Are the agencies still only taking booking from real phone numbers?

[jmioffe]

I've got my first trip in awhile to Montreal coming up. The agencies I preferred, Euphoria and XO, would only take inquiries over text, and not VOIP/Google Voice numbers, so I got a 7Eleven Speakout SIM card /PAYG plan that let me maintain a Canadian number for $25 a year.

Unfortunately, the 7Eleven Speakout SIM card has been phased out. I don't really want to buy a new Canadian plan, but I might have to if I want to partake.

Can anyone advise? Will Euphoria and XO take bookings over e-mail or virtual phone numbers? I can verify that I'm a trusted customer by citing previous bookings if that helps.

Will Socia take such bookings?

Barring that, what's my best approach for getting a local SIM?

Thanks!

 

[ShellGame]

XO is no more.

 

[Vardhan945]

I've got my first trip in awhile to Montreal coming up. The agencies I preferred, Euphoria and XO, would only take inquiries over text, and not VOIP/Google Voice numbers, so I got a 7Eleven Speakout SIM card /PAYG plan that let me maintain a Canadian number for $25 a year.

Unfortunately, the 7Eleven Speakout SIM card has been phased out. I don't really want to buy a new Canadian plan, but I might have to if I want to partake.

Can anyone advise? Will Euphoria and XO take bookings over e-mail or virtual phone numbers? I can verify that I'm a trusted customer by citing previous bookings if that helps.

Will Socia take such bookings?

Barring that, what's my best approach for getting a local SIM?

Thanks!

You could get a cheap esim that works in Canada like from Mint Mobile (if you're in the US). Or a Chatr card in Mtl.

If you ONLY need a number to text in Canada and it doesn't need to work in your home country, I would recommend the Airalo app.
Dirt cheap eSims for a couple GB of data + 100-200 texts.

 

[jmioffe]

You could get a cheap esim that works in Canada like from Mint Mobile (if you're in the US). Or a Chatr card in Mtl.

If you ONLY need a number to text in Canada and it doesn't need to work in your home country, I would recommend the Airalo app.
Dirt cheap eSims for a couple GB of data + 100-200 texts.

Thanks, Mint is a good idea! I will make less than 50 texts, and I can get a starter kit for a week's service for super cheap, like $2. It's supposed to work in Canada but I don't know.

A Chatr card looks to be $10 and the most basic service is $15, do I have that right?

Will an Airalo app get past Euphoria's prohibitions? I know XO is out of business. They didn't like google voice in the past, so it seems like Airalo might fall under the same policy?

Or maybe not, Airalo gives you a number (but it's an Austrian one?)

Airalo now has a plan with data, text, and calls - Rick Steves Travel Forum

It's called Discover+. From this link, click the button to select Data/Calls/Text https://www.airalo.com/global-esim It's a global plan that works in 130 countries. You get a +43 number (that's the country code for Austria). If you travel a lot, you can get plans that are good for as muc...

community.ricksteves.com

Maybe I'll buy the Mint card just to try and if it fails, resort to Airalo.

 

[Vardhan945]

Thanks, Mint is a good idea! I will make less than 50 texts, and I can get a starter kit for a week's service for super cheap, like $2. It's supposed to work in Canada but I don't know.

A Chatr card looks to be $10 and the most basic service is $15, do I have that right?

Will an Airalo app get past Euphoria's prohibitions? I know XO is out of business. They didn't like google voice in the past, so it seems like Airalo might fall under the same policy?

Or maybe not, Airalo gives you a number (but it's an Austrian one?)

Airalo now has a plan with data, text, and calls - Rick Steves Travel Forum

It's called Discover+. From this link, click the button to select Data/Calls/Text https://www.airalo.com/global-esim It's a global plan that works in 130 countries. You get a +43 number (that's the country code for Austria). If you travel a lot, you can get plans that are good for as muc...

community.ricksteves.com

Maybe I'll buy the Mint card just to try and if it fails, resort to Airalo.

Airalo gives you a number. Make sure you get the texting plan. its a real number and not a burner app so I dont see wht it wouldnt work.

Ive never personally used Chatr but heard good things

 

[TheKing777]

You can get a eSIM/SIM at a few of the malls from like Bell or Telus I believe.