China Sim Card 30days 10GB Data < 5G > + 200 Local mins + 50 Local Texts

==Purchased October 2020 for China trip during COVID-19== this sim card is ESSENTIAL if you have to travel to China during Covid-19 and do not have a valid Chinese local phone number already - You need a LOCAL cell phone number to fill out several electronic forms that link the LOCAL cell phone number to multiple QR codes even BEFORE you disembark from the plane. These QR codes are mandatory for getting the PCR test at the airport, entering the Chinese border, checking in to quarantine hotels, as well as allowing you to go places after you are cleared from quarantine.I don't think a roaming number from the US will work here - the cell number lines on those forms specifically require a Chinese phone number.To fill out those forms, your phone needs to be able to receive a verification code via text. Alternatively, you can use email to receive a verification code, but the wifi at airports can be unstable, and at some airports, it requires a local phone number to be able to connect to the wifi initially (e.g. at Shanghai PVG. I know, it's redundant). Plus, if you use gmail, you need additional vpn to access your mailbox...This sim card really comes in handy for these situations!! I was able to use data and receive verification code to fill out all the forms smoothly, did not have to spend extra time trying to get a sim card at the airport. Plus, everyone will go into 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine right after picking up luggage. It's very helpful to have a local phone number if you want to order delivery or take-out. Usually, if you want to get a sim card in China, you will have to go to a storefront in person, deal with the staff, and submit ID/Passport etc. Purchasing in advance on Amazon really makes everything much easier.Just make sure the "latest activation date" listed by the merchant matches your travel dates. If you are traveling later than that date, wait for the merchant to release new batch of products with newer activation dates before you purchase.And YES you will need to send some form of ID to the merchant in order to activate the card...unfortunately it's a requirement of the Chinese government, I have no comment...the seller has no control over that but to obey. The customer service is very good. You can choose to start the service any time before the listed "latest activation date" and the card will be good for 30 days from the start date. There are options for extending the service with little extra fee.Highly recommend.

This SIM card proved to be the perfect fit for my almost-4-week trip to China. I wasn't forced to buy a card that covered a longer period than I needed, and it provided 3GB of 4G data, unlike competing cards that provided only 2GB. If your data usage is anything like mine, between 2GB and 3GB is the perfect amount for a 4-week trip (obviously you can't do a lot of streaming, but it's enough for a short YouTube clip or two every day); for trips under 3 weeks, many will find 2G sufficient, however. With 3GB available, I didn't have to worry much at all about finding WiFi: I did use hotel WiFi, but had no need to use WiFi in other places such as restaurants, and often the data rate was more favorable on the SIM card than on heavily loaded public WiFi networks.While this card offered less voice time and fewer texts than some other cards, I found that in this day of messaging via apps such as WeChat (common in China), Facebook, Google, etc., I used very little traditional SMS text and no voice at all. This SIM card's ideal combination of text, data, and voice, and 30-day validity allow it to be priced about $7 less than most competitors. Be aware, however, that it includes no foreign texting or voice calls, and is strictly for mainland China--doesn't work in Hong Kong or Macao. As long as you won't be in those cities for long, the higher price of your U. S. carrier will probably be bearable for the few days you may spend there.The description of its connectivity actually understates its versatility; it connects to 2G, 3G, and 4G on China Unicom, which is available virtually everywhere, including mountain tops and trains and operates on the frequencies commonly supported by most smartphones. Overall, I found l was able to use my phone in China pretty much as if I had been at home (provided you also get a VPN, which you must be sure to do before you enter China).Very importantly, it's available to ship quickly to U. S. customers; you don't have to wait until you get to China to buy the card--you can just swap it in in place of your U. S. SIM card and be ready to talk as soon as you land in China.Customer service is fast, which was a good thing because the documentation, though pretty good, left me with a question about how to activate (after registration, activation is automatic--I had a question because the process seemed almost too easy!)

In short, I would say this might be the best $30 I spent for my family's recent China vacation trip.First, make sure to ** order it at least 1 week before ** your trip to China, because after receiving it in mail, you'll need to email some info (passport image, info etc) back to the seller then wait for them to activate it (which may take 1 or 2 business days).Once you followed the instruction to activate it, it's very easy to use, and with good quality.... at least that's the case for my trip when I traveled multiple cities. DISCLAIMER: The cities I went to are in Central & East China, which are the most populated & developed region in China, so I have no idea how well it may work in less developed places like west China. Connection is very good, and with LTE speed. 3 Gigabyte of data is not much, but it was good enough for my 3-weeks trip (, though I did try to switch to Wifi whenever back to hotel, or hotspot was available to save).The best part is, with such a functional sim card (and thus, a fully functional cell phone) in China, you're fully enabled (well, almost) to travel. NOTE I'm a Chinese so I did plan almost everything by myself for my family's travel, which includes things like booking hotel, tickets for train/flight/greyhound, theme park, shows, and even including order services like meal to go, parcel delivery etc (btw, you won't believe how convenient and easy it is in China to do those things on one's cell phone... alas, having lived in US for over 20 years, as much as I enjoy the life here, I have to say part of it now is already way lagging behind comparing with China.. sorry I'm going tangent here.... ) , while none of these would have been possible had I not have this small magic card with me.Highly recommend, and will definitely use again for my future China trip.