SIM Card Purchase for France

Need a phone with this SIM?

Detailed Features Info & Rates Chart Activation Recharges Coverage Map Operating Instructions Need a phone? Priced at only $69.00

Cellular Abroad SIM Card for France
A French Prepaid SIM Card, together with a tri-band unlocked GSM cell phone, will allow you not only to have a local cell phone number for France but also to pay local rates - and without a contract. The rates are extremely advantageous and even include unlimited FREE incoming calls from anywhere in the world. For your next trip to France, make sure to purchase a prepaid SIM card.

Information and Talk Rates Chart

*You can find more detailed information on rates and charges here.

Detailed Features

• France cell phone number based out of Paris w/ free incoming calls from anywhere in the world!
• Domestic outgoing rates: $.70/minute & Int. outgoing rates (US, Canada & Europe): $.94/minute.
• For purchases: US$8 of initial call credit (8 international minutes or 11 domestic minutes).
• Add more minutes by purchasing an SFR La Carte Recharge from Cellular Abroad or convenience stores, gas stations, France SFR shops, tobacco shops and magazine kiosks within France.
• Voicemail & SMS/Text messages (free incoming, $.19 each domestic, $.39 each international).
• No yearly contract, monthly charges, daily minimum charges, minimum minutes per call charges or credit checks
• From a landline, (NOT from payphones, mobile phones, and majority of hotels) Cellular Abroad can be reached 24/7 with English customer support and recharge services by dialing this number: 00-800-3623-3333. From a cell: (310)862-7100 or email us at support@cellularabroad.com

Special Considerations

1. Please let us know if you plan to begin your trip 1 month or more after your purchase. This will help us avoid sending a SIM card intended for activation prior to your departure.
2. Some of your information will be supplied to SFR for registration purposes. For this reason, once a card has been registered, we cannot offer a refund for it, even if it has not been used or opened.
3. Please be sure to supply the registrant's name, prefix (eg. Monsier, Madame or Mademoiselle), name, address, and date of birth to Cellular Abroad (if you did not supply it when ordering by phone). If you need to speak with France customer service, you may be asked for your DOB as a verification of registration.

"We were the envy of every American tourist within earshot. Folks would come up to us when they heard us speaking English on the phone and they would ask, "Who are you using to make a call? My ATT phone will not work!!" Our recurring response was, 'Cellular Abroad, of course.' We are very satisfied customers." SC

Coverage:
Paris, Angers, Bordeaux, Brest, Calais, Cannes, Dijon, Grenoble, Le Havre, Le Mans, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Reims, Rennes, Strasbourg, Toulon, Toulouse, AND more. Please click here to view SFR's interactive coveraage map for France.

Timing Your Purchase:
If your date of purchase falls too close to your departure, we may not be able to obtain your phone number prior to your flight. In this case, you can obtain your French phone number upon your arrival in France by dialing 963. A message in French will tell you your phone number.

It should also be noted that there is a "shelf-life" for a registered SIM which makes it important not to buy or register a SIM card too far in advance to your trip. While this varies depending on the time of year, as a rule of thumb, it's best not to purchase a SIM card for a trip more than 45 days away. If you are concerned about purchasing too soon, ask one of our sales reps to confirm the date on the current batch of SIM cards we have in stock or mention this in the "comments" section when ordering online. Of course, we can always schedule to ship you a SIM card with the appropriate date if you so desire.

Phone Setup

1. Charge your phone before you leave for France.
2. For SIM card purchases: snap the SIM chip out of the SIM card (be sure to keep the SIM card).  Take the battery out of your phone.  Insert your SIM chip with the metal plate facing down so it makes contact with the metal prongs (if renting, SIM is already installed).
3. Change the language on the phone to English if it is not in English already.

Activating your service:

1. Upon arrival in France, turn your phone on.
2. If you did not receive your # before your departure, dial 963 to retrieve it. A message in French will tell you your phone number.
3. You can now make and receive and calls.

