Prepaid SIM in Italy? - Page 7

**Effendi** · 29-07-2008, 10:51

Super Senza Scatto is better, go with Wind and you should have no problems. Post offices can be very crowded and often close very early, expecially in summer. And workers there are not used to tourists and mobile cards... better to go to a Wind shop.

fedeprovenza · 29-07-2008, 14:15

i've to add sim postemobile costs 15 euro, 5 more than wind one

kayejaye · **Thanks for Answering My Questions -** 02-08-2008, 12:58

Hi Fedeprovenza, Effendi and Mpattera,

I just want to express my sincere thanks and admiration for taking the time out to answer my questions. I think you guys have taught me a great deal and have definitely steered me towards getting a WIND Pre-Paid SIM Card Pack.

Ok This is what I will do, I'll reach Treviso on 18th August and will be Italy till 24th August

1) I'll go get A WIND Pre-Paid SIM card. Any WIND offers currently? Mpattera mentioned a Summer Collection 5? I'm sorry, can anyone please help me elaborate on what's that exactly? Otherwise, what I saw on this website says I should get WIND's "My Personal SIM" pack which costs 10 Euros(5 Eu credit)? Is it easier to get the SIM card at the Treviso Airport or the Treviso Train station as I need to take a train to Portogruaro, or should I buy it in Portogruaro?

2)I do not understand debiting method. What does Billing 1/1 and 30/30 mean? Super Senza Scatto billing being 1/1.

3) I reside in Singapore so when I buy the SIM Card from the seller I should take Effendi's advice and get the seller to create a "Call My Country" option for free right?

4)Friends, you think I'll have to wait a full 24hrs for my pre-paid SIM to be activated? Can I check my credit in English?

As I'm not really familiar with Italy's mobile network, I really hope you guys can help out and it's really much appreciated

A Million thanks!

Steve

Motel75 · 02-08-2008, 13:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayejaye

I do not understand debiting method. What does Billing 1/1 and 30/30 mean? Super Senza Scatto billing being 1/1.

This refers to the number of seconds per billing unit, with the first number being the initial unit and the second being subsequent units (it's common for them to be different). For example:

60/60 - Billed in round minutes. If you place a one-second call, you pay for a full minute. If you make a call that's one minute and one second long, you pay for two minutes. This is the most common billing method in the USA, for instance.

1/1 - Per-second billing. Your call price is calculated by the exact number of seconds, right from the beginning. If you make a one-second call, you only pay for one second. Make a 61-second call, you pay for 61 seconds (although both will obviously be rounded up to the nearest currency unit). This is the most common billing unit in Poland, for instance.

60/1 - Here, you pay for the first minute in full, no matter how long the call is, but if the call is longer than a minute, the call price is calculated by the number of seconds. If the call is one second, you pay for 60 seconds. If it's 61 seconds long, you pay for 61. This billing method is near ubiquitous in Germany. It's fine for longer calls, but a pain if you call a wrong number.

60/10 - Similar to above, except that after the first minute the price is rounded to the nearest 10 seconds.

10/10 - Billed to the nearest 10 seconds, no matter how long the call.

30/10 - Pay for the first half-minute in full, after that it's rounded to the nearest 10 seconds.

Etc. etc. Hope you get the idea...

fedeprovenza · 02-08-2008, 15:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayejaye

4)Friends, you think I'll have to wait a full 24hrs for my pre-paid SIM to be activated? Can I check my credit in English?

As I'm not really familiar with Italy's mobile network, I really hope you guys can help out and it's really much appreciated

A Million thanks!

Steve

normally sim is already activate. You can change language calling 4242 (free from Italy)

**AndreA** · 02-08-2008, 17:06

or *124*4242# free from abroad

wongnog · 23-09-2008, 13:16

somebody on howardforums told me that they "walked off the plane in Rome, went to the baggage claim and there was a WIND booth right there. They give you a free SIM on the spot with 5 euro credit. All you need to show is your passport. The codice fiscale business they will take care of for you. They didn't even mention it." Can anyone here confirm if this is true or not??? I thought it cost at least 10 Euro for a 5 euro credit SIM. I'm going on a cruise on Oct 13 that starts in Rome, so would like to pick up 2 sim cards for 2 family members with unlocked phones so we can keep in contact with each other if we go on separate excursions

BLC · **Free Wind Card -** 23-09-2008, 17:04

We switched to Wind last October and picked up a free Wind card with 5 euro of time on it at a phone shop in the new shopping center in Pescara. They only asked for a copy of my passport and didn't ask for my codice fiscale. I've had no problem recharging on their website with my Canadian Visa card.

