Making international calls on your prepaid phone can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. The big mobile operators charge the unwary a fortune for calls to non-US numbers, even to Canada and Mexico. Verizon and T-Mobile charge as much as $1.99/minute to calls to European and Asian countries. AT&T is a little better, but still costly with per minute surcharges as high as $1.09 to China or .89 to the Philippines.
Fortunately there are a number of prepaid mobile operators with much lower international rates. PrepaidPhoneNews has gone though dozens of prepaid provider's international calling options to find the operators and plans that offer the least expensive international calling and messaging options .
This post is updated frequently as plans and pricing are constantly changing. Last Updated 9/4/2015: All operators' rates and plans checked and updated. MetroPCS added. International calling apps section added.
Read on for my recommended prepaid operators and plans for international calling and texting.
Unlimited plans: If you make a lot of international calls, 500 minutes a month or more, an unlimited international plan can be a good deal. These plans are either stand alone plans that include unlimited domestic and international calls and texts or unlimited international add-ons to unlimited domestic plans. Either way, you will end up paying between $20 and $70 per month for unlimited domestic and international talk and text.
There are several things to watch out for with unlimited international plans:
They only cover calls to certain countries. Many sizable, but expensive to call, countries including the Philippines, El Salvador and Nigeria are usually not included.
For most covered countries only calls to landlines are included, not to mobile phones.
They may not be truly unlimited. I've seen a number of complaints from users who had their unlimited international plans shut off for using too many minutes. How many is too many? Your guess is as good as mine but I suspect more than 2000 minutes a month would be pushing the limit
In spite of these limitations, "unlimited" plans can still be a good deal. Just be sure the plan you choose covers the phone numbers you want to call and don't be surprised if you get cut off. If you do get your unlimited international plan canceled for overuse, please leave a comment so that other readers can get an idea of what the hidden limits are and which operators to avoid.
On all plans watch out for cumbersome access number dialing schemes. Several operators don't let you dial international calls directly. Instead you have to dial a 3 to 11 digit access number, wait for a prompt and then dial the international number. It's possible but tricky to automate the process by using a calling card app or by inserting pauses and waits in the address book dial strings, but I recommend choosing an operator that allows international direct dialing.
Here are my picks for the best deals in unlimited international prepaid plans. Click the operator name in the first column to jump to a detailed description of that operator's plans and services.
Unlimited International Plans
Plan
Int'l Add-On Price
Required Monthly Plan Price
Network
Countries Included Landlines
Countries Included (Mobiles)
Text Countries
Int'l Access Number
Notes
Ultra Mobile
included
$19 - $59 1
T-Mobile
11-60
5-24
200
direct
Lycamobile
included
$19 - $59
T-Mobile
11-70
5-48
supported, number of countries N/A
direct
Unlimited calls to up to 5 int'l numbers
H2O Wireless
included
$30 -$60
AT&T
50
8
50
11 digit
GoSmart
$10
$25 - 45
T-Mobile
70
0
200
direct
$50 call credit
Virgin Mobile
$5 - $10
$35 - $55
Sprint
2 - 70
1
supported, number of countries N/A
direct
Airvoice
included
$30 - $50
AT&T
80
9
supported, number of countries N/A
10 digit
Unlimited calls to up to 10 int'l numbers
Telcel America
included
$35 - $60
Sprint, Verizon or T-Mobile
38
4
supported, number of countries N/A
direct
Unlimited calls to up to 15 int'l numbers
Boost Mobile
$5, $10
$30 - $55
Sprint
2, 70
2, 5
180
direct
MetroPCS
$5, $10
$40 - $65
T-Mobile
1, 75
1, 39
supported, number of countries N/A
direct
Cricket
0, $5, $15
$50 - $60
AT&T
Unlimited to Mexico & Canada included, $5/mo adds 36 more
Unlimited to Mexico & Canada included, $15/mo adds 1000 minutes to 32 more
35
direct
Simple Mobile
Included
$35 - $60
T-Mobile
45
4
supported, number of countries N/A
direct
Unlimited calls to up to 15 int'l numbers
T-Mobile
$10 - $15
$40 - $80
T-Mobile
70
$15 add on only: 30 countries and 1000 min to Mexico
200
direct
AT&T
included
$60
AT&T
70
1
100
direct
Unlimited calls to and roaming in Mexico and Canada
Straight Talk
included
$60
At&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon
34
4
173 (Sprint based phones only)
11 digit
Unlimited calls to up to 15 int'l numbers
Net10
included
$65
At&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon
34
4
173 (Sprint based phones only)
11 digit
Unlimited calls to up to 15 int'l numbers
1 Plus a "cost recovery fee" of 50¢ on airtime loads of $10 or less and $1 on airtime loads of $10.01 or more. $19 plan includes unlimited calls to 10 countries, $29 and higher plans include unlimited calls to 40 countries.
Unlimited Domestic Prepaid Plans with low per minute international rates. If you already use an unlimited monthly plan for domestic calls and need less than 1000 international minutes per month, it can be less expensive to pay by the minute for international calls. Several operators let you add some extra funds to your account that you can use to make international calls for as a little as a penny per minute. Some even include some free international calls with their international add-ons.
