7 Things to Consider Before Buying Your Canadian SIM

This guide highlights seven key questions you should ask before settling on a phone provider and plan in Canada.   

Why do You Need a Canadian Phone Number? 

Whether you’re making a longer-term move to Canada or just visiting, a Canadian phone number can make your life much easier. It can help you get important documents by providing proof of your Canadian address. Plus, it’s essential if you want to connect with locals and employers in Canada who might not want to text or call international numbers.   

Here’s an overview of all the benefits of getting a Canadian phone number:   

• Your phone bill can be used to provide proof of address for your Social Insurance Number (SIN) and Provincial Health Card.   

• Banks and the Canada Revenue Agency will require a local number for security purposes, including sending one-time passwords.   

• It can make you a more attractive candidate to employers, since an international number may flag concerns with employers who want employees who will stay with the company longer term.   

• Those who chose a post-paid plan can start building a credit score in Canada, which is crucial for financial actions like renting homes, securing loans, or obtaining favourable interest rates.   

7 Things to Consider Before Buying Your Canadian SIM

We recommend considering these 7 things before buying your Canadian SIM:

When does your SIM arrive?

Do you want to be able to connect in Canada as soon as you land? Imagine touching down on the tarmac, switching airplane mode off, and your phone (with CanadianSIM) finding the local signal and giving you instant access to maps, messages to and from your loved ones, and more.

If this sounds good to you, you’ll need to choose a provider that offers:

• Local delivery of CanadianSIM in your country; or
• Airport pickup of CanadianSIM that was pre-purchased; or
• eSIM plans that cater to people who are outside Canada at the time of purchase.

eSIM plans are also convenient for those who have arrived in Canada and want a local SIM, but don’t want to go to a physical store to buy one or wait for one to arrive by mail. But, you will be able to get a better deal if you buy your plan before you land in Canada. Providers that specialise in newcomer phone plans, like CanadianSIM, offer pre-arrival plans at prices that aren’t available locally in Canada.

How much does it cost?

Phone plans in Canada are more expensive than in some other countries, like Australia and the UK, so be prepared for a bit of sticker shock if you come from a country with very low telecommunications costs. On the other hand, phone plans in Canada are often lower than what you see in the USA and Japan.

Regardless, the trick with the cost consideration is balancing what you need with the cost of the plan. Some good news is the average costs for phone plans in Canada have been dropping in recent years. Today, if you know where to look, you can get plans like an unlimited Canada-wide calling and data plan with national coverage and 1000 international minutes to select countries for $40 per month with CanadianSIM. (Though, the average for this level of coverage is $69.19. So, you save almost $30 per month with a CanadianSIM plan!)

Another important cost consideration is fees. Some providers charge a fee for, well, almost anything. You might see activation fees or contract cancellation fees (where you sign up for a set period, often 24 months, to then have to pay a large fee to cancel the plan). We are seeing some plans that skip these fees altogether, and we suggest keeping an eye out for those.

Oh – and remember, whatever the cost of the plan you choose, it will have taxes added on your bill. These vary between provinces and territories. You might also see a e911-fee on your bill each month (this is the norm actually, but Ontario and BC don’t charge this fee).

What’s your data allowance?

The reality is that you might use more data in your first few months in Canada than you will down the road. You’ll likely rely more on your social network in your home country than you will once you’ve settled and found a community in Canada. Plus, you’ll need maps more often, and information about the best restaurants, gyms, libraries, grocery stores, car dealers, insurance companies, and so on. All of this requires data. So, your data allowance is a major consideration.

We like plans with generous data inclusions (such as CanadianSIM‘s plans with 100+ GB per month on the 5G network, or even higher). These plans mean we never have to think twice about picking up that FaceTime or WhatsApp call from our family or friends abroad.

