I am writing this update for anyone who happens to be Googling for information on obtaining a prepaid cell phone plan in Chile and Argentina in the hopes that it will save them some time. I would have loved to have this information at the start of my trip.
Since I planned to be in Chile and Argentina for a while, I figured it would be handy to have mobile phone and data services. I sought out pay-as-you-go SIM cards in both countries. I expected it would be a straightforward process. However, with my non-existent Spanish, it was more challenging than anticipated. The process for obtaining and recharging the plan in the two countries was quite different, with one of them conforming to my expectations and the other befuddling them.
Chile
Santiago, my first destination in South America was where my SIM quest began. On my first day I headed to the closest, biggest mall figuring that was my best bet. I went to one of the cell provider’s (Movistar) store asking for a ‘tarjeta SIM prepago.’ No, no, apparently they didn’t sell them. I was confused. They pointed at a little store across the way that carried cell phone cases. I asked at that store. Nope, they didn’t have any either.
I walked around, eventually ended up in a large department store, Falabella, that carried cell phones. I asked. Yes, but only Virgin Mobile. The guy spoke very little English and I very little Spanish. We spent some time trying to discuss the details of the plan, how many included credits, how many months. Apparently it was rebranded Movistar so I shouldn’t have anything to worry about as it was the most popular network. I paid for the card and the clerk helped me cut it down to micro size and activate. It wasn’t working. UGH. It looked like voice was up but there was no data — the APN for data was not there and wouldn’t save even if entered manually. He pointed at my phone, indicating that was the problem. I wasn’t convinced. I’d used Roam Mobile just fine in the US so I could definitely use SIMs from other networks in my unlocked phone. The SIM card box was open, the clerk wouldn’t take it back, I couldn’t argue in Spanish, I was going to have to call Virgin’s support. The support line was obviously in Spanish. I asked for an English speaker, was put on hold, call dropped. Screw it, dinner time.
The next morning I went out on a quest for a different SIM card. The other options were Entel and Claro. I’d done a bit of research on my issue and found one other person that had problems with an unlocked foreign phone on Movistar (equivalent to Virgin network) but had no issues with Entel. I ran across an Entel store, took a number, and waited for the poor staff member that got stuck with the gringo. As with Movistar, they said they didn’t carry prepaid cards. They pointed down the street. I wandered in that direction into an internet café. I saw what I was looking for on the wall — a CD case sized package with Entel’s logo on it. I pointed at it and confirmed that it was a ‘tarjeta SIM prepago”. I smiled at the lady, batted my eyelashes, and asked if she’d ‘activar para mí’. ‘Sí, está bien.’ We installed the card, called the number on the package, and she punched in a few sequences of numbers and then handed the phone back to me. The signal bars lit up and the HSPA symbol lit up. Finally, in business!
Back at my hotel, I discovered that the adventure wasn’t quite over. In order to get data fully working to the internet (not limited to Entel.cl) I had to go online and purchase a ‘data bag’ (bolsa) using Entel’s website. I tried logging in but the website demanded a RUT (Chilean SIN number). Crap! What RUT did she use? I assume it wasn’t her own. I tried some random numbers with no luck. Google time. I found a message in a forum; there is a generic RUT that passes the internal validation check ‘33444111-3’. It worked! I got into the website and purchased a voice, text, and data bag with my credits. Facebook and Gmail notifications littered my screen.
Within a day I realized I’d need more credits. The final part of the quest — find a store that recharges Entel. Pharmacies, corner stores, supermarkets, and some gas stations are apparently the best places to recharge. I have no idea why they aren’t also the best places to buy the prepaid SIM package in the first place?
When in Chile:
- Movistar, Entel, Claro, and Virgin (Movistar) are the most common operators. Virgin didn’t work in my unlocked Motorola RAZR HD for Fido/Rogers network (APN wasn’t saving/loading). Entel worked great.
- Buy the SIM at a department store, internet café, or some other (typically) tech oriented store. The network operator’s stores didn’t sell them. I’ve heard there are stores/kiosks in the airport that do as well. Many of the places that recharge prepaid plans do not actually sell the SIM cards. Confusing!
- If you’re Spanish isn’t good, ask someone to help you activate the card as you’ll have to dial into a Spanish line. I believe a RUT (their SIN equivalent) is required by most/all operators. A generic one ‘33444111-3’ may work.
- Use the RUT, your number, and a password that gets texted to you to login to the network operator’s website to manage your credits and active features.
- The SIM usually comes with some credits but you’ll need to add more. I found pharmacies and corner stores were the easiest to find.
Argentina
When it was time to switch to an Argentinian SIM I was expecting to go through the same process as in Chile. I went to an internet café. No SIM cards. I went to a corner store, they recharge but no card. Go to the Movistar store they said. Err, okay.
Remembering my bad experience with (rebranded) Movistar, I ended up in a Claro store instead. I waited for my number to be called and went up to the desk. I pointed at my phone and asked for a prepaid SIM card. ‘Pasaporte por favor.’ Within 10 minutes they’d jotted down my details from the passport in their system, provided a SIM, cut it to size, installed in the phone, provisioned on their network, and verified functionality for 10 pesos ($1-2 depending on which exchange rate you use). They explained that I needed to find a store that did ‘recarga virtual’ to add credits and I was off. Recharge stores were also different from Chile. I got turned away at a pharmacy but a nearby corner store worked.
When in Argentina:
- The main network operators are Movistar, Claro, and Personal. I used Claro.
- Go to the network operator’s store to get a prepaid SIM card. They will ask for your passport and provision/activate for you with your phone.
- You can do a ‘virtual recharge’ to add more credit to your account at supporting stores. I found corner stores/minimarkets that have a pago/recarga logo of some sort displayed in a window or near the till to be the best bet. You can supposedly also buy fixed value cards with a serial # you can text to the provider to add credit. I didn’t see any of these but didn’t look very hard.