Rates vary widely and no one operator offers the best rate to every country. To help you compare I've defined a prepaid market basket of five frequently called countries. It includes the three nations (Canada, Mexico and the UK) that send the most visitors to the US, plus the three countries (Mexico, China and the Philippines.) with the most foreign born US residents.
For each provider I've computed the average Market Basket Price per Minute for calls to mobile phones in the five countries. Here are the best deals.
Unlimited Monthly Plans with Low International Rates
Operator
Market Basket Price / Minute
Network
Monthly Plan Price
Int'l Call Credit Included
Int'l Text Rate
Int'l Access Number
Ultra Mobile
3.6¢ - 4.1¢
T-Mobile
$19 - $49 1
$1.25 - $12.50 2
free
direct
NET10
5.5¢
T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon
$25 - $75
none
free on Sprint
N/A on others
10 digit
Lycamobile
5.8¢
T-Mobile
$23 - $55
0 - $7.50
free
direct
Red Pocket Mobile
7.4¢
AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon or Sprint
$19.99 - $59.99
0 - $2
Free on Sprint, 200 free on AT&T otherwise 10¢ ea.
direct
Expo Mobile
5.56¢
Sprint
$19.00 - $60
$0 -$10
free
direct
Virgin Mobile
17¢
Sprint
$20 - $55
none
15¢
direct
Boost Mobile
17¢
Sprint
$35 - $55
none
10¢
direct
1 Plus a "cost recovery fee" of 50¢ on airtime loads of $10 or less and $1 on airtime loads of $10.01 or more.
2 $19 plan includes unlimited free calls to 10 countries (mobiles in 4) $29 and higher plans include free calls to 43 countries (mobiles included in 10). $29 and higher plans also include 1000 free minutes to landlines in 45 countries and mobiles in 17 including Mexico.
Pay as you go: For light users (under approximately 300 combined domestic and international minutes and texts per month) a pay as you go plan is usually the least expensive option. The best of these plans charge about 5¢ per domestic minute, 6¢ and up per international minute and 2¢ per domestic or international text. Here are the pay as you go plans with the best international rates.
International Pay As You Go
Operator
Market Basket Price / Minute
Network
Per Minute Domestic Rate
Min. Monthly Plan Cost
Domestic / Int'l Text Rate
Int'l Access Number
Lycamobile
10.8¢
T-Mobile
.02
.0083
free incoming .04/.12 outgoing
Direct
Airvoice $10 Plan
9.8¢
AT&T
.04
$10
.02/.10
10 digit
PTel Real PayGo
14.4¢
T-Mobile
.05
$5
.02/.02
Direct
Airvoice PayGo
15.8¢
AT&T
.10
$3.33
.10/.10
10 digit
Red Pocket Mobile
16.4¢
AT&T or Sprint
.10
$5 (Sprint) or $8.33 (AT&T)
.10/.10
Direct
H2O $25 Plan
22.66¢
AT&T
.025
$25
.025/.10
Direct
H2O Pay As You Go
25.06¢
AT&T
.05
$3.33
.05/.10
Direct
International calling apps and services: There are many Android and iOS apps that let you make international calls for free including Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, Skype, Viber, KakoTalk and Line. These apps let you make completely free calls using WiFi provided the person you are calling has the same app. Most of these apps can also make calls to international phone numbers inexpensively.
If you need call actual international phone numbers occasionally, Google Voice is a good option. Rates are low and unlike with some of the other calling apps, the money you add to your Google Voice account does not expire. Sample rates per minute for calling mobile phones in the market basket countries are: Canada free, China 1¢, Mexico 5¢, Philippines 15¢, UK 3¢ for a market basket price of 4.8¢/minute, which beats the per minute rates of every operator except Ultra Mobile. When you sign up for Google Voice, you get a one dollar credit to make international calls. After that the minimum top-up is $10 and Google Voice credit never expires. Google Voice makes calls using cellular voice, not data so if you pay per minute for local calls that will increase the market basket price. Google Hangouts cam do WiFi calling at the same rates as Google Voice using your Google Voice balance.
Recommendations: I advising choosing based on price and which network (T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon or AT&T) works best for you. There are some especially good deals if you can use T-Mobile, including Ultra Mobile for the lowest priced unlimited plan, 1000 free international minutes, inexpensive international rates and $5 to $20 in free international call credit per month and Lycamobile for the lowest domestic and international pay as you go voice rates.
Text Only: If you mainly want to send international texts, Airvoice, AT&T, Expo, Ultra and Lycamobile include unlimited international text messaging with all monthly plans. On pay as you go, PTel is the best deal at 2¢ per international text.
International roaming: The following operators and plans include unlimited voice and text roaming and in some cases data roaming in Mexico: AT&T GoPhone $60 plan (includes data), Cricket $50 and $60 plans, Simple Mobile $35 and higher plans, Telcel America $20 7 day plan and $35 and higher monthly plans (all include data), T-Mobile $50 and higher Simple Choice Plans (includes data).
