Buy e-sim with bitcoin

[Z-tight]

But I've noticed that it's quite different in many other countries, and you do need an ID to which the phone number gets registered, as well as some other data sometimes.

The Bitrefill eSim doesn't make use of a phone number, it is just for data-only and in the process of installation no phone number will be given to you.

Another matter is that Bitcoin payments also aren't legal all around the world, so I'm amazed by 140 supported countries but also wondering whether it's all actually legal in all those countries.

I don't know if BTC is legal in all the accepted desinations, but BTC is not the only option of payment for this service, there are others that people can use and they may even set everything up before travelling.

IMO, what a great idea they did to make it easier for travelers to travel without having to bother carrying large amounts of fiat money in their trouser wallets.

This service doesn't solve this issue, this service only provides you with internet connection when you travel abroad, it doesn't store any money or anything like that.

[Knight Hider]

Thanks for this. It is cheaper than I expected and much cheaper than my regular plan. On my next trip I'll test it. $4 for 1 GB for a week in different countries is worth trying.

--Knight Hider

[Lucius]

Cool, but your phone has to be eSIM compatible, and unfortunately most cheap smartphones are not.  If you click on "compatible devices" you will mostly see iPhones, newest Samsung phones and Google pixels.

This is true, even some more expensive smartphones that are 3-4 years old do not support eSIM, so this service is unfortunately unavailable for many. In addition I checked Bitrefill eSIM Global and the price for only 5 GB of data is even 76 EUR, which from my perspective is quite expensive considering that for that price I have almost 4 months of flat internet in my country. The prices for individual countries are of course lower, but it still seems to me that this service is a little overpriced.

[Nwada001]

For travellers, you can now buy e-sim with bitcoin, using the on-chain transfer or the bitcoin lightning payment. This is supported in 140 countries.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-crypto-to-buy-sim-cards-in-140-countries-bitrefill

What I found out on bitrefill site is that it is data only e-sim, it does not come with a number. It is said that it is cheaper, but I do not know if this is true or not.

I just the last few minutes reading through the entire article from the source link, but I seems to be missing something which is how the E-sim is going to be installed and the network being tap into the mobile device, and talking about wifi connection in other to make the purchase, will one always need a wifi connection for the sim to work? Or when it comes to data purchases and all of that, will one use the same way he got the SIM to top up the data?

Pardon my silly questions. I have not really made use of E-SIM, and as such, I don't know how it works, adding to the fact that this one is crypto-related.

[DaveF]

For travellers, you can now buy e-sim with bitcoin, using the on-chain transfer or the bitcoin lightning payment. This is supported in 140 countries.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-crypto-to-buy-sim-cards-in-140-countries-bitrefill

What I found out on bitrefill site is that it is data only e-sim, it does not come with a number. It is said that it is cheaper, but I do not know if this is true or not.

I just the last few minutes reading through the entire article from the source link, but I seems to be missing something which is how the E-sim is going to be installed and the network being tap into the mobile device, and talking about wifi connection in other to make the purchase, will one always need a wifi connection for the sim to work? Or when it comes to data purchases and all of that, will one use the same way he got the SIM to top up the data?

Pardon my silly questions. I have not really made use of E-SIM, and as such, I don't know how it works, adding to the fact that this one is crypto-related.

An esim is nothing more then an embedded digitally programmable sim.
T-Mobile explains it well: https://www.t-mobile.com/resources/what-is-an-esim-card

What is nice about them is you can buy one, scan a QR code and have an active phone in another country in less time then it took me to type this.

https://travel.orange.com/en/all-inclusive/orhldeur20gb/

-Dave

[Carlton Banks]

e-sim is a step in the right direction for mobile subscriber tokens, i believe

the physical SIM card system turned into a rats nest of vendor malware nasties that you weren't always aware of, and even if you were, were not easy to get rid of.

an e-sim format could (in principle) be open/free software, and even if it wasn't, it can be analyzed and tamed by those with the skills to do so.


so I'm looking forward to using them, although i'm like most everyone else in that i don't have a phone that supports it yet.

and also, phone number? who even uses those these day?

[tread93]

For travellers, you can now buy e-sim with bitcoin, using the on-chain transfer or the bitcoin lightning payment. This is supported in 140 countries.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-crypto-to-buy-sim-cards-in-140-countries-bitrefill

What I found out on bitrefill site is that it is data only e-sim, it does not come with a number. It is said that it is cheaper, but I do not know if this is true or not.

