PhoneBox - the cheapest Canadian SIM card
One of the cheapest Canadian SIM cards is that from PhoneBox. It has some advantages and very good conditions compared to other Canadian SIM card providers. Especially for travellers to Canada (visitors), students and newcomers such as work and travellers on temporary Working Holiday work permits. Save yourself the hassle of searching for a SIM card in Canada! Have it sent to your home country and have data immediately upon arrival in Canada. One of the best and cheapest plans in Canada with lots of data for the money.
- Unlimited Canada-wide calls and unlimited international SMS
- No Canadian address required
- No Canadian credit card required
- No activation fees (other providers in the stores charge $50 fee)
- Data topup for only $15 per 1GB
- PhoneBox ships the SIM card for free anywhere in the world
- SIM card usually costs $10
- SIM card can be activated on a preferred date
- No contracts, cancel at any time
- Support in 7 languages
- Tethering (mobile hotspot) possible
- Also available as eSIM
You can have the PhoneBox SIM card sent to anywhere in the world for free if you already know when you are going to travel to Canada. The cell phone must be a newer cell phone that supports LTE or 4G.
Simply select the desired activation date during the ordering process – done. Insert the SIM card when you arrive in Canada and you immediately have a Canadian number and data plan. If it doesn’t work right away, restart your phone.
In order to receive the SIM card abroad in time, it must be ordered at least 30 days before the trip. For orders within Canada (to a Canadian address) it takes 14 days.
Disclaimer: I will receive a commission if you are using the above affiliate link. This makes it possible to support all Work and Travellers on the Working Holiday Canada adventure. Thanks a lot for the support.
How much does PhoneBox cost?
- There are prepaid and postpaid plans. If you are visiting Canada for a short time, make sure you select and activate “prepaid“. This way the SIM card automatically expires after 30 days if you do not renew.
- If you are a newcomer in Canada for example a Working Holiday Canada participant, you can also choose the monthly plans. With monthly plans, the bill is due every 2nd of the month. The phone plans at PhoneBox are among the cheapest SIM card plans in Canada.
I'm leaving for Canada soon, how can I get my SIM card?
You can order an eSIM at any time because everything is done online. Your cell phone must support eSIM.
The PhoneBox SIM card is not available in Canadian SIM card stores.
If you are too late with the online order of a SIM card and the shipping timeframe is too short, you can also pick up a SIM card in Vancouver Downtown or Toronto Downtown. Then it usually costs $10. You can mention my name “Ute Lurtz” in the office, the employees then waive the $10 SIM card fee.
- Vancouver Pickup: 658 Seymour St. Vancouver
- Toronto Pickup: 1240 Bay St. #305, Toronto
- Calgary Pickup: > Contact us < to check availability.
Does the SIM card work everywhere in Canada?
The SIM card works everywhere in Canada where there is cell phone reception from Telus. Note, Canada has very sparse coverage due to the size of the country and some areas have no coverage at all. eg in the Yukon there is reception only in the vicinity of civilisation. This applies to all providers in Canada.
Does the SIM card work in the US?
Unfortunately, no, the SIM card can only be used within Canada. But PhoneBox also has a USA SIM card that you can use if you want to travel to the USA. Just chose USA in the store, when you click the above link.
Can I call home from Canada? For example my family in Europe?
International calls are possible to over 30 countries. See list below.
If you want to call your family, you can do it through Messenger or WhatsApp . However, if you want to call a landline number or a cell phone number outside of Canada, you would need to download a Wi-Fi calling app that you can then use to make calls over the Internet. One such app is Skype and they have very affordable talk flat fees. The data volume from the PhoneBox SIM card is then used.
How do I cancel the SIM card?
Prepaid Plan: There is no need to cancel. Simply stop topping up on the due date, the service will end automatically and the SIM card will become invalid. If you have set an automatic renewal in your account, you must delete it so that the next month is no longer automatically renewed/charged.
Postpaid Plan: A postpaid contract does not expire automatically, you have to cancel it yourself. In the online account or in the Phonebox app under “Cancel my service”. Other options are: call, email, chat.
- Telephone: +1 855-886-0505
- Email: services@gophonebox.com
- Chat: www.gophonebox.com
How do I extend the SIM card?
After the SIM card has been activated, download the PhoneBox App and register with your PhoneBox cell phone number and email address. You will receive the cell phone number by e-mail only on the day of activation.
Then you have the option to extend in your phone plan. You must renew before the renewal date. Because if you don’t do it, the SIM expires at the scheduled end date and you have to order a new SIM card.
Good tip for longer stays: "Auto Extension"
If you store a credit card in your profile and activate “auto extension”, the plan will automatically be extended. You don’t have to worry about anything anymore, it’s all done automatically and you can’t forget to extend it either.