Checking Your Credit

1. Dial 950 and you will be informed of your remaining talk time.
2. In a text message, type “?” and send it to 520.  You will receive a text message stating your credit.
3. Alternatively: Locate the “Services SFR” menu on your cell phone.  Locate the “Solde/Recharge” submenu.  Then, locate the “Info Solde” submenu.  From here, you can either select “Par Texto” for a text message to receive your credit or select “Par Appel” for an automated voice message.

Purchasing More Talk Time
The recharge card is the “SFR La Carte Recharge” and is available in mult-Euro denominations.

• The most convenient way is by calling Cellular Abroad 001 310-862-7100 or Toll Free from a landline at 00-800-362-3333 (24/7 English speaking reps) before as well as during your trip. We only carry the 15 Euro recharge voucher for $24.

• While in France, visit tobacco shops, magazine kiosks, gas stations, convenience stores and SFR shops.  On the back will be a portion to scratch off with a coin that will reveal a 10-digit code.

France SFR Prepaid Recharge Card only $29.00 for € 15 of talk time credit Save time by starting your stay in the France with an additional € 15 of talk time. Each of these recharges gives about 21 minutes of calls to the US or Canada or about 29 minutes in France. Incoming calls are free while in France.

As soon as you arrive in France, simply scratch off the protective panel, follow our instructions to enter the code number and your credit is applied. Knowing what the recharge cards look like and how to apply the credit, you're one step ahead and loaded with call credit.

Adding a recharge to your account

• Scratch the gray zone on the back of your card to uncover a 10-digit recharge code and have it handy for your recharge session.
• Dial 952 and then the send or talk key.
• Press 1 to recharge.
• Enter the 10 digit recharge code and press the "#" key.

Calling Rates      
These rates are expressed in US dollars and are based on per-minute charges.  Remember, all incoming calls are free regardless of origin.

• Domestic Outgoing (includes retrieving voicemail): € 0.55/min
• International calls (US, Canada, & Europe): € 0.75/minute
• International calls (Rest of the World): € 1.55/minute

Please Note: Toll free 800 numbers based out of the US can not be called from overseas cell phones.

Text Rates
Incoming – Free   Outgoing Domestic - € 0.15/message   Outgoing Int. - € 0.30/message
To send the text message, choose the WRITE option, write your message using the keypad to type, confirm and send it to the mobile number you desire.

Roaming               
SFR has partnered with Vodafone to allow you coverage in the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, Ireland, Hungary, Malta and Australia.  Terms and tariffs of these services are available through SFR customer support.

Voice Mail           
To access your voicemail messages:

• Dial 123 to go to your voicemail box.
• Main menu options: 1 is voicemail messages, 2 is for recorded greeting, 3 for personal options.
• For option 1: Press 1 to save the message, 2 to delete a message or 3 to repeat the message.

Service Life:
Credit on your account will expire after 2 months.  Your SIM card is good for 6 months.  If you wish to purchase more talk time to extend your service life, you can purchase a €15 voucher to extend your SIM card life for 30 days, €25 and €35 vouchers for 60 days, and €60 for 90 additional days.  If you do not recharge within the 6 month period then your SIM card and phone number will expire.

Customer Service
Network or Service Problems: contact SFR Customer Service (M-Sat 8AM to 10PM)

• From your handset – dial 900             From a landline – dial 06 10 00 19 00

Technical Support: contact SFR Tech Support (M-Sat 7AM to 10PM) – This call costs €0.70/minute

• From your handset – dial 4357           From a landline – dial 06 10 00 43 57

Cellular Phone Problems: contact Cellular Abroad (8AM – 6PM PST / 5PM - 3AM France time)

• From international number – 001 3108627100; or email us at support@cellularabroad.com 
  

Multi-Country Travel
You can also purchase other SIM cards as well for other countries to where you may be traveling. (This option is good for those planning on doing a lot of local calling.) We also offer an international roaming Talk Abroad™ SIM Card that is convenient for travel to multiple countries. (This option is useful for those wanting a single number for use in multiple countries and who will be making more calls back home than locally.)