These 6 prepaid SIM cards for U.S. tourists will take your summer vacation to the next level

With one of the best prepaid SIM cards for U.S. travelers and tourists, you can stay connected effortlessly with all your friends and family members back home, no matter the time you wish to stay in the country. However, selecting the right SIM card (and by extension, wireless carrier) can prove to be quite a chore, given the wide range of plans offered by service providers in the United States. So, to make things easier, we've rounded up some of the best choices available in the market.

The best part? You don't even need to go to a store to buy a SIM card. Of course, you can still do so if that's what you prefer, but ordering online is a whole lot more convenient. Whether you want a mainstream carrier such as AT&T, or a prepaid service provider like Mint Mobile, as long as you have a recent smartphone, you're good to go. We also recommend taking a look at the best MVNO deals to save some extra cash.

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

Arguably among the best MVNO carriers available today, Mint Mobile utilizes T-Mobile's (its parent company) 4G LTE and 5G network infrastructure. This makes it an incredible prepaid SIM card if you plan on staying in the U.S. for at least three months. Our Mint Mobile review highlighted the service provider's strong 5G connectivity and phone compatibility, which are among the best you can get in the country.

With Mint Mobile, you need to purchase at least three months of service upfront. After that, the best deals are available when you sign up for either six or 12 months. For three months on the unlimited plan, you'll have to pay $90 and enjoy all sorts of goodies, such as unlimited talk, text, and data, 10GB of mobile hotspot data, and even free calls to Mexico and Canada. Mint Mobile has also removed data cap from its unlimited plan, making it better than ever. For the base 5GB plan, you would be paying $15 for each of the three months and $45 as one-time advance payment. 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 simple; 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 activate the eSIM straight from your phone, and then later continue the service if you end up liking it. You can also purchase a Mint Mobile SIM card from Target, Best Buy, Walmart, or Amazon.

Best for short stays

Ultra Mobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that utilizes T-Mobile's network, which means that you'll get T-Mobile coverage at a lower price. In our Ultra Mobile review, we noticed strong coverage and speeds. We suggest going for the Ultra Mobile 3GB plan if you only plan to visit the U.S. for a month or less. But if things change and you end up staying longer, you can still enjoy tempting discounts.

With the 3GB plan, you get a regular SIM and after 30 days, the plan's validity will end; this makes it great for users who just want simple talk and text to a wide range of destinations without relying too much on data during their trip. For a monthly cost of $19 (taxes and fees not included), you'll get a SIM kit offering 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 issues staying connected with friends and family. The plan also offers a monthly $1.50 international calling credit and a one-time $5 international roaming credit.

Best budget

What makes Lycamobile unique is the fact that it's a global MVNO, and in the U.S., it's an MVNO using T-Mobile's network. To see if your phone is compatible, all you have to do is enter the IMEI number on Lycamobile's website, but most unlocked GSM devices should work without any issues.

Lycamobile offers multiple plans to choose from, although 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 several options, starting at just 500MB and going up to 60GB. The cheapest 500MB plan costs just $15 per month, while the unlimited plan with 60GB of data can be had at an effective price of $29.50 per month if you pay for six months. The bonus feature changes slightly with each plan, so remember to take the time to choose the right one for you.

You can effortlessly obtain one of Lycamobile's SIM cards. You can buy one via Amazon or on the carrier's official website. Alternatively, you can even purchase 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 finest carriers for getting a SIM card when visiting the U.S. The operator has fantastic coverage and offers one of the best prepaid phone plans. It also tends to have slightly better coverage in rural areas than other carriers, so it's a great option if you plan to be on the road a lot. For $30 a month (taxes and fees extra), AT&T Prepaid offers 5GB of high-speed data, which is then throttled to 128Kbps after you've used the data allotment. As always, you should check your phone's compatibility with AT&T's network before you sign up for it.

This plan offers texting to more than 230 countries and shared mobile hotspot. If 5GB is not enough for you, you can always switch to the 30GB prepaid plan that costs just $45 per month. This plan includes data usage in/between the United States, Mexico, and Canada too. Also, the 5GB plan's rollover data feature means your unused data gets added to the next month's data allotment.

Best prepaid data plan

Not only does it offer some of the best cell phone plans out there, but T-Mobile also has solid prepaid services suitable for most tourists and travelers who visit the country. The T-Mobile network has improved vastly over the past few years, with the carrier's 5G network having some of the best general coverage and the fastest speeds in the country. As a result, you'll get excellent service when you're traveling to major cities during your stay.

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 for one line. It has unlimited domestic talk and text, up to 10GB of high-speed data, shared mobile hotspot usage, and a 'Music Unlimited' feature, which means that you won't have to worry about data usage when you stream music. If you want to add international calling, you can do so 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 in those countries for an added $5 per month.

Best data-only plan

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

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

Walking into a Cricket Wireless store and getting a SIM card instantly is quite possible, and the online store locator tool 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 one of the carrier's regular plans using the same SIM card.

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How to choose

Know your requirements before getting a prepaid SIM card

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Thanks to the constantly improving network infrastructure and a diverse range of plans, you can't go wrong with any wireless service provider these days, be it a regular carrier or an MVNO. Selecting the right prepaid SIM card primarily depends on your use. If you'll only be staying 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 be staying 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 calls to Mexico and Canada. You can even avail 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. Although you'll pay more, you'll get good 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 lots of service providers in other countries. This alternative looks tempting because it simplifies things: you only deal with your current service provider, not the 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 quickly buy and activate a wireless service plan. This will save you the hassle of ordering a physical SIM card and waiting for it to arrive so you can put it in your phone 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) that allows you to order and activate your eSIM with little to no effort.

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