Banking and Mobile Phone – Information and Tips!
Useful tips and information about what to do when you arrive in the US regarding banking and your mobile phone!
Banking
There’s a few different options for you – and it will come down to what you prefer, personally.
One option is to open a current account when you arrive in the USA, which you can usually do online or by going into a local branch in person. Larger banks with branches all over the country offer quick, easy and cheap options to open an account in minutes. To start with, check out these ‘Student Account’ options with Bank of America, Chase Bank, or Wells Fargo Bank
Many students also use the likes of Monzo or Revolut cards with international spending features.
International Transfers
You can use online money transfer platforms such as Wise to send/receive money from home to the US – this proves to be a cost-effective way of doing it because the exchange rates tend to be lower than most banks and with no hidden fees or subscription required to set up an account.
Mobile Phone Options in the US
Three suggestions we have for you here:
- If your smart phone is ‘unlocked’, you can purchase a SIM card when you arrive in the US on a month-to-month contract and use the phone out there. Then, when you return home during the holidays, switch it back to your original SIM.Lots of providers in the US will have options for you to choose from: Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are three of the biggest providers – but it’s worth checking/researching who may have the best service in the area you’re going to be living!
- Use an E-SIM which can enable your phone to switch between countries when you are in the US, the UK or elsewhere. Click here for more information around the pro’s and con’s of using an E-SIM.
- You can purchase a phone on a contract in the US, or even pay-as-you-go, if that works better for you.