E SIMs are pretty wild, you can use APIs to make it look like you're dialing from another country, or have like much more sophisticated data analytics etc etc. Nice to know you can get one with some BTC! Although I'm not sure if that is something I need/ would ever need to do

[Lucius]

~snip~
Although I'm not sure if that is something I need/ would ever need to do

If you are not traveling outside the country where you live, then you do not need this kind of service, and if you are going on such a trip, there is always the option of buying a local prepaid SIM card and using it during your stay in that country. For example, I do not need to buy an additional SIM if I travel within the European Union and the European Economic Area, because the roaming rules apply within that area, which means that I pay the same price for services as if I were in my own country.

~snip~
and also, phone number? who even uses those these day?

Given that you need a mobile number to use popular applications such as Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram, most people still have their own mobile number, and I don't believe that this will change so quickly, regardless of the new technologies that are already present. Of course, these applications can also be activated using a virtual number, but most people still choose the standard approach.

[PeRo]

This is great news!
For someone who likes to travel and uses cryptocurrencies as well (like me), this could be very useful. I've just checked the site and the prices are even cheap, I'd spend more money getting a roaming package from my provider than on bitrefill. Global packages can be pricey, but you can get Regional which is cheaper and more efficient. And they have great coverage as well.

Cool, but your phone has to be eSIM compatible, and unfortunately most cheap smartphones are not.  If you click on "compatible devices" you will mostly see iPhones, newest Samsung phones and Google pixels.

E-SIM compatible phones have been out for a long time now on the more expensive models. But since it isn't a new thing, It should be brought to lower end phones soon. Low end phones are quickly replaced anyway, so this could be really useful to everyone soon enough.

[coinerer]

For travellers, you can now buy e-sim with bitcoin, using the on-chain transfer or the bitcoin lightning payment. This is supported in 140 countries.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-crypto-to-buy-sim-cards-in-140-countries-bitrefill

What I found out on bitrefill site is that it is data only e-sim, it does not come with a number. It is said that it is cheaper, but I do not know if this is true or not.

This is really a commendable thing because many travelers travel to different countries and have to use the country's own currency to buy anything and also to buy a SIM.  In this case, it is necessary to convert the country's currency and carry it with you, otherwise an international debit or credit card should be used.  But international payments through debit and credit cards incur additional charges. However, the facility through Bitcoin is very beneficial for them.  Because Bitcoin is a currency that supports and can be used in every country. Thanks for sharing this information

[coolcoinz]

Cool, but your phone has to be eSIM compatible, and unfortunately most cheap smartphones are not.  If you click on "compatible devices" you will mostly see iPhones, newest Samsung phones and Google pixels.

A time is coming that almost all phones will be able to use e-sim, or at least the mid range phones.

Hopefully it's soon, because I've checked the list and at this point it's only the newest edition. I have a 2 year old phone and it's not on the list and the few ones that I've checked cost at least $500.
My target is usually below that because I buy a phone for everyday use outside, which means that it can fall to the ground, get scratched and all that.

If they can add this option to your average $300 phone, I might be interested, especially since I've used Bitrefill a few times and never had any issues with them. 

[DaveF]

Cool, but your phone has to be eSIM compatible, and unfortunately most cheap smartphones are not.  If you click on "compatible devices" you will mostly see iPhones, newest Samsung phones and Google pixels.

A time is coming that almost all phones will be able to use e-sim, or at least the mid range phones.

Hopefully it's soon, because I've checked the list and at this point it's only the newest edition. I have a 2 year old phone and it's not on the list and the few ones that I've checked cost at least $500.
My target is usually below that because I buy a phone for everyday use outside, which means that it can fall to the ground, get scratched and all that.

If they can add this option to your average $300 phone, I might be interested, especially since I've used Bitrefill a few times and never had any issues with them. 

It works with the Pixel 6A which is $349.99 MSRP but is routinely on sale for $299 you just have to wait and catch it at that price.
You can also wipe the OS and install Graphine
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5416327.0

The 6A seems to be a much better phone then the 6 that I had. At least from the discussions out there.

Also, I tried it with a phone that supports esim that was not listed and it DID work. But, obviously YMMV with that. (razr 2019)
At a *guess* any device that supports the esim standard should work.That's why they call it a standard. But, if whatever service they are using didn't test it they don't want to support it.
And I really don't blame that on that.

-Dave

[sunsilk]

Nice, if this is just a data-only sim. This is useful for those people that have contacts through their socials, even with or without number.

This is the kind of product that we want to see. Anyone who actually took and able to purchase this e-sim? An ideal data provider for those who travel frequently.

And not only that, can be paid with crypto. But hopefully, telcos and sim providers will consider it someday to pay load stuff, data and etc, with btc and cryptos.

