# PAYG Spanish sims.



## SunBunny (Sep 29, 2012)

Hola.

I'll be going to Spain next week and first (almost) port of call whilst I'm there will be to buy a Spanish Pay As You Go sim card.

The last time I was in Spain I remember that all the various mobile phone companies were pretty expensive compared to the UK - and did such things as charge you to check your balance (WTF?) etc.

Has anything changed? Does anybody know of a decent PAYG sim card/company and or any deals at the moment.
I'll mostly be texting and ideally don't want to be with one of those companies that 'steals your credit' if you don't use it all up within the month.

Well here's hoping. Thanks.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

we've been with Movistar ever since we've been here (almost 4 years) and have no complaints. WE got 2 PAYG phones each with its own SIM each with €10 credit on them for €28, we only have to top up once every six months.

Remember that Spanish mobile phone companies can't tag your phone so that you have to get their permission to use your phone on another network.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> we've been with Movistar ever since we've been here (almost 4 years) and have no complaints. WE got 2 PAYG phones each with its own SIM each with €10 credit on them for €28, we only have to top up once every six months.
> 
> Remember that Spanish mobile phone companies can't tag your phone so that you have to get their permission to use your phone on another network.




What does that actually mean - in English?


Phones are 'locked' to a particular company - to use someone elses SIM card, they have to be 'unlocked'. 

To my knowledge, no permission will be granted unless you mean 'roaming' whilst abroad. In this case, you don't ask for permission - simply ask them to lift this particular 'bar'.



Otherwise, I agree - Movistar are great. I think we paid 12 euros for a 'brick' (really basic phone) with 10 euros credit on it. You will, of course, have to show your passport to get one.


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## donz (May 5, 2010)

my pal uses Yoigo - pretty cheap and no issues as far as I am aware


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> What does that actually mean - in English?
> 
> 
> Phones are 'locked' to a particular company - to use someone elses SIM card, they have to be 'unlocked'.
> ...


"_Phones are 'locked' to a particular company - to use someone elses SIM card, they have to be 'unlocked'._ " in UK? yes but in Spain? NO - they aren't allowed to do that here


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## amy24 (Sep 25, 2012)

Spanish payg is quite reasonable now. however, if you plan to keep in contact with the uk then i'd recommend using an english payg phone also. sending and receiving messages from uk phones is very expensive. I made the mistake of giving friends back home my spanish number when i first got it!


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> "_Phones are 'locked' to a particular company - to use someone elses SIM card, they have to be 'unlocked'._ " in UK? yes but in Spain? NO - they aren't allowed to do that here



Sorry but that's simply not true.


We have had several phones unlocked - once we rang Vodaphone and asked for a code. A few days later we had an unlocked phone which could be used on any network.


On other occasions we have has phones unlocked by taking them to someone at an open market - the Spanish do it all the time.


If it were not allowed, then why do the mobile operators offer this service?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

when we first got our mobile phones we asked about it because we considered that we might want to use a UK SIM in our Spanish phone and were told not to worry since they don't tie the phone to a company here, it is illegal!

The old story of one says, another says the opposite


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## nigele2 (Dec 25, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> when we first got our mobile phones we asked about it because we considered that we might want to use a UK SIM in our Spanish phone and were told not to worry since they don't tie the phone to a company here, it is illegal!
> 
> The old story of one says, another says the opposite


_In 1998, the Spanish telecom regulator, Comisión del Mercado de las Telecomunicaciones, saw that Spanish mobile carriers already provided unlocking codes voluntarily for a fee within the first 12 months and for free after 12 months, so CMT decided not to put any legal framework in Spain. CMT has not revisited this decision since then, therefore there are no SIM-locking laws in Spain._

That Wiki's latest but I believe spanish law says that you must be the legal owner of the phone - but ..........................


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

Can you just buy a SIM? 

