Where can you buy a straight talk sim card

I know that reception will not always be great depending where you are going and if you are on T-mobile or AT & T.

We are starting out inSan Francisco and are heading out for a tour of the following national parks;

Yosemite

Yellowstone

Grand Teton

Bryce

Zion

Grand Canyon north rim

And we will also visit Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and then drive High Way 1 back up to SF. I KNOW it's a big area and that reception will be more likely to non in Yosemite for example.

But what would you recommend for our month long trip?

I'd like to use my phone as a Hotspot if possible too.

Thanks for any input on what plan we should go with or any helpful tips you might have concerning this. I'll buy the card in SF as we will start our trip there so any advises where to go would be great.

Thanks in advance!

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Madeleine M

San Francisco

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1. Re: Where to buy a data-sim card like Cricket, Straight talk?

6 years ago

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Cricket doesn't have their own network, they use AT&Ts.

The guy at the Apple store told me T-Mobile had better cell coverage while AT&T was better for data. Probably worth a grain of salt but I pass it along.

Most importantly, a lot of places you're going there simply isn't cell service. Be sure to have good maps, either paper or downloaded to your phone.

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belomiser

San Francisco...

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2. Re: Where to buy a data-sim card like Cricket, Straight talk?

6 years ago

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We recommend going straight with att or Tmobile instead of cricket or straight talk I guess if you want those two. Check Walgreens Best Buy target cvs

But nothing beats going to an At&t store or Tmobile store getting it all setup and leaving

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Maja78

Sweden

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3. Re: Where to buy a data-sim card like Cricket, Straight talk?

6 years ago

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WhiteDahlia: we have a GPS with us for that, or won't that work either? With that recommendation we sure would need to go with AT & T:S network as data is what's we need most.

Belomiser: Cricket and Staright talk are both on AT & T, so what's the difference comparing to AT & T?

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chinita415

Santa Clara...

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4. Re: Where to buy a data-sim card like Cricket, Straight talk?

6 years ago

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It's mostly customer service issues with Cricket vs AT&T. As long as Cricket is on the AT&T network you may be ok. There are actual Cricket Mobile stores as well. Not so for Straight Talk as far as I know.

You will have signal if you have a GPS/SatNav unit in the wilderness but sometimes those route you to minor roads. Be sure to consult actual maps.

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coolcaesar

San Mateo...

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5. Re: Where to buy a data-sim card like Cricket, Straight talk?

6 years ago

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Cricket is an example of a MVNO. They are basically renting capacity on AT&T's network.

The underlying reason for why MVNOs make sense economically is that cell phone service is a commodity but then there are many, many creative ways to price it. Theoretically, AT&T could have a plan for every price point and preference under the sun but then that amount of choice would drive consumers crazy, plus it's hard to lower price and narrow one's profit margin to capture more business overall while also maintaining high price points and high profits from wealthy and middle class consumers.

Nowadays, AT&T can keep their own prices high for people who can afford it (and in turn maintain a more upscale brand image), then lease out capacity to MVNOs in bulk at wholesale rates and let those companies fight it out for working-class consumers and tourists at lower price points. Of course, you get what you pay for; MVNOs do not have the extensive infrastructure of ubiquitous retail stores and support centers that AT&T has.

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Maja78

Sweden

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6. Re: Where to buy a data-sim card like Cricket, Straight talk?

6 years ago

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chinita415: I'll pick up a couple of traditional maps via AAA then!

coolcaesar: I know that Cricket and all the brands that I mentioned are MVNO:s. I get all the part about pricing etc. so for me At & T would just be a bad choice as I get so much less data for the same price. To set everything up I'm assure we will work out by ourselves.

Thanks for your input!

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Alana D

Searchlight, Nevada

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7. Re: Where to buy a data-sim card like Cricket, Straight talk?

6 years ago

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A T & T doesn't "lease out" to Cricket anymore, they own Cricket, and by now all the Cricket Sims have been switched over to AT&T sims. Cricket is now basically just the budget-priced end of ATT. Just go to any Gamestop inSan Francisco to buy one.

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Maja78

Sweden

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8. Re: Where to buy a data-sim card like Cricket, Straight talk?

6 years ago

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Thanks a lot DebbieDoesDulles! That good to know!

I got 6GB data with At & T and 10GB with Cricket...

It's just the part if I'll be able to hotspot while on Cricket to my daughters iPad...

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Alana D

Searchlight, Nevada

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9. Re: Where to buy a data-sim card like Cricket, Straight talk?

6 years ago

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did you see the list of compatible phones on the Cricket website?

https://www.cricketwireless.com/support/plans-and-features/mobile-hotspot/customer/hotspot-compatible-phones.html

Is Walmart the only place to buy Straight Talk cards?

Which SIM card do I use for Straight Talk?

Can you buy Straight Talk cards at CVS?

How do I get a replacement SIM card for Straight Talk?