a sim in China.

The Woollies one looks like it may be a good option as it lasts for 365 days, and we are in Malaysia in March, China in April and then Japan and China in November.

The other option is to ask the concierge at the Shangri-La who is usually pretty good to organise something for me, so maybe I can just wait until I book in and ask him.

I am leaning towards the Woollies one at present and time is running out.

 

[DeKa]

Thanks for all your advice and research, DeKa.

How will I know for sure if roaming is enabled? I don't have any problems roaming in Hong Kong on my Telstra Simplicity plan. Will I have to do something through Vodafone to enable roaming?

I also thought that the Woollies sim card looked good, but was deterred when told they no longer were sold.

I am happy enough with the Vodafone sim as I have $500 of value for the month and the sms rate is 75c. That should get me through the month. I like to let my husband know when I have finished at the tailor, the jewellers, leather good shops etc. He prefers to wander around and have foot massages, haircuts, go to DVD shops and such rather than just wait with me.

Like any other telco product, you call, and ask them???
Alternatively, with Vodafone, you can log in to my vodafone and check.

As equus said, the $500 value isn't usable in China.