**Effendi** · 24-09-2008, 13:10

I've no idea about this offer at Fiumicino airport, it could be some sort of promotion by Wind for foreigners. BTW 10€ is also not such a high cost for a prepaid card, but free is of course better. The codice fiscale is not a problem if you find a dealer who speaks English and knows what to do with foreigners, otherwise it's better to have one.

wongnog · 24-09-2008, 13:23

So while the "free" Wind card has 5 Euro credit on it, I read earlier in this thread that the default Wind plan is 8 Euro/month so you have to add 3 Euro to it in order for it to activate. I may be getting the details all wrong but could someone please enlighten me? Sounds like it will be easy for me to pick up a sim card when I arrive in Rome (I've already created my codice fiscale online) but then with all the prepaid Wind plan choices I'm left quite confused as to my actual costs...

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	(#61 (permalink))
Effendi (Offline) The great Dictator! Prepaid Prophet Posts: 2,330 Join Date: 13 Jan 2004 Location: Genova & Sarzana Country:	29-07-2008, 10:51 Super Senza Scatto is better, go with Wind and you should have no problems. Post offices can be very crowded and often close very early, expecially in summer. And workers there are not used to tourists and mobile cards... better to go to a Wind shop. Working Prepaids: IT: Wind, Vodafone IT, UNO Mobile; SM: Prima; UK: 3, Virgin; INT: TravelSIM, Truphone. Deceased Prepaids: CZ: Oskar, Eurotel; SK: Orange; DE: E-Plus, Aldi, Simyo; GE: Geocell; AM: Armentel; PL: Heyah, Plus; LT: Tele2; LV: Amigo; EE: Elisa; UA: Kyivstar; NZ: Vodafone; INT: UM, UM+, ICQSim. GSM/3G Phones: Nokia E71, HTC Wildfire

	(#62 (permalink))
fedeprovenza (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Expert Posts: 290 Join Date: 28 Jul 2007 Location: Garda lake (south-west) Country:	29-07-2008, 14:15 i've to add sim postemobile costs 15 euro, 5 more than wind one "Working" PrePaids: IT: Wind (3), Vodafone (4), 3 (1), CoopVoce (1), 1Mobile (2), Postemobile (1), A-mobile (1), Digitel (1)INT: UM+ (2, but almost died), Travelsim (1), 02 Irish (2) My best sim?--> Wind +39-328 My phones: Nokia 6101-Nokia 1110i

	(#63 (permalink))
kayejaye (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 2 Join Date: 27 Jul 2008 Country:	Thanks for Answering My Questions - 02-08-2008, 12:58 Hi Fedeprovenza, Effendi and Mpattera, I just want to express my sincere thanks and admiration for taking the time out to answer my questions. I think you guys have taught me a great deal and have definitely steered me towards getting a WIND Pre-Paid SIM Card Pack. Ok This is what I will do, I'll reach Treviso on 18th August and will be Italy till 24th August 1) I'll go get A WIND Pre-Paid SIM card. Any WIND offers currently? Mpattera mentioned a Summer Collection 5? I'm sorry, can anyone please help me elaborate on what's that exactly? Otherwise, what I saw on this website says I should get WIND's "My Personal SIM" pack which costs 10 Euros(5 Eu credit)? Is it easier to get the SIM card at the Treviso Airport or the Treviso Train station as I need to take a train to Portogruaro, or should I buy it in Portogruaro? 2)I do not understand debiting method. What does Billing 1/1 and 30/30 mean? Super Senza Scatto billing being 1/1. 3) I reside in Singapore so when I buy the SIM Card from the seller I should take Effendi's advice and get the seller to create a "Call My Country" option for free right? 4)Friends, you think I'll have to wait a full 24hrs for my pre-paid SIM to be activated? Can I check my credit in English? As I'm not really familiar with Italy's mobile network, I really hope you guys can help out and it's really much appreciated A Million thanks! Steve