Canadian roaming is included with the: AT&T GoPhone $60 plan (includes data), Cricket $50 and $60 plans, T-Mobile $50 and higher Simple Choice Plans (includes data)
The Details: here's a bit more about each of the operators mentioned in the table above. The operators are listed alphabetically. Click the operator's name to go to their webpage:
Airvoice (888-944-2355) is an AT&T MVNO that's been in business since 1999. Airvoice has monthly and pay as you go plans
Monthly unlimited plans all have unlimited domestic talk and and unlimited domestic and international texts
$20/month includes 25 MB* of data and unlimited international calling to 60+ countries
$30/month includes 1 GB* of data and unlimited international calling to 60+ countries
$50/month includes 2 GB* of data and unlimited international calling to 60+ countries
* Only the first half of data (12.5 MB, 500 MB or 1 GB) is high speed. The second half is throttled to 128 Kbps or less.
Pay as you go: Airvoice has two pay as you go plans:
Pay As You Go: 10¢/min, 10¢/text, 6.6¢/MB, $1/month fee, minimum top up is $10 every 90 days
$10 Talk & Text: 4¢/min, 2¢/text, 6.6¢/MB, no monthly fee, minimum top up is $10 every 30 days
Unlimited International Plans:
Unlimited international calls to landlines in 80 countries and mobile numbers in eight (list of covered countries) are included with $30 and $50 monthly plans.
International add ons:
A $10 intentional add-on can be added to any plan. It provides the same unlimited international calls to landlines in 80 countries and mobile numbers in eight (list of covered countries) that's included with plans priced $30 and higher. With this add-on pay as you go and $10 plan users pay the same 10¢ or 4¢ per minute for covered international calls as they do for domestic calls.
Pay per use international call credit can be added to any plan by purchasing PayGo International Long Distance PINs in $5 increments. Added funds are good for 180 days and unused funds roll over as long as the customer refills before expiration. Sample rates per minute: Mexico landline 2¢, India landline 2¢, Philippines landline 14¢, UK mobile 4¢ (lookup rates).
Airvoice requires dialing a 10 digit access code for international calls.
Airvoice Basket prices: Calling mobiles: Canada 0 or 0.9¢; Mexico 5¢; China 0 or 2¢; UK 4.1¢; Philippines 17¢ - Total 28.94¢ / 5 = 5.8¢ ($20 plan), 5.22¢ (plans $30 and higher), 15.8¢ (pay as you go), 9.8¢ ($10 Talk & Text).
Airvoice Mobile International Messaging: free on monthly plans, 10¢/each on pay as you go and $10 plans. International MMS (picture messages) are 10¢/each to send and receive on all plans. International MMS on monthly plans are funded using a $10 Cash Card. Unused cash card balances never expire as long as the account remains active and the accounts plan isn't allowed to lapse,
Airvoice international rate page.
For more on Airvoice, see Prepaid Operator Profile - Airvoice Wireless
AT&T GoPhone(800-901-9878) has monthly and pay as you go plans. Per use iinternational voice rates are very high but many plans include unlimited international text messaging and GoPhone's international add-ons can be a good value for frequent international callers.
Monthly domestic plans:
$30/month: unlimited domestic minutes, unlimited domestic and international text messaging
$45/month: unlimited domestic minutes, unlimited domestic and international text messaging, Unlimited data throttles after 1.5 GB.
International Plans:
$60/month: unlimited domestic minutes, unlimited domestic and international text messaging, unlimited data throttled after 4 GB data. Unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada including to mobile phones. Unlimited voice and text roaming and 4 GB of high speed roaming in Mexico and Canada.
Other plans
Pay as you go plan: 10¢/min, texts; 20¢ domestic, 25¢ international, $8.33/month minimum
$2 Daily plan: unlimited domestic minutes and unlimited domestic and international texts. $2 charged only on days used.
International add ons:
$5/month International Long Distance package can be added to any plan including the 10¢/minute and $2/day plans. It provides 250 minutes of calling to cell phones and landlines in Canada, India, China and several other countries and to landlines in over 50 countries (list of countries).
$10/month International Plus Long Distance package can be added to $45 and $60 monthly plans only. It includes 1000 minutes of calling to cell phones and landlines in Mexico, Canada, India, China and several other countries and to landlines in over 50 countries (list of countries).
International Roaming: In addition to the Canadian and Mexican roaming included with the $60 Plan, GoPhone users on other plans can roam in Mexico and Canada. Calls are 25¢ per minute in Mexico and 39¢ in Canada. In both countries texts are 25¢ to send and 20¢ to receive, MMS are $1.30 to send and 25¢ to receive and data is $1.95/KB.
AT&T has international direct dialing (no access code required).
AT&T Market Basket prices (without international add-on): Calling mobiles: Canada 19¢; Mexico 26¢; China $1.09; UK 49¢; Philippines 89¢ - Total $2.92 / 5 = 58.4¢.
AT&T Market Basket prices (1st 1000 minutes with $10 add-on): Calling mobiles: Canada 0; Mexico 0; China 0; UK 49¢; Philippines 89¢ - Total $1.38 / 5 = 27.6¢.
AT&T Mobile International Messaging: 25¢/each.
AT&T Mobile international rate page.
For more on AT&T, see: Prepaid Operator Profile: AT&T GoPhone
Boost Mobile (866-402-7366) is one of Sprint's prepaid brands. All plans include unlimited domestic calls and messaging.
