One of the first questions that a tourist has upon arrival in Mexico is — where to buy a SIM card for a mobile phone. Using a local SIM card to always have access to the Internet and stay in touch with loved ones is always more profitable than using roaming. Moreover, in Mexico there are no restrictions on the purchase of SIM cards by foreigners, and the card itself can be purchased in many places that you will visit one way or another.
There are three main mobile operators in Mexico — Telcel, Movistar and AT&T and a lot of virtual operators. The basic unit of charging is the megabyte of mobile traffic, not seconds. You should choose the tariff package of the operator that offers the largest number of megabytes during the conditional validity period of the package, in particular, per month.
The importance of coverage is exaggerated. Most often it is advised to buy a Telcel SIM card due to better coverage. But Telcel — It’s not a cheap operator, but its communication quality is the same as that of its competitors. If you are not going to travel around the country or visit remote villages, take a SIM card from any operator. In the hotel you will have wi-fi, and in cities, along federal highways and at all major attractions, including the pyramids, all operators have coverage. Because these are the most visited places where users will spend the most intensive mobile traffic, in other words, spend money.
Among the most profitable offers from mobile operators today, we note:
- Bite, tariff for 200 pesos (20 GB for 30 days) — Works mainly with Android phones,
- Unefon (AT&T), 50 pesos (3 GB / 10 days) — for a month it will be 150 pesos and 9 GB.
Other operators have significantly less traffic in their packages. Telcel has the cheapest «unlimited» the 200 pesos tariff (Amigo Sin Límite 200) includes only 1.5 GB of Internet traffic and is valid for 30 days. Movistar's unlimited package for 100 pesos includes 1.5 GB of data and is valid for 14 days, or about 3 GB of data for 200 pesos for 28 days. At AT&T, a package for 200 pesos includes 5 GB of Internet traffic + 1.5 GB for video and is valid for 30 days. Traffic to basic social networks and instant messengers without payment, with the exception of photos and videos.
When the volume of package traffic ends before the validity period of the package, for the remaining days you will receive Internet without restrictions at a reduced speed, in particular, 0.5 Mbit/s. You'll be able to browse websites and send text messages, but watching videos and sending voice messages will be difficult.
We wrote about the advantages of the Bait operatorHere, and you can learn about mobile operators in Mexico in general from thispublications. There are also links to the websites of mobile operators where you can check their current tariff plans. Rates may change from those listed above!
When you arrive in Mexico, do not buy a SIM card at the airport! Firstly, most often they don’t sell SIM cards at airports, and if they do sell them, they charge an additional cost for the SIM card itself, while in the city a SIM card costs nothing, and all the money paid goes to the balance. However, at the Mexico City airport there is a Telcel brand store, where everything is fair.
Bait. Sold only at Walmart stores including Superama, Bodega Aurrera and Sam's Club. It must be activated at the store checkout. When purchasing some Bait packages, you can purchase a SIM card online with free delivery to your home address in Mexico.
Unefon. This is a subsidiary operator of AT&T, but you cannot buy an Unefon SIM card in AT&T stores. Can be purchased at most shopping centers, Electra hardware stores, and even on the street. Look for stands with Unefon sign — black letters on a yellow background.
Telcel. The easiest way is to buy at the checkout counters of stores within walking distance, for example, OXXO or 7eleven. OXXO is at every step, it will be difficult to pass by. In addition, Telcel is sold in most stores selling mobile phones, and in branded stores of the same name.
MovistarAndAT&Tare sold only at specialized branded sales points, most of which are full-fledged stores.
A passport is not needed when purchasing a SIM card. At these same points of sale, you will have the right to top up your balance in the future. Although it is more convenient to top up your balance online on the operator’s website, it is not always possible to do this accompanied by a foreign bank card, while at physical points of sale you can pay with any card.
It's best if you come to the store with your phone. Select a tariff package, pay for it and ask the seller to activate the card. Even if you don't speak Spanish, the seller will understand you, he does this every day for other customers. In addition, the seller has the right to determine what type of card your phone needs — micro, nano, etc. Turn off data transmission on your phone in advance and wait for an SMS with your new number and Internet settings to arrive. Sometimes the phone starts transferring data even before the package is activated, and the data tariff outside the package is simply outrageous. Once the package is activated, data transfer can be enabled.
In general, if you have any problem with your mobile phone, go to the nearest cellular store and ask for help. Even if this store does not sell SIM cards from your operator, usually the sellers know the ussd commands of all operators and know where to call and what to ask.