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You can use your mobile phone in Singapore using a prepaid SIM card. Using a prepaid card frees you up from any monthly bills or subscription contract with a mobile phone company. Pre-paid mobile phones services are also known as pay-as-you-go or prepaid wireless services. It is especially convenient for foreigners visiting Singapore on a short-term basis from one week or six months or individuals who don’t use their mobile phone very frequently. Getting a prepaid SIM card in Singapore is easy, activation is instant, and calling rates are quite attractive.
Related Topics:
- Choosing between Prepaid and Postpaid Cell Phone Service
- Getting a Postpaid Mobile Connection in Singapore
Getting a Prepaid SIM Card
Singapore supports dual-band, tri-band, quad-band mobile phones. The prepaid SIM cards in Singapore come in various denominations ranging from S$10 to S$50. There are 3 mobile phone service providers that offer prepaid phone service in Singapore – SingTel, MobileOne (M1) and Starhub.
Prepaid SIM cards in Singapore for any of the three phone companies can be purchased at the following locations:
• Retail outlets of Singtel, Starhub, and M1
Since 2006, Singapore government has made the prepaid SIM registration a mandatory requirement. This means the card must be registered under the name of the person who will be using it, in this case you. As a result, you will be required to produce your passport or Singapore ID at the time of buying the prepaid mobile card. Once registered, the card is ready for use immediately.
Prepaid SIM Card balance in Singapore is normally valid for 6 months which means any unused balance will expire after 6 months.
Prepaid Card Rates and Charges
Local Calls
As of July 2008, Singtel and M1 both charge S$16¢ during the day and S$8¢ during night on local calls. Starhub charges a flat rate S$22¢ on the first minute and S$8¢ on the next minute. The SMS rate for the three prepaid service providers is S$5¢.
You can request for a turn-on of unlimited FREE incoming calls service but you have to pay daily for this service. For Singtel, you will pay S$60¢ a day. For M1, you will pay S$59¢. For Starhub, you will pay S$70¢. If you expect to have a number of incoming calls during the day, it is advisable to avail of this service. Otherwise, you will be charged with the incoming calls.
International Calls
To make an overseas call, you need dial the access code followed by the country code, area code and telephone. Each telephone company in Singapore has its own International Direct Dialing (IDD) access codes:
- Starhub: 008 (best quality) and 018 (VOIP based, best value)
- SingTel: 001 (best quality), 013 and 019 (VOIP based, best value)
- M1: 002 (best quality) and 021 (VOIP based, best value)
All three companies offer attractive International Direct Dialing (IDD) rates for prepaid card users. You can make phone calls to many of the countries at the local calling rates. For more details, refer to:
- Starhub IDD rates for prepaid card users
- Singtel IDD rates for prepaid card users
- M1 IDD rates for prepaid card users
Latest Promotions
For the latest Singapore prepaid card rates and promotions, refer to the following:
Topping Up Prepaid SIM Card
When you are running low on the balance value in your SIM card, you can top-up your SIM card by any of the following means:
- Buy Top up Cards.You can purchase top up cards from the same locations where you are able to buy the SIM card as listed earlier. Topup cards are typically available from S$10 to S$200.
- Top up electronically.You can topup you SIM card at once of the following electronic stations (found in almost every corner of Singapore) using your ATM card:
- DBS/POSB bank ATM machines
- Self-automated Machines (SAM)
- AXS electronic machine
- Online via internet banking.You can top-up your prepaid card via the Internet at www.vpost.com.sg if you have an Internet Bank account with DBS, UOB or Citibank. The amount will be deducted from your respective bank’s Internet Bank account. First time users need to register with vPost to get a User ID and password.
- Top up from a postpaid subscriber.SingTel and M1 both have service that let a postpaid subscriber top up balance to a prepaid subscriber of the same network. The top up charge will appear on the postpaid subscriber’s monthly bill.
- Top up from Singtel Landline.If you have a Singtel landline, you can use it to top up your prepaid SIM card. The top up value will be charged on your Singtel landline account. Available for Singtel prepaid subscribers only.
Prepaid SIM card service lets you stay connected without any monthly bills and contractual obligations. Prepaid cards follow the “pay as you use model” which means you are not unnecessirily paying for services or time that you didn’t use. The downside is slightly higher rates and the need to topup the card everytime you have used-up the balance in the card. Prepaid cards in Singapore are an attractive option for short-term visitors and infrequent users of the mobile phones.
