I keep a running list of SIM and eSIM options, mostly for registering online services, but so far I haven’t bought or used any of them. The appeal is not everyday phone service. It’s having a number that can receive a verification code when a site asks for one, then sit quietly until the next time.
Skinny in New Zealand came up first. Recharging it through a travel platform on Fliggy is apparently possible, with top-ups and data packages credited within 24 hours. An empty card is 120, which feels expensive; if someone can bring it back in person, the price is better. The interesting part is a friend’s claim: before the card expires, two people can transfer NZD 1 of balance to each other and each gets another 12 months. That would be zero-cost number parking. I haven’t verified it.
ESIM Plus Mobile is another note. It costs about EUR 3 for 500 MB, has no expiry date, and doesn’t require real-name registration. Comments on Bilibili were unsure whether it can receive SMS. I found it in the iOS app market.
One NZ prepaid plans have low costs for the first two years—around NZD 2.3—but the cost of keeping the number later is high.
Then there’s giffgaff. A £10 top-up gives 25 years of validity. Ordinary mail delivery to mainland China is free, and you can request more than one card. Sending an SMS costs £0.3; receiving is free. The signal seems poor, though. One note says it worked normally and could receive SMS at first, but now cannot, even though the card shows signal. They were asking if anyone knew why. Another puzzle: the card can receive SMS from a mainland Chinese number, but when they reply to that number, the message appears to send, the fee is deducted, and the mainland number doesn’t receive it. The number format was correct, and they were replying directly to the received message.
Mostly these cards would be for signing up for various services. In practice, many services get used for a while and then abandoned or forgotten. Few are truly essential. My password manager has records for far too many sites, but I probably use fewer than ten regularly.
If there are better options, I’d be glad to hear them. Not having registered for more of them still feels like I’m missing something. The main obstacle is cost. If something is free, it’s fine whether it’s good or bad.