Buying a Prepaid SIM in Canada: Plans, Prices and the eSIM Option

Rather land with data already working? A HelloRoam Canada eSIM goes on your phone at home before you fly, and your Australian number stays on the other line for calls and texts.

What a prepaid SIM costs in Canada: C$25 buys 4GB a month

We read every price and plan in this guide on 27 October 2026, on the Lucky Mobile, chatr, Koodo, Telstra, Optus and Vodafone websites. Lucky Mobile and chatr showed their Ontario prices, and Lucky Mobile says the plans on offer depend on the province you choose.

Get your Canada eSIM before you flyInstall it at home, then turn on data roaming for it when you land. From A$4.95.See Canada plans

Lucky Mobile is part of the Bell family of brands, chatr runs on the Rogers network, and Koodo is part of the TELUS family. Three of their prepaid data plans line up price for price:

All three list their prepaid data at 4G speeds and include unlimited Canada-wide calling, and Koodo bills per 30 days. Lucky Mobile and chatr quote these prices for new activations. When Lucky Mobile's plan data runs out, your data slows to speeds of up to 128 Kbps, with no overage charge.

The bonus gigabytes need automatic top-up. Lucky Mobile's Automatic Top-Up charges your card right before each monthly charge date, so change your top-up options in the Lucky Mobile My Account app before you fly home. Without it, an unpaid month simply puts the account on hold.

The unlimited calling is Canada-wide. Lucky Mobile's covers calls to Canadian numbers and calls you receive in Canada, and its texts to international numbers are included while you're there. chatr includes international texts too, and sells an International Talk Saver add-on for long-distance calls.

The prices are before tax. Lucky Mobile's fine print says "Taxes extra", and the Canada Revenue Agency's rate table lists 13% HST in Ontario and 5% GST in Alberta. For a rough conversion, A$1 bought C$0.9848 on 26 October 2026 by the Reserve Bank of Australia's rates, so a Canadian dollar price costs a little more in Aussie dollars.

If you know Fido, it no longer runs its own prepaid plans: Fido says that from 20 February 2025, its prepaid customers get their service through chatr.

Where to buy a prepaid SIM in Canada and what you need to activate it

Lucky Mobile sells SIM cards in its own stores and through more than 7,000 retailers. Circle K sells them for C$5, and Dollarama, Staples and Best Buy stock them too. chatr sells SIMs through its retailers and online, while Koodo's SIM checkout runs through TELUS.com, or you can get one in store.

Lucky Mobile activates online or in its app, and asks for three things: a SIM card or an eSIM-ready phone, your current provider's details only if you're moving a Canadian number across, and a credit card or top-up card for the first payment. Top-up cards are sold in most convenience stores, supermarkets and petrol stations, so cash works too.

Your phone has to be unlocked. Lucky Mobile also says it must support the network's LTE bands and Voice over LTE, and that eSIM support can vary on phones bought outside Canada. It's worth a minute to check your phone supports eSIM before you pick between a card and an eSIM.

On an iPhone, open Settings, then General, then About. "No SIM Restrictions" next to Service Provider Lock means it's unlocked. Apple's unlocking guide says only your current provider can unlock it and that it can take a few days, so ask your Australian provider before you fly.

Lucky Mobile's tourist eSIM can be set up before you land

Lucky Mobile has a page for visitors. It offers its 30-day plans with talk, text and data on an eSIM you activate in minutes, and lists what you need: an eSIM-compatible phone that works on its network, and a credit card. You choose the province you're landing in, which sets the plans and phone numbers on offer, and the eSIM itself is free.

Koodo sells a prepaid eSIM online too, free for a limited time and set up by scanning a QR code. chatr sells its eSIMs through chatr stores. Whichever you pick, Apple's travel eSIM guide says your iPhone must be connected to Wi-Fi or a hotspot to set one up.

Still deciding between an eSIM or physical SIM? Our side-by-side guide sets out how the two compare for travellers.

Telstra, Optus and Vodafone roaming in Canada costs A$5 to A$10 a day

Your Australian SIM works in Canada too, if you'd rather keep your number and skip the shop. Canada sits in Telstra's Zone 2 and Optus's Zone 1, and Vodafone lists it as a $5 Roaming destination. For other trips, our guide to roaming plans for Australians compares day passes and prepaid packs.

When a Day Pass's 2GB runs out, Telstra adds 2GB for A$10 automatically. On an Upfront plan, you get a text offering that top-up instead. Vodafone adds 1GB for A$5 by itself when your plan's data is used up. Skip the daily offer and the casual rates bite: Telstra lists A$3 per MB on plans that aren't Upfront plans, and Vodafone's rate for Canada is A$1 per MB.

Keeping the Australian SIM on for bank codes? Telstra says an SMS you receive won't trigger a Day Pass. Making or receiving a call, sending an SMS or using data will, background data included. Optus starts Daily Roaming on your first use of talk, text or data overseas. Vodafone charges its A$5 only on days you make or receive a call, send a text or use data.

Against a Canadian plan of C$35 for 25GB a month, a daily rate makes the most sense for a short stopover or a long weekend.

A travel eSIM keeps your Australian number and skips the shop

We sell travel eSIMs, so read this section with that in mind. Our editorial policy explains how we handle the conflict.

HelloRoam's Canada plans are data plans. In October 2026 they ran on the Rogers Wireless 5G network; the network can change, and the plan page shows the current one. You install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, and the plan's days start when your phone first connects to a network in Canada.

Your Australian SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts. On an iPhone, go to Settings, then Mobile, then Mobile Data, and pick the eSIM's line, as Apple's Dual SIM guide shows. Leave Allow Mobile Data Switching off if you don't want your home line using data as well. A call on the home line can still start your carrier's daily roaming charge.

Seeing the US on the same trip? HelloRoam's regional plan for North America covers Canada, the US and Mexico on one eSIM and switches networks at each border. If it won't connect when you land, our support team is there 24/7.

A Canadian prepaid plan is still the better buy in two cases. If you need a Canadian number for work, a rental or ringing tour operators, Lucky Mobile, chatr or Koodo gives you one. And for a month or longer, C$35 buys 25GB plus unlimited Canada-wide calling.

Pick a Canada prepaid SIM, roaming or an eSIM by trip length

• A stopover or long weekend: Optus Daily Roaming or Vodafone $5 Roaming keeps your number for A$5 a day on eligible plans. Telstra's Canada rate is A$10 a day.
• One to four weeks of touring: set up an eSIM before you go, either Lucky Mobile's tourist eSIM for a Canadian number or a travel eSIM that keeps your Australian number on the other line.
• A month or more, or a working holiday: a Lucky Mobile, chatr or Koodo plan gives you a Canadian number, and C$35 buys 25GB.
• Canada and the US on one trip: a North America plan saves you buying a second SIM at the border.

Not sure what size to buy? Use our calculator to estimate how much data your trip needs before you choose between 4GB and 25GB.