Best prepaid SIM Cards for U.S. travelers and tourists 2025

Thanks to the best prepaid SIM cards for U.S. travelers and tourists, you can stay connected and never miss a message, no matter how long you stay in the country. But choosing the right one for you can feel overwhelming, especially if you're unfamiliar with U.S. carrier names. There's no need to stress; the good news is that we've put together the best picks, so you don't have to.

No need to visit a store to get your SIM card. You can order it online easily, but if going to a physical store makes you feel better, you can do that, too. You can choose from various carriers, such as Mint Mobile or Verizon, and you only need an iPhone or an Android phone, regardless of whether it's one of the best ones out there or not. But remember to check out the best MVNO deals to save a pretty penny.

Patrick Farmer

Patrick is an experienced deal hunter with a particular interest in helping people save money on their phone bills. Whether you're switching to an affordable MVNO or upgrading to one of the Big Three, utilizing Patrick's years of experience in the eCommerce space can help you cut through the noise and find the carrier that works for you.

At a glance

Best overall

Mint Mobile is among the best MVNO carriers available today since it uses T-Mobile's (its parent company) 4G LTE and 5G network infrastructure. This makes it a solid prepaid SIM card if you plan on staying in the U.S. for at least three months. Our Mint Mobile review revealed the carrier's strong 5G connectivity and phone compatibility, which is among the country's best.

With Mint Mobile, you must purchase at least three months of service in advance. After that, the best deals are available when you sign up for six or 12 months. For three months on the unlimited plan, you'll pay US$90 and enjoy all sorts of goodies, such as unlimited talk, text, and data, 10GB of mobile hotspots, and even free calls to Mexico and Canada. You would be paying US$15 for each of the three months and US$45 for the one-time upfront payment fee. Calling other international locations is available at a per-minute rate, but if you use an app (e.g., WhatsApp, Line) to call your friends, you'll only need data.

Joining Mint Mobile is easy; you can even sign up for a trial online to get a free Mint Mobile SIM card. It's even simpler if your phone is compatible with an eSIM as you can then activate the eSIM straight from your phone, and then later continue the service if you like it. You can also purchase a Mint Mobile SIM card from Target, Best Buy, Walmart, or Amazon.

Note: As part of a limited-time promotion, you can get any one of Mint Mobile's plans at a reduced price of $15 per month, provided you buy three months of service in advance as a new customer.

Best for short stays

Ultra Mobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that uses T-Mobile's network, meaning that you'll get great T-Mobile coverage at a lower price. Our Ultra Mobile review showed strong coverage and speeds. The Ultra Mobile 3GB plan is ideal if you only visit for a month or less. But if things change and you stay longer, you can enjoy tempting discounts.

With the 3GB plan, you get a more regular SIM, and after 30 days, the plan's validity will end, which makes it great for users who want simple talk and text to a wide range of destinations and don't rely on too much data during their trip. For a monthly cost of $19 ( taxes and fees not included). The SIM kit includes unlimited talk and text to more than 90 countries worldwide, plus free Wi-Fi calling and up to 3GB of 5G/4G LTE data, so you should have no issue staying connected with friends and family back home. The plan also includes a $1.50 monthly international calling credit and a one-time $5 international roaming credit.

Best budget

Lycamobile is unique because it's a global MVNO, and in the U.S., it's an MVNO using T-Mobile's network. To check whether your phone is compatible, the easiest thing to do is type in your IMEI number on Lycamobile's website, but most unlocked GSM devices should work without any issues.

Lycamobile offers multiple plans to choose from. It mainly serves those who need unlimited text and talk. The plans also include international calling and texting to more than 100 countries, and you can enjoy these features at no additional cost. With these perks, it's difficult not to lean towards Lycamobile.

When it comes to data, you have multiple options, starting at just 500MB and going up to 60GB. The cheapest 500MB plan costs $15 per month, while the unlimited plan with 60GB of data can be availed at an effective price of $39 per month if you pay for three months. The bonus feature changes slightly with each plan, so remember to take the time to choose the right one for you.

You can quickly obtain one of Lycamobile's SIM cards. You can buy one on Amazon or the carrier's official website, but if you prefer, you can also get them at pharmacies, 7-Eleven stores, and local convenience stores. If you have questions, you can also use the online store locator to find the nearest retailer.