Monthly Data Boost unlimited plans
$30/month unlimited data throttled to 128 Kpbs after 2 GB (auto pay required)
$35/month unlimited data throttled to 128 Kpbs after 1 GB
$45/month unlimited data throttled to 128 Kpbs after 5 GB
$55/month unlimited data throttled to 128 Kpbs after 10 GB
International add ons:
$5/month - Todo Mexico Plus unlimited international texting, unlimited calling to Canada and Mexico including to mobile phones. Only available with $45 and $55 monthly plans.
$10/month - International Connect Plus unlimited international texting, unlimited calling to landlines in 70 countries (list of countries), 1000 minutes of calls to mobiles in Mexico or landlines in the Dominican Republic and discounted rates to over 200 countries. Available with all monthly plans.
Boost has international direct dialing (no access code required).
Boost Market Basket prices: Calling mobiles: Canada 10¢; Mexico 20¢; China 15¢; UK 20¢; Philippines 20¢ - Total $0.85 / 5 = 17¢.
Boost Mobile International Messaging: 10¢/each.
Boost Mobile international rate page.
For more on Boost, see Prepaid Operator Profile - Boost Mobile
Cricket Wireless (800-274-2538) is AT&T's value priced prepaid brand. It offers monthly plans only.
Monthly domestic plans: All include unlimited domestic calls and texts.
$40/month ($35 with autopay) - 2.5GB high speed data, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps or less
$50/month ($45 with autopay) - 5GB high speed data, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps or less
$60/month ($55 with autopay) - 10GB high speed data, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps or less
The $50 and $60 plans also include:
Unlimited calls to Canadian and Mexican landlines and mobile phones plus
Unlimited MMS to Canada and Mexico
Unlimited international text messaging to 35 countries.
On all plans, high-Speed data is throttled to a maximum of 8 Mbps for LTE data and 4 Mbps for HSPA+. After the high-speed data cap is reached speed is further throttled to about 128 Kbps. Additional high-speed data is available for $10 for 1GB good for a month.
International add ons (available with $50 and $60 plans only):
$5/month Cricket International add-on that lets you make unlimited calls to landlines in 36 countries
$15/month Cricket International Extra add-on includes unlimited calls to landlines in 36 countries, unlimited international MMS picture messaging to the same 36 countries and 1000 minutes of calls to mobile phones in 32 countries and
Pay per use international calling and messaging are not available on Cricket.
International Roaming:
$50 and $60 plans include unlimited voice and SMS roaming in Mexico and Canada.
Cricket has international direct dialing (no access code required).
For more on Cricket, see: Prepaid Operator Profile: Cricket Wireless (CDMA)
Expo Mobile (800-818-1597) Sprint MVNO with monthly plans and good international rates. They also have a pay as you go plan, which I don't recommend because, unlike most other operator's pay as you go plans, unused account balances do not roll over when the plan is renewed.
Expo allows activation of Sprint phones subject to Sprint's usual restrictions. Activation is free.
All plans except the $10/month pay as you go plan include unlimited domestic and international texts.
$10/90 days - pay as you go 2¢/domestic min, 2¢/domestic or int'l text, 5¢/MB, no rollover
$19/month - 500 minutes, no data
30/month - unlimited minutes, no data
$35/month - unlimited minutes, 500MB of LTE data
$40/month - unlimited minutes. 1 GB of LTE data
$50/month - unlimited minutes. 2 GB of LTE data
$60/month - unlimited minutes. 3.5 GB of LTE data
Free international calling: $40 and higher plans include a $10/month international calling credit
Expo has international direct dialing (no access code required).
Expo Basket prices: Calling mobiles: Canada 0.5¢; Mexico 4.1¢; China 1¢; UK 8.1¢; Philippines 14.1¢ - Total 27.8¢ / 5 = 5.56¢ , 10.56¢ pay as you go.
Expo International Messaging: 2¢/text on pay as you go, free on other plans.
Expo Mobile international rate page
For more on Expo, see: Sprint and Sprint MVNOs Compared
Go Smart Mobile (877-582-7788 is owned by T-Mobile. Go Smart has a good unlimited international add-on but per minute international rates are high.
Monthly domestic plans: all include unlimited domestic voice and messaging.
$25/month - no data
$30/month - unlimited data, throttled to 128 Kbps after 1 GB
$35/month ($30 with auto pay) - unlimited data, throttled to 128 Kbps after 2.5 GB
$40/month ($35 with auto pay) - unlimited data, throttled to 128 Kbps after 5 GB
$45/month ($30 with auto pay) - unlimited data, throttled to 128 Kbps after 10 GB
LTE is not available. High speed data is 3G
International add ons:
$5/month unlimited text messaging to over 200 countries
$10/month unlimited calls to landlines in 70 countries including all five market basket countries and unlimited text messaging to over 200 countries. List of GoSmart unlimited voice and text countries. $50/month credit for calls to other countries and mobiles.
GoSmart has international direct dialing (no access code required).
GoSmart Basket prices: Calling mobiles: Canada 25¢; Mexico 25¢; China 20¢; UK 33¢; Philippines 48¢ - Total $1.51 / 5 = 30.2¢.
GoSmart International Messaging: 10¢/each.
Gosmart international rate page
For more on GoSmart, see: T-Mobile and T-Mobile MVNOs Compared
H2O Wireless (800-643-4926) is an AT&T MVNO with monthly and pay as you go plans.