[Die_empty]

For travellers, you can now buy e-sim with bitcoin, using the on-chain transfer or the bitcoin lightning payment. This is supported in 140 countries.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-crypto-to-buy-sim-cards-in-140-countries-bitrefill

What I found out on bitrefill site is that it is data only e-sim, it does not come with a number. It is said that it is cheaper, but I do not know if this is true or not.

Thanks to Bitrefill and eSIM Go for promoting the possibility of living wholly on bitcoin. One hundred and forty countries is massive. At least the hurdle of buying data in another country have been reduced to some extend. Everything to promote bitcoin awareness and adoption is good news.

Cool, but your phone has to be eSIM compatible, and unfortunately most cheap smartphones are not.  If you click on "compatible devices" you will mostly see iPhones, newest Samsung phones and Google pixels.

This will be a challenge for those that cannot afford such phones because of the cost. But more cheaper phones might become compatible in the future.

[Carlton Banks]

popular applications such as [snip]

i'm quite proud to be using unpopular message applications


I got my new phone a few years back, and I haven't given the actual telephone number to more than about 10 people IIRC. and very few actually use that number out of those who have it, almost all messaging/calls happen over internet-based comms for me. e-SIMs with no phone number seem to be a (belated) recognition of how meaningless the telephone system is these days, a few changes to my lifestyle and I think I could ditch telephones altogether

[mendace]

For travellers, you can now buy e-sim with bitcoin, using the on-chain transfer or the bitcoin lightning payment. This is supported in 140 countries.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-crypto-to-buy-sim-cards-in-140-countries-bitrefill

What I found out on bitrefill site is that it is data only e-sim, it does not come with a number. It is said that it is cheaper, but I do not know if this is true or not.

I had seen the announcement in their Instagram channel a few days ago and so I went to see if there was a possibility for my country (Italy) to have an e-sim and I was amazed because there are so many countries in the world that are supported.  But the problem is the costs, it's crazy because a data plan with 20gb for 30 days costs more than €25 when I currently spend less than €7 with my company...so I see no reason to spend almost 4 times as much more.

[The Cryptovator]

While it's accurate that the adoption of e-SIM supported devices among Bitcoin users isn't widespread, the global trend is gradually moving towards increased adoption. Personally, I'm focusing on observations within my country, where there seems to be a limited number of e-SIM users who are acquainted with Bitcoin. Nevertheless, it's a positive development that Bitcoin can be directly used to purchase a sim card.

[Lucius]

popular applications such as [snip]

i'm quite proud to be using unpopular message applications

I'm not too fond of those apps either, but I simply don't have too many choices if I want to communicate with people who mostly use those apps. I know there are alternatives, but persuading people to use them is very difficult, similar to how most people still use Twitter (or is it called X now?) regardless of the alternatives.

I got my new phone a few years back, and I haven't given the actual telephone number to more than about 10 people IIRC. and very few actually use that number out of those who have it, almost all messaging/calls happen over internet-based comms for me. e-SIMs with no phone number seem to be a (belated) recognition of how meaningless the telephone system is these days, a few changes to my lifestyle and I think I could ditch telephones altogether

I also have a smartphone that is several years old and I paid about 700 EUR for it, and I still consider it a very good device, although unfortunately it has not received any update for more than 1 year. Unfortunately, the official specifications say that it does not support eSIM, but when the time comes for a new device, I will definitely pay attention that it also has that feature.

As for having a phone number, I obviously live in a country where it is almost necessary, whether it is to deliver a package (the delivery person always makes a call before delivery) or to receive notifications from a government service or even from your doctor.

[Flexystar]

Finally a realistic device provider in the world of crypto. Though I am not sure why every service is not yet available in the form Bitcoin or basically crypto currencies. Today we are already seeing gift cards, payment accepted here boards, third party purchases and even gas station too.

However, this could be done on major scale I think, every businesses can adopt this if everyone just see it as mode of payment.

They are also accepting ETH and stable coins.
I personally do not think the market for data only privacy e-Sims is a large one, but any sort of adoption is a positive.

I think even if this is data on e-sim it’s even best as you can continue to use the social media apps. There is high usage of phone calls via WhatsApp, messanger, insta and much more. I think having just data is also more than enough these days.

Looking forward to see what they have more in the carts.

[Medusah]

In addition I checked Bitrefill eSIM Global and the price for only 5 GB of data is even 76 EUR

Not that much expensive if you are a latest iPhone user! 

eSIMs have not been advertised even one bit in my country.  That alone says a lot about their compatibility.  If they ever come to cheaper smartphones, prepare for a ton of commercials.