Best non-MVNO

AT&T is one of the top choices for getting your SIM card when visiting the U.S. The carrier has fantastic coverage and offers one of the best prepaid phone plans. It tends to have better coverage in rural areas than other carriers, so it's also a great option if you plan to be on the road a lot. For $30 a month (taxes and fees extra), AT&T Prepaid will get you 5GB of high-speed data, which is then throttled to 128Kbps after you've used the data allotment. As always, you should check your device's compatibility with AT&T online before you sign up.

This plan offers texting to over 230 countries and a mobile hotspot. If 5GB is not enough for you, you can always switch to the 30GB prepaid plan and pay only $45 per month. The plan also includes data usage in/between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Also, the 5GB plan offers rollover data, which means any unused data gets added to next month's data allotment.

Best prepaid data plan

T-Mobile not only offers some of the best cell phone plans you can get today, but it also offers great prepaid services suitable for most tourists and travelers visiting the United States. T-Mobile's network has improved vastly over the past few years, and its 5G network has some of the most general coverage and fastest speeds in the nation. As a result, you'll get excellent service when traveling to major cities during your stay in the country.

There are four T-Mobile prepaid plans to pick from, but the ideal plan for most visitors will be T-Mobile's 10GB prepaid plan, which costs $40 per month before taxes and fees. It encloses unlimited domestic talk and text, up to 10GB of high-speed data, free mobile hotspot data, and a nifty 'Music Unlimited' feature, meaning that you won't have to worry about using all your data when you stream your music. If you want to add international calling, you can, but for an extra $15 per month, or if you're traveling to Mexico or Canada for a few days, you can add talk, text, and 5GB of data to use over there for an extra $5 per month.

Best data-only plan

If you don't think you'll need minutes during your stay in the United States and want data, you could consider a data-only plan from Cricket Wireless, an MVNO that uses (and is owned by) AT&T. For $35, you'll get 20GB of data for a whole month. But if you need more data, you can go for the $55 plan with 100GB of data for a month. You can get 150GB of data for $90 per month if you need even more.

Again, this plan doesn't come with any talk time minutes, so you'll have to make sure you're fine using messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Skype to connect with family or friends back home. It includes text and picture messages across the U.S. and usage in Mexico and Canada if you plan on visiting those countries. The plan is fantastic if you'll be streaming, downloading, and doing some high-speed browsing while on those long road trips.

Walking into a Cricket Wireless store and getting your SIM card instantly is also possible. The online store location can help you find the nearest store. Popular retailers such as Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and Walmart also sell Universal SIM card activation kits for Cricket Wireless. The good news is that if you want minutes, you can always switch to another carrier's plan using the same SIM card.

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How to choose

Evaluate your needs before getting a prepaid SIM card

Thanks to constantly improving network infrastructure and a wide variety of plans, you can't go wrong with any wireless service provider—a mainstream carrier or an MVNO—these days. Selecting the right prepaid SIM card largely depends on your requirements. If you'll only stay for a few days, we suggest Ultra Mobile's 3GB plan. The plan offers Wi-Fi calling, unlimited talk and text, and monthly international calling credit.

Conversely, if you'll stay for a few months, any of Mint Mobile's plans will be perfect. Owned by T-Mobile, it offers excellent network coverage and benefits such as mobile hotspot functionality and free calling to Mexico and Canada. You can even avail yourself of a free trial, and if you like the service, sign up for multiple months for great savings.

AT&T offers excellent coverage and is ideal if you travel a lot. You'll pay a little more, but you get the needed speed and coverage.

Should you get an international add-on with your current service provider?

Almost every mobile operator in the world has partnerships with service providers in other countries. This option looks tempting because it simplifies things: you only deal with your current carrier, not one you're unfamiliar with. You can activate a suitable international add-on on your existing SIM card before coming to the country and even have service when waiting for a connecting flight. However, be aware that these add-ons are often expensive, and coverage might not be as good as it would be with a carrier in the United States.

How about eSIM platforms?

If your smartphone supports eSIM functionality, you can go for one of the many eSIM apps/platforms to buy and activate a wireless service plan quickly. This saves you the hassle of ordering a physical SIM card and waiting for it to arrive so you can put it in your device and start using it.

One such platform is Airalo, which lets you get an eSIM with as little as 1GB of data and a one-week validity. T-Mobile also has an app (available for iOS and Android) that allows you to order and activate your eSIM with little to no effort.

• MVNO deals: Mint Mobile | Visible | Boost Mobile | Tello | Cricket Wireless