Monthly Plans: All include unlimited domestic calls, unlimited international calls to 50 countries (list), including mobile numbers in 8 countries and unlimited domestic and international text messaging.
$30/month - 500 MB of data including LTE, $10 international call credit
$35/month - 500 MB of high speed data including LTE, unlimited throttled data, $10 international call credit
$40/month - 1 GB of high speed data including LTE, unlimited throttled data, $20 international call credit
$50/month - 2 GB of high speed data including LTE, unlimited throttled data, $20 international call credit
$60/month - 3 GB of high speed data including LTE, unlimited throttled data, $20 international call credit
$35, $40 amd $50 plans include unlimited calls to Mexican mobile phones "for a limited time".
Pay as you go: H20 has two pay as you go plans:
5¢/min, 5¢/SMS, 10c/MMS, 10¢/MB, $10 every 90 days minimum top up.
2.5c/min, 2.5¢/SMS, 10¢/MMS, 10¢/MB, $25 every 30 days minimum top up.
H2O requires dialing an 11 digit access number to make free calls to 50 countries on unlimited plans. For other calls international direct dialing is supported.
H2O Market Basket prices (unlimited plans)
Calling mobiles: Canada 3.2¢; Mexico 28.7¢; China 0; UK 24.9¢; Philippines 39.9¢ - Total 96.7¢ / 5 = 19.34¢
H2O Market Basket prices ($25/30 days pay as you go, add 2.5¢/min for $10/90 days plan)
Calling mobiles: Canada 5.7¢; Mexico 31.2¢; China 6.1¢; UK 27.4¢; Philippines 42.4¢ - Total 112.8¢ / 5 = 22.56¢ (25.06 on $10/90 day plan)
H2O International Messaging: free on monthly plans, 10¢/each on pay as you go
H2O international rates (click "Destination Finder).
For more on H2O, see: Prepaid Operator Profile: H2O Wireless
Lycamobile (845-301-1612) is a T-Mobile MVNO with monthly and pay as you go plans and low international voice rates. The Lycamobile website is confusing and Lycanobile has a history of changing plans and pricing with little warning
National Plans: All include unlimited domestic voice unlimited domestic and international text messaging.
$19/30 days - 100 MB of data at 4G speeds, 1000 minutes* to 11 countries
$35/30 days - unlimited data (2 GB at 4G speeds), unlimited calls* to 11 countries
$45/30 days - unlimited data (4 GB at 4G speeds), unlimited calls* to 11 countries
$55/30 days - unlimited data (10 GB at 4G speeds)
International plans: All include unlimited domestic voice, unlimited domestic and international text messaging and unlimited throttled data.
$23/30 days unlimited* calls to 11 countries, $1.50 international call credit, 100 MB high speed data, $1.50 international call credit
$29/30 days - unlimited* calls to 50 countries (landline) and 27 (mobile), 1000 minutes to 11 other countries, 500MB of high speed data, $2.50 int'l call credit.
$39/30 days - same as $29 plan plus 150 minutes to 19 more countries, 750MB of high speed data, $6.25 int'l call credit.
$49/30 days, same as the $39 plan except 1GB of high speed data and a $12.50 int'l call credit
$59/30 days unlimited* calls to 70 countries (landline) and 48 (mobile), 1000 minutes to 11 other countries, 150 minutes to 19 more countries, 3GB of high speed data, 600 minutes to Nigeria (mobile), unlimited calls to Nigeria (landlines), $5 int'l call credit.
* applies to the first 10 unique dialed numbers per month
.Pay as you go: Domestic minutes are 2 cents, incoming texts are free, outgoing domestic texts are 4¢ and outgoing international texts are 12¢ cents each. Data is not available. There is no minimum payment but you must have a billable event (call, outgoing text or data use) every 90 days or your service will be cancelled.
Lycamobile has international direct dialing
Lycamobile Market Basket prices (unlimited plans, add .05/minute for pay as you go):
Calling mobiles: Canada 5¢; Mexico 5¢; China 5¢; UK 5¢; Philippines 9¢ - Total 29¢ / 5 = 5.8¢ (unlimited) 10.8¢ (pay as you go)
Lycamobile International Messaging: free on monthly plans, 12¢/each on pay as you go
Lycamobile international rate page.
For more on Lycamobile, see: T-Mobile and T-Mobile MVNOs Compared
MetroPCS (888-863-8768) which is part of T-Mobile has monthly plans only. The base plans don't include any international features but international add-ons are competitively priced.
Monthly unlimited plans: all include unlimited domestic talk and messaging.
$40/month unlimited data throttled to 128 Kpbs after 2 GB
$50/month unlimited data throttled to 128 Kpbs after 4 GB
$60/month unlimited data om phone. Hotspot data throttled to 128 Kpbs after 6 GB
International add ons:
$5/month - Mexico Unlimited unlimited calling and texting to Mexico including to mobile phones. Unlimited voice, text and data roaming in Mexico. Available with $40 and higher plans.
$10/month - World Calling unlimited international texting, unlimited calling to landlines in 75 countries (list) and mobile in 39 (list), 20 minutes of calls landlines and mobiles in Cuba. 200 minutes, 200 outgoing text, unlimited incoming texts and 200 MB of data while roaming in 21 countries (list) Available with $50 and higher plans only.
