But possibly the most important piece of advice that will prevent hefty roaming charges is to go into "Settings" on your phone and turn your data off before you arrive. In your settings is a cellular data icon that you must turn off so that your phone does not access a network provider outside of your local one.
While in Canada I used a local SIM card for data and local voice calls. Remember that most of the Android phones require the regular SIM size, but most cards can be configured for either type of slot.
The USA Prepaid Sim Card has an add-on plan that allows you to use it in Canada as well as the USA, and they post your SIM card to your Australian address.
5.Are there any special Android or iPhone settings for international travel?
- Turn off roaming. This stops cellular data use so you won't be paying extra for a plan you don't have.
- Stop apps from sucking your data in the background.
- Turn off automatic downloads.
- Track cellular usage.
Short Answer: No. According to the Canadian Currency Act, the Canadian dollar is the official currency of the multi-cultural country. The law also states that all accounts maintained or founded in the country must be in Canadian funds. This technically means that American money is not accepted in Canada.
Our international plans let you use your phone in more than 185 countries outside the US and can help you stay on top of your travel budget: TravelPass: For $5/day in Canada and Mexico and $10/day in other countries, you can use your domestic plan's talk, text and data allowances just like you do at home.
New and existing customers with an AT&T Unlimited Plan can say goodbye to roaming charges in both Mexico and Canada. Talk, text and use data in and between the United States, Mexico and Canada for no roaming charge. The features can be added through myAT&T, online at www.att.com, or by calling AT&T.
T-Mobile will let you use your phone in Canada and Mexico without a roaming fee. You'll also be able to call Canadian and Mexican numbers from the US at no extra charge. It's the latest in a series of programs as T-Mobile jockeys for better position.
The cheapest smartphone plan in Canada is the $19 Prepaid Talk + Text + 1.5GB data plan from Freedom Mobile. Why we love it: For a limited time, Freedom Mobile has dropped this nationwide prepaid plan by five dollars. For $19 you get unlimited talk, text and 1.5GB of full-speed LTE data.
Here are some of the cheapest phone plans with unlimited everything.
- Boost. Boost offers an unlimited plan in three tiers, the cheapest of which comes with standard definition streaming, a 12GB hotspot, and a six-month Tidal music subscription.
- Metro by T-Mobile.
- TextNow.
- Cricket Wireless.
All three carriers—Bell, Rogers, and Telus—provide premium services to more than 97% of Canadians, but Telus leads the pack with the fastest, largest and most reliable network. Their customer service is better than Rogers or Bell, but smaller brands do it even better.
The Koodo Prepaid Plan
This plan by Koodo Mobile, which is on the TELUS network, gives excellent coverage, and is ideal for seniors. You can buy the base plan for $15 prepaid, and a more comprehensive package with unlimited messaging and 100 anytime minutes for use Canada-wide for around $28 per month.There is not enough competition in Canada for carriers to lower their prices. Canadian telecom companies are among the most profitable in the world, so there's little incentive to change pricing competitiveness. Canadians are still subject to data overage charges while US plans typically include unlimited data.
The best cell phone plans for seniors start at $50/month for unlimited data, talk and text and are offered by carriers including T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint. GreatCall also offers great unlimited plans that also include health and safety package options made just for seniors.
All three carriers—Bell, Rogers, and Telus—provide premium services to more than 97% of Canadians, but Telus leads the pack with the fastest, largest and most reliable network. Their customer service is better than Rogers or Bell, but smaller brands do it even better.
One can simply buy an American sim card online and a pre-paid voucher, then call a carrier in the United States and set up a phone plan that has unlimited roaming in Canada.
Our picks for the best cheap cell phone plans for the month include:
- Sprint's Unlimited Kickstart plan: $35/month for unlimited everything.
- Twigby's unlimited talk and text plan: Discounted at $9.75/month.
- Good2Go Mobile's 1GB plan: $15/month on AT&T's network.
Cell Phone Plans
| Plan | Price |
|---|
| Rogers | Prepaid Monthly Talk and Text 15 | $15 Upfront |
| Fido | By the Month $15 Plan | $15.75 |
| Lucky Mobile | $25 Unlimited Minutes Canada-wide Calling Plan | $25 Upfront |
| Virgin Mobile | Prepaid $25 Monthly Plan | $25 + $10 Upfront |
Mobile Without Borders gives you unlimited calling and texting between the US, Mexico, and Canada. You also get up to 5 GB high-speed data allotment (or the max of your plan's high-speed data allotment, whichever comes first) that includes both phone and tethering data usage.
TravelPass: For $5/day in Canada and Mexico and $10/day in other countries, you can use your domestic plan's talk, text and data allowances just like you do at home. Monthly International Plan: Use Trip Planner to estimate your usage, then pick a set monthly allowance of talk, text and data for international use.
TravelPass
Now your wireless plan travels just like you do. For just $2 a day per line in Mexico and Canada, $5 a day per line in Brazil and Spain and $10 a day per line in more than 100 countries you can take your domestic talk, text and data allowances with you. Must be on qualifying plan.TravelPass. TravelPass, Verizon's go-to international plan, is the perfect option for customers who want to use their cell phones without worrying about added costs. It's only $5 per line in Mexico and Canada for customers whose domestic plans don't cover these areas.
With TravelPass, Verizon just charges a $10 daily access fee to customers who visit countries outside of the United States, or $2 a day when wandering around Mexico or Canada. Verizon will only charge the daily fee when customers use their phones in one of the 65 TravelPass countries.
TravelPass
For just $2 a day per line in Mexico and Canada, $5 a day per line in Brazil and Spain and $10 a day per line in more than 100 countries you can take your domestic talk, text and data allowances with you. You're only charged on the days you use your device abroad. Based on your domestic plan's allowance.Keep in mind that calling, texting and data use in Mexico and Canada are included at no extra cost in these domestic plans: Go Unlimited, Beyond Unlimited , Above Unlimited and new Verizon Plan shared data XL and XXL sizes.
Re: Travel pass triggers
If you're attempting a call, but, it goes to voice mail, then it will activate the 24hour travel pass window. We recommend turning off your device and its roam settings or placing the device in airplane mode to prevent accidental charges.Yes, you can use your prepaid phone for international calls and texts while you're in the US. For pricing and dialing instructions, go to our Prepaid International Calling page.
