China got pre-paid SIM for tourist??

[pohu]

be heading there in 2 wks time.. any idea got sell the thing i mentioned?

[jiaklormee]

It's everywhere....really....

newspaper stands, kiosks....I remembered that that there's counters inside the airport.

But be warned, to make international calls you need to have at least 100RMB inside your card :)

[pohu]

It's everywhere....really....

newspaper stands, kiosks....I remembered that that there's counters inside the airport.

But be warned, to make international calls you need to have at least 100RMB inside your card :)
wah.. like dat it's better to stick to auto-roam or use their pre-paid?? as i only gonna make phone call home and unless necessary..

[jiaklormee]

wah.. like dat it's better to stick to auto-roam or use their pre-paid?? as i only gonna make phone call home and unless necessary..

I'd suggest that you stick with autoroaming if it is just a short trip. Just buying the simcard and the top-up card will set you back by 70-100RMB (depending on the seller)

[bigbears]

be heading there in 2 wks time.. any idea got sell the thing i mentioned?

think there is a 神州游 pre-paid card by 中国移动.should be 60rmb iirc.
it is a package which entitles you to free local incoming but i forgot
whats the worth of talktime.can call back sg too by activating through
sms.but if you not staying there long or gonna used it often, might
not be worth it.

[pohu]

other than pre-paid SIM card... is public phone widely available (b it card or coin)??

[bigbears]

i din remember seeing much public phones when i was in shanghai,
except in a tourist area 七宝. anyway, i was not on the lookout for
public phones so would have missed them out totally.

[beanstalk6]

Just buy the SIM card from any roadside stall. They are cheap and give extra talk time. There is no need to give your particulars to the vendor. Just slot in to use. Very straightforward.

[pohu]

Just buy the SIM card from any roadside stall. They are cheap and give extra talk time. There is no need to give your particulars to the vendor. Just slot in to use. Very straightforward.

It's everywhere....really....

newspaper stands, kiosks....I remembered that that there's counters inside the airport.

But be warned, to make international calls you need to have at least 100RMB inside your card :) is that any "expiry"date for this type of SIM?? but I do notice that when I was in Guangzhou last month .. the moment I'm out of the arrival hall, some sale ladies behind the counter already start saying"电话卡出售" = I presumed they are referring to these type of SIM card eh??

[beanstalk6]

The expiry date is usually 3 months from the day you first use it.

[pohu]

The expiry date is usually 3 months from the day you first use it.
thanks.. I presume that's the "lifespan" of these type of "pre-paid" SIM wherever it is right, not just in China eh?

[saman28]

i jus came back from china and boy.. i spent abt 400+rmb on prepaid + top up cards.. if u r staying in one city is quite safe.. wun be tat ex.. however if u travel out of town.. roaming charges will be charged..

unless u have a land line, if not do not buy IP card..

[purplewave]

got, just pick up from local handphone shop

[precise]

to save your roaming cost, you can do the following:
1. register to Pfingo - basic user $2 per month (for 1 month) and top it up with $10 credit. You will have a number starts with 3xxx xxxx.
2. when u reach China, get a China pre-paid card. Take note the number
3. call forward your Singapore number to Pfingo number. You will be charge mobile outgoing fee, typically 16 cents per mins, depending on which plan or Telco (Singtel, M1 or Starhub) you are with.
4. call forward your Pfingo number to China prepaid number. You will be charged IDD for Pfingo to dial to your China prepad number. I think it's 2 cents per min.
5. So total = 18 cents per min as compared to probably $1 per mins or more (depending on your Telco).
6. Similarly, you can call to any Singapore number or any international number via Pfingo BOUNCE

Based on the above, you save 80% or more of your roaming fee. In addition, you do not need to subscribe roaming service but pay per use.

The only catch is that you need to find an internet to logon Pfingo and call forward Pfingo number to China prepaid number since you will not have a China prepaid number prior to going there to get Pfingo call forward to it.

Though it's tedious, but if you plan to make a lot of calls for whatsoever reason, you will save a lot. But if you make 1 or 2 calls throughout your trip, just use roaming... probably pay per use (+20% charge of typical fees).

In case you wonder, why need Pfingo is that you cannot call forward your Local singapore number to International number like China or any others. This is a regulation issue not just Singapore but everywhere in the world. Pfingo level "3" number helps to circumvent this issue.

[davidtkl76]

yes they have..buy china mobile.

[demongod]

hi bro , i really advise you to get the card, i just came back from china, so i can tell you the rates for my Singtel, normally i use the china card can last me quite long but this time i was not free to get

Auto roaming cost me $10+ already
Sms $0.60 each
Call back 1 min = $3

wah.. like dat it's better to stick to auto-roam or use their pre-paid?? as i only gonna make phone call home and unless necessary..

[dannywee75@hotmail.com]

Forget about all those call forward service.
Many people do not realised when u switch on your phone overseas, u are automatic on roam, so whatever phone u divert to , u PAY roam charges !
and that include your voice mail ... so cancel your voice mail service...

Bring your sg hp to china with the roam_as-u-use service, free one.
Use it to read sms from singapore- free
use the caller-id to see who call u from singapore - free
Then use china sim hp call back singapore.

This is how i do it :
When u reached China, just buy their sim card with FREE _INCOMING, anywhere got sell, ask around. Price is about RMB$100 , some sell $80 ,some sell $150, some see you can chop sell u $500, u shop around for a reasonable seller, anyway it comes with $50 credit. But the card cannot call international unless u pay a huge deposit...
but can sent international sms (flat rate)back singapore. forgot how much but can check with the small booklet which comes with the china simcard.

METHOD 1
Activate the china sim with GPRS by sms, the small booket which comes with the sim got instructions. U need the gprs function to call back singapore via pfingobounce.com. U got RMB$50 to use their GPRS. Don't worry, gprs usage very little .

Log in pfingoBounce.com , sign up, buy $10 credit. Download their bounce client software into your phone . When u need to call back singapore, launch bounce_client from your phone, key in your china number and your target singapore friends/family number.
Small amt of gprs will be use ,deduct from your RMB$50 credit.
Press connect and the system will connect both of u to start talking.
Rates = S$0.045/min

METHOD 2
Sign up with pfingobounce.com, buy $10 credit.
Use china sim phone to sms back singapore pfingo system.
eg. sms call 65xxxxxxx to +6581180000,
wait for the system call u back. thats all.
Pfingo bounce rate = S$0.045/min

Anyway, if pfingobounce credit cannot use finish, come back singapore still can use.
credit don't expire, can use to call overseas too,
Calls made from Singapore to Singapore hp S$0.05 / min ...
I also don't understand why sg to sg more expensive than sg to china.
Dam stupid right ?

Forget about using their other services, support dept VERY slow and lots of problem especially their softphone, there are better ones and better rates softphone companies out there ...

I sign up for their bounce service (http://www.pfingobounce.com) only .

Softphone service i find callforeign.com and Nymgo.com very cheap and GOOD.