Without one of these plans you can only make international calls on MetroPCS by using a prepaid calling card or an international calling app like Google Voice.
MetroPCS International Messaging: only available with $5 (Mexico only) and $10 international add-ons
MetroPCS has international direct dialing (no access code required).
MetroPCS Add-on services page (includes international)
For more on MetroPCS, see Prepaid Operator Profile - MetroPCS
NET10 (877-836-2368) is a brand of América Móvil's Tracfone division. It's an MVNO that uses all four US national operators (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint). NET10 offers different phone models for each network as well as AT&T and T-Mobile based SIMs and a Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) program for Verizon and Sprint phones. It has an unlimited international plan and pay as you go international calling on monthly and pay as you go plans.
Unlimited International Plan: NET10's $65/month ($60 with autopay) unlimited international plan includes unlimited domestic calling and messaging, 5 GB of high-speed data, unlimited data throttled to 64 Kbps or less and unlimited calls to landlines in 39 countries, including all the market basket countries except the Philippines and the UK and to cell phones in Canada, China, Mexico, India and Singapore (list of covered countries). Users can only make international calls to 15 unique numbers per month.
International Text Messaging: Net10's unlimited plans include unlimited international texting to 173 countries, but only with phones that run on the Sprint network.
Monthly domestic plans:
$25/month - non-smartphones only,1000 voice minutes, texts charged at 1 min ea., MMS 1.5 min plus data used, data 1 min per min of browsing. This plan offers calling to 100 countries for 5 cents per minute extra. Free online registration is required to use international calling feature. International direct dialing is not supported, you need to dial a two character (*1) access code and wait for a prompt before dialing the international number.
$35/month, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, unlimited MMS, 500 MB high-speed data, unlimited data throttled to 64 Kbps or less.
$40/month - unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, unlimited MMS, 1.5 GB high-speed data, unlimited data throttled to 64 Kbps or less.
$50 ($45 with auto-refill) /month - unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, unlimited MMS, 5 GB high-speed data, unlimited data throttled to 64 Kbps or less.
International add on:
NET10 offers a $10 Global Card that lets you call landlines and mobiles in over 100 countries at competitive per minute rates. Used balance doesn't expire as long as you make an international call at least every 180 days and your NET10 plan is active.
Net10 Global Card Market Basket prices: Calling mobiles: Canada 1.53¢; Mexico 4.95¢; China 1.35¢; UK 4.5¢; Philippines 15.2¢ - Total 27.53¢ / 5 = 5.5%¢.
International direct dialing is not supported on NET10's unlimited international plan and $10 Global Card, both require using an 10 digit access number for international calls. There's an Android app that automates calling the access number when you place an international call
Pay as You Go: NET10 offers pay as you go plans priced at $15/per month and up with per minute rates of 6.67¢ to10¢ depending on the denomination of the refill used. Texts are charged as half a voice minute. This plan lets you make calls to 100 countries for 5 cents per minute extra. Free online registration is required to use the international feature. International direct dialing is not supported, you need to dial a two character (*1) access code and wait for a prompt before dialing the international number.
For more on Net10 see: Prepaid Operator Profile - NET10
Ptel (866-225-5631) is a T-Mobile MVNO with no extra charge international texts and good international voice rates.
Monthly Plans: All include unlimited domestic talk, unlimited domestic and international text messaging
$20/month - 250MB, $1/month international call credit
$25/month - unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps, $2.50/month international call credit
$30/month - 1 GB of 4G data, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps, $5/month international call credit
$40/month - 2 GB of 4G data, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps, $5/month international call credit
$50/month - 3 GB of 4G data, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps, $5/month international call credit
$60/month - 10 GB of 4G data, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps, $10/month international call credit
Pay as you go: Domestic minutes are 5 cents, domestic and international texts are 2 cents each and data is 10 cents per MB. Minimum payment is $10 every 60 days ($5/month).
PTel supports direct international dialing, no access code required.
PTel Market Basket prices (unlimited plans, add .05/minute for pay as you go): Calling mobiles: Canada 1¢; Mexico 14¢; China 1¢; UK 13¢; Philippines 18¢ - Total 47¢ / 5 = 9.4¢ (unlimited) 14.4¢ (pay as you go)
PTel International Messaging: no extra charge (free on unlimited, 2¢/each on pay as you go)
PTel international rate page.
For more on PTel see: Prepaid Operator Profile: PTel
Red Pocket Mobile, (888-993-3888) has traditionally used the AT&T network and recently added new plans and service that use the Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon networks.
