A mobile phone or cell phone in Panama is called a mobil (pronounced "moh-beel), and it is estimated that over 7 million mobile phone lines are used in Panama.
You can simply purchase a pay-as-you-go sim card and re-charge when you run out of minutes and data, or you can purchase a phone with a contract. If you prefer a contract, plans will vary between $15 to $200 depending on how many times you make phone calls, send texts and use the data. Local calls start as low as 10 cents per minute, while it is free to answer an incoming call.
Mobile Phone Providers in Panama
The major phone providers in Panama are as follows:
Mobile Phone Contracts in Panama
Most contracts last a year or longer, so you may want to sign a one-year contract to start.
Claro and Digicel have small offices and kiosks scattered all over Panama City, while the other two only have a few locations.
There are some basic points you need to consider for choosing the right deal.
- Personal Use: Evaluate how much you use the phone, when, where you are calling, how often you use short message services (SMS), if you use the phone abroad, etc.
- Coverage: Most important if you live in a remote place or regularly use the mobile while traveling in the countryside as most companies offer decent coverage.
- Fees & Rates: Each operator offers several different plans and options. Investigate the plans carefully and evaluate your needs.
Pay As You Go Mobile Phone in Panama
If you do not want to pay for a contract or you feel that you won't be using a phone all the time, pay-as-you-go might be the best option for you. All you need is a prepaid or unlocked mobile and you can buy phone cards to put in the phone.
You can buy these cards at supermarkets, malls, street kiosks, phone stores and grocery stores. They come in credits of $2, $5, $10, and $20. The back of the cards have a scratch off strip which is where you will find a code that you must type into your phone in order to access your minutes for calling. The directions for inputting the code is only in Spanish, so be sure to ask the person who sold you the card to process the code for you.
Update 23/06/2018
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