If so all the phone lock/unlock isn't a big issue. Unlocked phones are easy enough to buy in Europe. You end up paying the full price of the phone but at least you can pick the best offer.

Locked phones usually mean the company pays for the phone and you pay more each month.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

nigele2 said:


> _In 1998, the Spanish telecom regulator, Comisión del Mercado de las Telecomunicaciones, saw that Spanish mobile carriers already provided unlocking codes voluntarily for a fee within the first 12 months and for free after 12 months, so CMT decided not to put any legal framework in Spain. CMT has not revisited this decision since then, therefore there are no SIM-locking laws in Spain._
> 
> That Wiki's latest but I believe spanish law says that you must be the legal owner of the phone - but ..........................




Whilst this might be the rule, it's not what happens in practice. In my experience, you can't get a code without paying for it - no matter when you ask!


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## mayotom (Nov 8, 2008)

NickZ said:


> Can you just buy a SIM?
> 
> If so all the phone lock/unlock isn't a big issue. Unlocked phones are easy enough to buy in Europe. You end up paying the full price of the phone but at least you can pick the best offer.
> 
> Locked phones usually mean the company pays for the phone and you pay more each month.


Yes of course you can just buy a sim


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## SunBunny (Sep 29, 2012)

Hello again. 

Seems this thread has gone off track slightly. I don't need to unlock a phone as the cheapo phone I already have is already unlocked and any sim card should work in it.

So I should only need to buy a sim card in Spain and ideally with a company where I don't need to "top-up or lose all your credit" by a certain date.

I've seen Lebara advertised all over the place. Anyone used them?


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## SunBunny (Sep 29, 2012)

donz said:


> my pal uses Yoigo - pretty cheap and no issues as far as I am aware


I thought Yoigo were one of the companies that 'steal credit' every month regardless of whether you use it or not.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

SunBunny said:


> I thought Yoigo were one of the companies that 'steal credit' every month regardless of whether you use it or not.


I use Yoigo. I have a contract for 6 euros a month and calls are 8 cents a minute, including international calls. I've never gone over my 6 euro allowance; even in the UK the roaming charge is only 17 cents a minute.

They offer PAYG sim cards for 20 euros, including 20 euros worth of credit. If you use less than 6 euros a month you pay a higher call rate, but they don't "steal credit".


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> we've been with Movistar ever since we've been here (almost 4 years) and have no complaints. WE got 2 PAYG phones each with its own SIM each with €10 credit on them for €28, we only have to top up once every six months.
> 
> Remember that Spanish mobile phone companies can't tag your phone so that you have to get their permission to use your phone on another network.


Yes but do you call anyone on them ?, as that credit will vanish after a few calls.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

playamonte said:


> Yes but do you call anyone on them ?, as that credit will vanish after a few calls.


Not true - we've not yet lost any credit.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

playamonte said:


> Yes but do you call anyone on them ?, as that credit will vanish after a few calls.


I don't make many calls anyway, but have never lost my credit yet.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

I was hinting at the cost of calls, not the credit being taken away.


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## SunBunny (Sep 29, 2012)

Regarding the Movistar. Considering you bought your phones/sims a long while back, it's unlikely the same 'offer' will apply, right? 

Anyone heard of these guys? *simyo*


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## SunBunny (Sep 29, 2012)

Simyo:

From what I understand the sim is 8,95 € with 10 € of credit. 

No monthly fee or minimum consumption.

Spanish sms 11c, International sms 19c (rounded up as it's impossible to pay a % of a cent).

How does that compare to others?


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## spanish_lad (Sep 18, 2012)

mayotom said:


> Yes of course you can just buy a sim


you can buy a sim for 20€ or ou can buy a phone and sim for 19e  

buy the phone and then sell it for 15€ lol


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## sadlybroke (Jun 19, 2012)

I have Yoigo now with 500 MB data per month (plus an option to top it up by 300 MB for 5 euros - you can do it twice in a month). The way they charge is in my opinion not very transparent... I top it up by 10 euros and then get a text sying that my credit is now a little over 8 euros... How come??? There is a minimum spend of 6 or 8 euros per month... It is quite confusing.

