Buying Mobile Broadband Prepaid Card at Hong Kong Airport

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If you need your iPhone as much as I do in Hong Kong, and don’t wish to pay a lot of money for mobile broadband services for the surfing of websites (hopefully mine to get directions :)) and updating your ever lovely status in Facebook, then you will need to buy a prepaid mobile broadband card in Hong Kong. It is cheap and worth every cent. And I suggest to do so in the airport. Why so ? I found the service to be so good and once you are done, almost immediately you have internet (and SMS and phone calls) access at the airport to start your pleasant stay in HK (usually the first thing is to do a CHECK IN at your Facebook or FourSquare, right.. followed by a photo of the Airport Express train..haha).

There is no need to wait till you get to town. Not much savings and besides, due to language reasons, it is also good to get at the airport rather than downtown… I recommended the 1010 store as I have personally used it…. The service at 1010 store was good.. they removed my original nano SIM card and replaced it with their 1010 nano SIM card, activate the 1010 prepaid card for me and then nicely put back my original SIM card back to the 1010 SIM card holder with a sticky tape to make sure I don’t lose it.. wow… Hong Kong Service Culture ROCKS ! 🙂

Hong Kong Mobile Broadband Prepaid Card

There are 2 disadvantages. Firstly, you don’t have your own phone number back in Singapore to use in Hong Kong. You will be using the phone number of the prepaid card… If you die die die must have your own number, then use services like Singtel Bridge Dataroam (depending on package, it can cost SGD 20 per day !)… the other is that you must take a slight detour when you arrived as the shops are not at the arrival hall.

When you arrived at the airport, you are at the arrival hall (of course….). However, the stores selling the prepaid phone cards are at the departure hall (does not make sense to me even… why at the departure hall and not arrival hall.. probably to cater to Hong Kong people leaving the country so they have packages for them too). Anyway, after you collected your bags and cleared customs and got out of the custom gate, take the escalator or lift and get yourself UP to the arrival floor. In the middle of the arrival hall, nearest to the gates where tourists will leave the country (i.e show the passport to the police guarding the gates), there will be TWO stores selling prepaid card. I used the 1010 store but you can always use the other one (3 Hong Kong.. which is equally good according to netizens)…

The 1010 store at Hong Kong Airport Terminal 1
Departures Check-in Hall, Level 7
Non-restricted Area
07:00 – 23:00
2261 0812

Notice the opening hours ? It opens at 7am. Early and nice except for me, I arrived at 5 am one time ! 🙂 See photos of the shop CLOSED 🙂

Hong Kong Mobile Broadband Prepaid Card
Hong Kong Mobile Broadband Prepaid Card

Oh.. it cost me HKD 100 only for the iPhone 5 SIM card with enough for the 5 days I was there, surfing every day, checking status and uploading photos to Facebook etc…. I did used up the overseas SMS due to the need to contact a colleague back home… 🙂

Different types available:
Hong Kong Mobile Broadband Prepaid Card

The only I got:
Hong Kong Mobile Broadband Prepaid Card

Hong Kong Mobile Broadband Prepaid Card

Hong Kong Mobile Broadband Prepaid Card

Hong Kong number and a sweet thoughtful gesture of fixing the original Singtel SIM card to the holder to avoid losing it..
Hong Kong Mobile Broadband Prepaid Card

Hong Kong Mobile Broadband Prepaid Card

[Update at at September 2014] : In this trip to HK, I got both iPhone 4 and iPhone 5S SIM Cards at the 7 eleven shop at the arrival hall…. however, you will need to put the SIM Card in yourself (easy part) and activate it yourself (the harder part).

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39 Comments

  1. Hihi. Can I ask if u purchase a prepaid card at the 1010 shop in hk, will they ask u to leave down ur personal particulars? Becos I’m not really psyed about leaving my details overseas. Thanks in advance!

  2. Hi, would you know if they also have regular sized sim? I intend to put the sim into my mobile wifi gadget 🙂 thanks!

  3. I’m using samsung note ii.
    Prepaid cards r available only in airport?
    How do I activate?
    If I’m gt $78, how much of data acess m I given?

    Thanks

    • Prepaid cards are available all over hong kong and in many shops. The one in airport is good as it is the first thing you can grab in hong kong and they speak english which is also good. They will activate for you too…

  4. Can this be used for iphones? coz on the package it says it’s made especially for blackberrys? also, how many access does this $100 give you? as i’m wanting the 30 days one but not sure if i’d have to buy a different one or just top up after etc?

    • Yes I used with my iPhone

      $100 last me about 4-5 days… If u need longer, u can top up by using the instructions on the pack. Check with the counter.

  5. I need to activated may blackberry or at least may note tablet, do they have the package or should i only ask and they will explain and give me everything i want?

    Thanks

    • I think you should tell them what you want.. they are very good at explaining and I am sure you can get what you need 🙂

  6. Hi, thanks for the post and the pictures. You got the $100 mobile broadband one correct? Do you only get 2g (edge) speed? I believe one2free also offer a 3G speed one and that is the Power Prepaid one correct? I’m going to travel to HK in two weeks so I want to know ahead. Thanks.

  7. Hi, thanks for the detailed info! Is it necessary to unlock the iphone5 before we can use the prepaid sim? Bcos i read that our local service provider has locked the iphone.

    • Mmm doubt so.. cause I am with Singtel and I got my phone with Singtel. I never have to unlock … not sure if i am special.. just change the SIM card only 🙂

  8. I came across your webpage when I searching for info on buying phonecard upon arriving in HK. I’m so glad to read your post and it really helped a lot! Thank you so much for all the info you provided! Yes, I agree HK service culture rox, especially to the 1010 staff, Mona, who helped me changed my phone card so swiftly it took less than 1 minute!

  9. I got the $100 On2Free sim – it was no good. Could you use the internet – no sms or calls – and 1010 in Kowloon were not helpful.

  10. I can relate to your situation for I had jus returned. Bought the Power Prepaid HKD88 in prev trip & it works well. This visit bought a Recharge Voucher from the airport’s convenient store and cannot use the data. Call their Hotline & realized gotta called certain number to make our selection for the HKD100 Recharge Voucher either for 4 days, 7 days usage etc. After the activation then it works :0

  11. Hey! I want SIM in order to surf (Internet) for 3 GB . Do I need to buy the same SIM as you did? And Is this SIM can be useful also for china? I need sim for 1 month. thanks !

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