GSMA 30 day Plans (AT&T):
$24.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, no data, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile) and 6 other counties (landines) and 4 (mobile)
$29.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, 500 MB of data at reduced speeds, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile), 200 international texts
$39.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, unlimited data including LTE (throttled after 500 MB), $2 international call credit, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile), 200 international texts
$49.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, unlimited data including LTE (throttled after 1 GB), $2 international call credit, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile), 200 international texts
$59.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, unlimited data including LTE (throttled after 3 GB), $2 international call credit, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile), 200 international texts
$69.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, unlimited data including LTE (throttled after 4 GB), $2 international call credit, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile)
CDMA 30 day Plans (Verizon):
$19.99 - 300 minutes, unlimited messaging, 1 GB data
$29.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, 500 MB data, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile)
$34.99 -300 minutes, unlimited messaging, unlimited data (throttled after 2 GB), unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile)
$39.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, unlimited data (throttled after 500 MB), $2 international call credit, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile)
$49.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, unlimited data (throttled after 1 GB), $2 international call credit, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile)
$59.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, unlimited data (throttled after 3 GB), $2 international call credit, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile)
CDMAS Monthly Plans (Sprint):
$29.99 - unlimited minutes, unlimited texts (including international), 500 MB of data at reduced speeds
$34.99 - 300 minutes, unlimited texts (including international), unlimited data (throttled after 2 GB) - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, 500 MB of data at reduced speeds, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile)
$49.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, unlimited data (throttled after 1 GB) - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, 500 MB of data at reduced speeds, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile)
$59.99 - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, unlimited data (throttled after 3 GB) - Unlimited domestic voice and messaging, 500 MB of data at reduced speeds, unlimited calls to China and Hong Kong (landline and mobile)
The $2 international credit that comes with some plans is good for up to 200 minutes of free international calling per month. Unused international credit rolls over from one month to the next. You can check your international calling credit balance at ica.redpocketmobile.com. Log in using your phone number and the last four digits of your SIM card ID.
Pay as you go - Available on AT&T or Sprint only: Domestic minutes are 10 cents, domestic texts are 10 cents each and data is 30 cents per MB on AT&T. Pay as you go data is not available on Sprint. Minimum payment is $25 every 90 days ($8.33/month). Pay as you go customers can call landlines in Taiwan and South Korea and landlines and cell phones in Canada, China, Singapore and Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City, Mexico for the same price (10 cents/minute) as calls within the US.
Red Pocket has international direct dialing (no access code required)
Red Pocket Market Basket prices - monthly plans: Calling mobiles: Canada 1¢; Mexico 10¢; China 0; UK 10¢; Philippines 15¢ - Total 36¢ / 5 = 7.2¢
Red Pocket Market Basket prices - pay as you go (includes 10¢/minute base rate): Calling mobiles: Canada 10¢; Mexico 10¢; China 10¢; UK 20¢; Philippines 32¢ - Total 82¢ / 5 = 16.4¢
Red Pocket International Messaging: international texts are 10¢ each on pay as you go plans and monthly plans that don't include international texts. International MMS are 20¢ each
Red Pocket international rate page.
For more on Red Pocket see: Prepaid Operator Profile: Red Pocket Mobile
Simple Mobile (877-878-7908) is yet another Tracfone brand that uses on the T-Mobile network only with no roaming.
Unlimited International Plans: Simple Mobile has three plans with international calling and messaging. All include unlimited domestic calling and unlimited domestic and international texting and unlimited voice and text roaming in Mexico.
$35/month no data, unlimited* international minutes, 250 minutes to Guatemala-Claro Cellular
$45/month unlimited data (throttled to 128 Kpbs after 2GB), unlimited* international minutes, , 500 minutes to Guatemala-Claro Cellular
$55/month unlimited data (throttled to 128 Kpbs after 4GB), unlimited* international minutes, 1,000 minutes to Guatemala-Claro Cellular
$60/month unlimited data (throttled to 128 Kpbs after 10GB), unlimited* international minutes, 1,000 minutes to Guatemala-Claro Cellular
* unlimited calls to landlines in 45 countries, including all the market basket countries except the Philippines and to cell phones in China, Mexico India and Canada. Unlimited calls can be made to up to 15 unique international numbers per month.
For calls to countries that aren't included with the internationals plans or if you need more minutes, there's a $10 Global Card that lets you call landlines and mobiles in over 100 countries at competitive per minute rates. The unused card balance doesn't expire as long as you an international call at least every 180 days and your Simple Mobile plan is active.
International Text Messaging: all Simple Mobile plans include unlimited international texting
Simple Mobile supports international direct dialing.
For more about Simple Mobile see Prepaid Operator Profile: Simple Mobile.
Straight Talk (800-299-7784) is another brand of América Móvil's Tracfone division. Like NET10, it offers service on all four national operators (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint). Straight Talk offers different phone models for each network as well as AT&T and T-Mobile based SIMS and a Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) program for Verizon and Sprint phones.
Unlimited International Plan: Straight Talk offers a single $60/month unlimited international plan. It includes unlimited domestic voice calling and messaging, 5 GB/month of high-speed data, unlimited throttled data and unlimited calls to landlines in 34 countries, including all the market basket countries except the Philippines and to cell phones in Canada, China, India and Mexico (list of covered countries). The plan also includes 400 minutes per month to mobile phones on the América Móvil owned Claro network in Guatemala. Users can only make international calls to 15 unique numbers per month.
International Text Messaging: Straight Talk's unlimited plan includes unlimited international texting to 173 countries, but only on phones that run on the Sprint network.
Straight Talk requires using an 11 digit access number or an Android app for international calls.
For more on Straight Talk see: Prepaid Operator Profile - Straight Talk.
