For an itty-bitty chip, SIM cards sure do have a lot of power. Here’s all you need to know about using a prepaid SIM card on your device.
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Is there a difference if my phone is unlocked vs. locked?
What's a prepaid SIM card?
A prepaid SIM card allows you to pay for a carrier's service upfront — by having it ready to go with a certain amount. A postpaid SIM card is tied to a carrier's plan and is billed to you monthly, depending on your usage.
In short, prepaid SIM cards operate much like a debit card or a metro card — your usage depends on how much money you have on the card.
Is there a difference if my phone is unlocked vs. locked?
In theory, prepaid SIM cards can be used on unlocked phones since they’re not tied to a specific carrier. Just purchase a prepaid SIM card from the carrier of your choice and pop it into your refurbished phone.
Phones that are locked to a single carrier won’t work using a prepaid SIM card.
What SIM size should I use?
Don't forget that SIM cards come in different sizes ranging from standard to micro to nano.
The size of the SIM card you'll need to purchase for your phone depends on the model and year it was released. The nano-sized SIM card is the most recent, and today it’s the most widely used, so chances are your phone will require this size.
When in doubt, it's best to check with the carrier you plan to purchase the SIM card from to ensure its compatibility with your refurbished device.