	(#66 (permalink))
AndreA (Offline) Administrator Prepaid Genius Posts: 1,667 Join Date: 13 Jan 2004 Location: Florence, Italy Country:	02-08-2008, 17:06 or 1244242# free from abroad ANTPEAΣ AΠO THN ΦΛΩPENTIA My Phones: iPhone 2G, E65, N70, P910 DVB-H, A835, 6630, 7600, 6210, S55, T39 "Working" PrePaids: IT: Wind, H3G, Vodafone, Tim, CoopVoce, Poste Mobile, Telepass Mobile, Uno Mobile - CH: OrangeClick - RSM: Prima Easy - UK: O2, H3G - INT: United Mobile, TravelSim, ICQ SIM "Deceased" PrePaids: IT: Blu - AT: H3G - FR: Itineris - ES: Yoigo - GR: Cosmote, Frog - HR: Tele2 - UK: Virgin, Orange TO: UCall - NZ: Vodafone - IN: Hutch - CAN: Fido - USA: T-Mobile - INT: Travelfone, CallKey, Globalsim, HopMobile, GT, 09, Mobal, Yackiemobile ITALIAN TLC BLOG

	(#67 (permalink))
wongnog (Offline) Junior Member Amateur Member Posts: 10 Join Date: 23 Sep 2008 Country:	23-09-2008, 13:16 somebody on howardforums told me that they "walked off the plane in Rome, went to the baggage claim and there was a WIND booth right there. They give you a free SIM on the spot with 5 euro credit. All you need to show is your passport. The codice fiscale business they will take care of for you. They didn't even mention it." Can anyone here confirm if this is true or not??? I thought it cost at least 10 Euro for a 5 euro credit SIM. I'm going on a cruise on Oct 13 that starts in Rome, so would like to pick up 2 sim cards for 2 family members with unlocked phones so we can keep in contact with each other if we go on separate excursions

	(#68 (permalink))
BLC (Offline) Member Advanced Member Posts: 74 Join Date: 23 Sep 2008 Location: Canada & Italy Country:	Free Wind Card - 23-09-2008, 17:04 We switched to Wind last October and picked up a free Wind card with 5 euro of time on it at a phone shop in the new shopping center in Pescara. They only asked for a copy of my passport and didn't ask for my codice fiscale. I've had no problem recharging on their website with my Canadian Visa card.

	(#69 (permalink))
Effendi (Offline) The great Dictator! Prepaid Prophet Posts: 2,330 Join Date: 13 Jan 2004 Location: Genova & Sarzana Country:	24-09-2008, 13:10 I've no idea about this offer at Fiumicino airport, it could be some sort of promotion by Wind for foreigners. BTW 10€ is also not such a high cost for a prepaid card, but free is of course better. The codice fiscale is not a problem if you find a dealer who speaks English and knows what to do with foreigners, otherwise it's better to have one. Working Prepaids: IT: Wind, Vodafone IT, UNO Mobile; SM: Prima; UK: 3, Virgin; INT: TravelSIM, Truphone. Deceased Prepaids: CZ: Oskar, Eurotel; SK: Orange; DE: E-Plus, Aldi, Simyo; GE: Geocell; AM: Armentel; PL: Heyah, Plus; LT: Tele2; LV: Amigo; EE: Elisa; UA: Kyivstar; NZ: Vodafone; INT: UM, UM+, ICQSim. GSM/3G Phones: Nokia E71, HTC Wildfire

	(#70 (permalink))
wongnog (Offline) Junior Member Amateur Member Posts: 10 Join Date: 23 Sep 2008 Country:	24-09-2008, 13:23 So while the "free" Wind card has 5 Euro credit on it, I read earlier in this thread that the default Wind plan is 8 Euro/month so you have to add 3 Euro to it in order for it to activate. I may be getting the details all wrong but could someone please enlighten me? Sounds like it will be easy for me to pick up a sim card when I arrive in Rome (I've already created my codice fiscale online) but then with all the prepaid Wind plan choices I'm left quite confused as to my actual costs...