Simyo seems to be much more straightforward, I am thinking of switching to them. They are online so you need to have an address to receive the sim card by post.

My wife has Happy Movile (virtual network owned by Phone House = Carphone Warehouse). We were told there is no mandatory minimum spend and that it is very cheap to call UK but we never bothered to check it


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

sadlybroke said:


> I have Yoigo now with 500 MB data per month (plus an option to top it up by 300 MB for 5 euros - you can do it twice in a month). The way they charge is in my opinion not very transparent... I top it up by 10 euros and then get a text sying that my credit is now a little over 8 euros... How come??? There is a minimum spend of 6 or 8 euros per month... It is quite confusing.


I just glanced at Yoigo. If I understand 500MB at full speed then they slow you down. So you only need to pay the extra €5 if you want full speed. The €8 is without IVA/VAT. Consumers would be paying 9.68 not 8.


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## sadlybroke (Jun 19, 2012)

NickZ said:


> I just glanced at Yoigo. If I understand 500MB at full speed then they slow you down. So you only need to pay the extra €5 if you want full speed.


If you pay 5 euros, you will get 300 MB. You can do it just twice in a month though. The slow speed is good enough for checking emails, syncing the smartphone, etc... not good enough for browsing.


NickZ said:


> The €8 is without IVA/VAT. Consumers would be paying 9.68 not 8.


I see, it makes sense now.


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## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

Why dont you just download VIBER OR WHATS APP on your smartphone 
Then call anyone that has the app for free calls free and text free 
Works on all smartphones and saves a packet


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## SunBunny (Sep 29, 2012)

tonyinspain said:


> Why dont you just download VIBER OR WHATS APP on your smartphone
> Then call anyone that has the app for free calls free and text free
> Works on all smartphones and saves a packet


I'm pobrecito. I don't have an Iphone, just a $10 patata.


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## SunBunny (Sep 29, 2012)

NickZ said:


> The €8 is without IVA/VAT. Consumers would be paying 9.68 not 8.


I've noticed that advertising prices (before VAT) is a sneaky thing they do here in Spain.


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## SunBunny (Sep 29, 2012)

sadlybroke said:


> I have Yoigo now with 500 MB data per month (plus an option to top it up by 300 MB for 5 euros - you can do it twice in a month). The way they charge is in my opinion not very transparent... I top it up by 10 euros and then get a text sying that my credit is now a little over 8 euros... How come??? There is a minimum spend of 6 or 8 euros per month... It is quite confusing.
> 
> Simyo seems to be much more straightforward, I am thinking of switching to them. They are online so you need to have an address to receive the sim card by post.
> 
> My wife has Happy Movile (virtual network owned by Phone House = Carphone Warehouse). We were told there is no mandatory minimum spend and that it is very cheap to call UK but we never bothered to check it


I ordered a Lebara sim on the net, as it was the only one you didn't have to pay for in advance. The call connection charge of 29c seems like a rip-off, but if you charge up the sim by 10e you get 20e credit.....so for a month it will probably work out the same as any other company.

I went to a phone stall by the port and they wanted 30e for a Yoigo sim with just 10e credit. QUE MAL! Also a 'friend' I met in a hostal bought a Yoigo sim and said he wants to change company already as it often doesn't work.

Gonna look into buying a simyo too.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

SunBunny said:


> I've noticed that advertising prices (before VAT) is a sneaky thing they do here in Spain.


You have been cushioned in UK where prices are required, by law, to be inclusive. In the rest of the world pretax prices are quite often the norm which can often make the final bill a bit of a shock.

In Spain always look for the P.V.P. price which should be inclusive.


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

I think with that carrier the issue is the different tax rates in different regions.


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