And we’re also seeing plans that offer unlimited data at lower speeds. This means that you get your first, say, 100GB at 5G speeds and then, if you use all that data, you have unlimited data for no additional cost on the 4G network. Surprise overage charges are a stressor we find most newcomers would prefer to avoid, so we’re fans of plans that don’t charge for data overages.

What’s your local calling allowance?

Most plans available today offer Canada-wide calling allowances, but it’s still something to keep an eye on. We suggest researching to make sure that coverage is Canada-wide and that you can call Canada-wide without incurring long-distance charges.

But not all plans in Canada offer unlimited Canada-wide calls. There are some very low-cost plans (think $15-$20 monthly) that have limits to in-Canada calls. Often this sits around the 100-minute mark. Data allowances for these plans are also typically very low, around the 500MB mark (which gets you around 250 streamed songs). These call and data limits can be challenging for newcomers who will likely spend some time making calls to get set up with essential services in Canada, as well as potential employers who might do phone screening interviews.

Once you get beyond the ultra-low-cost phone plans, most providers offer unlimited, Canada-wide calling without additional monthly fees. But, again, it’s helpful to check your plan so you know what your allowance is each month.

What are the costs for international calls?

We are really loving the more recent trend of phone providers including call minutes to select countries in their plan. While online calling is great, it is so convenient to be able to call and text ‘as usual’ to numbers in your home country without incurring additional charges.

Many of the plans by CanadianSIM, for example, offer 1000 minutes each month to select countries, including Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom. These plans also include unlimited international texting.

Finally, we’re also seeing more plans offering cross-border plans with the United States. These plans include unlimited calls to the USA, plus data-roaming between the US and Canada.

This is a perk for anyone who regularly travels to the USA and wants seamless coverage, but it’s also really helpful for those who live close to the US border. Once you’re within a few kilometers of the border, you risk accidentally using towers in the USA, which can result in an unwelcome surprise on your phone bill. You may also call a US number of someone in Canada without knowing that person has a US number, as both countries use the +1 international dialling code. Doing this regularly can rack up a hefty bill quickly. A plan that covers the US and Canada means you won’t pay extra if any of this happens.

Does your plan include Caller ID and voicemail? (So you can avoid scams more easily)

Caller ID and voicemail are valuable features for newcomers who want to avoid scams in Canada. There are two reasons for this:

• Scammers often avoid leaving voicemails. This is because scammers rely on high pressure tactics that don’t work via voicemail. (And sending scam calls to voicemail can even reduce the number of scam calls you get!)
• You can fact check the details of scammers that do leave a voicemail. For example, let’s say someone calls you and pretends to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and leaves a phone number for you to call back. What you can do is search online for a call verification method. For the CRA, you can use this ‘verify a CRA call’ tool (for free) to make sure it was the CRA calling you and not a scammer.

In fact, we suggest letting almost all calls that you aren’t expecting from government departments, banks, postal services, and other organisations go to voicemail and calling them back if they leave a message and you can verify the details.

For everything else, just delete the scam voicemail and move on.

Do you need to build your credit?

For many newcomers, a post-paid phone plan is one of the first credit building accounts they open.

If you’re looking to stay in Canada long term, building a good credit score is essential. It can help you secure a rental property and, eventually, a mortgage, as well as getting better rates on car loans, personal loans, and other credit.

Check All The Boxes With CanadianSIM

CanadianSIM offers newcomers phone plans with the following included as standard:

• No cancellation fees and no contracts, so it doesn’t cost you hundreds of dollars to cancel.
• 1000 International minutes, unlimited Canada-wide calling, and plans that cover Canada and the USA.
• Unlimited international texting.
• Caller ID and voicemail, for no extra cost.
• Unlimited data allowances, so no charges for using extra data (you’ll just use a slower network if you go over your allowance).
• Free doorstop delivery of your SIM in certain countries — and eSIM availability, so you can connect when you land.
• Post-paid plans that help you build your credit history in Canada.

Step into Canada fully connected. Your SIM card, your way! Get started with CanadianSIM