Telcel America (800-220-9518) is another brand of América Móvil's Tracfone division. It's targeted at users do do a lot of international calling, especially to Mexico. Telcel America currently only offers phones that use the T-Mobile network. T-Mobile based SIMs are also available. In the past, Verizon or Sprint based phones were also depending on phone model. T-Mobile based SIMs are also available.
International Plans: Telcel America offers five plans with international calling and messaging plus roaming in Mexico. All include unlimited domestic calling and unlimited domestic and international messaging, unlimited calls to landlines in 38 countries (list of covered countries) and mobile phones in Mexico, Canada, China and India. Unlimited international calls can be made to up to 15 unique international numbers per month.
Unlimited Voice and text and data roaming in Mexico is also included but only with GSM (T-Mobile based) Telcel phones and SIMs. Data used in Mexico counts against the plan's high speed data allowance
$20/7 days unlimited data (throttled to 64 Kpbs after 2 GB)
$35/30 days unlimited data (throttled to 64 Kpbs after 1 GB, 2 GB until 12/31/15)
$45/30 days unlimited data (throttled to 64 Kpbs after 2 GB)
$55/30 days unlimited data (throttled to 64 Kpbs after 4 GB)
$60/30 days unlimited data (throttled to 64 Kpbs after 10 GB)
For calls to countries that aren't included with the internationals plans or if you need more minutes, there's $10 Global Card that lets you call landlines and mobiles in over 100 countries at competitive per minute rates. The unused card balance doesn't expire as long as you an international call at least every 180 days and your Telcel America plan is active.
International Text Messaging: all Telcel America plans include unlimited international texting
Telcel America supports international direct dialing.
For more about Telcel America click here.
T-Mobile (800-866-2453)
Monthly Plans: all include unlimited domestic voice and unlimited domestic text messaging.
$40/month Simply Prepaid - 1GB of data throttled to 8 Mbps, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps
$50/month Simple Choice - 1GB of unthrottled data, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps.
$50/month Simply Prepaid - 3GB of data throttled to 8 Mbps, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps
$60/month Simple Choice - 3GB of unthrottled data, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps.
$60/month Simply Prepaid - 5GB of data throttled to 8 Mbps, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps
$70/month Simple Choice- 5GB of unthrottled data, unlimited data throttled to 128 Kbps.
$80/month Simple Choice- unlimited, unthrottled data.
International calling and roaming: Simple Choice plans include unlimited calls to Mexican and Canadian landlines and mobiles and unlimited voice, messaging and data (including high-speed data up to plan limits) roaming in Canada and Mexico.
International add ons: Customers on T-Mobile prepaid monthly plans priced at $40 and higher you can add their choice of two "Stateside" international add-ons. The add-ons aren't available with Pay As You Go plans.
$10/month: Unlimited international texts, unlimited calls to landlines in 70+ countries and discounted calling to over 200 countries.
$15/month: Unlimited international texts, unlimited calling to landlines in 70+ countries, unlimited calling to mobile numbers in 32 countries List of countries covered.
International Text Messaging: Simple Choice plans include unlimited international texting. On Simply Prepaid plans international texts are 10¢ each.
T-Mobile has international direct dialing (no access code required)
For more on T-Mobile see: Prepaid Operator Profile - T-Mobile
TracFone (800-867-7183) is owned by América Móvil and has pay as you go plans only. Tracfone pricing is quite complicated:
For feature phones the price per domestic voice minute ranges from 4.4¢ to 11¢ per minute depending on the refill denomination for "triple minutes" phones. There are also "double minutes" phones which you should avoid as they increase the per minute cost by 50%.
Domestic texts are charged as a third of a minute. Data is either half a minute per minute of browsing (older phones) or 1.5 voice minutes per KB of data (phones released since June, 2012).
TracFone Android phones have a unique "triple-triple" pricing model with separate buckets for minutes, data and texts. Price per minute, text or MB of data varies from 4.4¢ to 11¢ depending on refill denomination.
The minimum monthly cost is $6.67 ($19.99 refill every 90 days).
"Free" international calling: Tracfone users can make no surcharge calls to landlines in 60 counties and mobile phones in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, San Marino, Singapore and Taiwan.
$10 Global Card: Lets you make calls to phones not included with in free international calling. The card balance does not expire as long as the card is active.
Sample rates per minute to call mobile phones in the market basket countries theat aren't included in "free" international calling plan. Mexico 4.95¢, Philipines 15.18¢, United Kingdom 4.5¢. These rates are in addition to the 4.4 to 33 cents per minute that TracFone charges for domestic calls.
TracFone International Neighbors: On request, TracFone will give you up to three local Mexican numbers that friends and relatives can use to call your TracFone for the price of a local call. Click here for more details and to signup.
Tracfone requires an 11 digit access code for international calls.
TracFone doesn't support sending international texts.
For more on Tracfone, see Prepaid Operator Profile - Tracfone
Ultra Mobile (888-777-0446) is a T-Mobile MVNO which offers monthly plans only. All plans include unlimited international texts at no extra charge.
Monthly Plans: Ultra Mobile has five monthly plans, all of which include unlimited domestic calling, unlimited international text messaging and unlimited international calls to either 10 ($19 plan) or 40 countries (list), including Mexican mobiles. $29 and higher plans also include 1000 minutes of no e