Recently, the blogger purchased 2 physical SIM cards from ClubSim, received and activated them successfully, but encountered some difficulties and paid some fees along the way. This article records my experience of purchasing physical SIM cards from ClubSim, which can be referred to by friends who need Hong Kong SIM cards.

What are the uses of Hong Kong SIM cards?

• Register for various overseas services
• Convenient for internet access and making calls in Hong Kong
• Register for applications that require verification with a Hong Kong phone number (such as AlipayHK/WeChat/Octopus Card, etc.)

Preparation

• Passport (required for real-name authentication)
• Hong Kong shipping address (I used Tiptrans): https://blog.xiaoz.org/archives/18905
• Hong Kong phone number (I used the Hong Kong phone number provided by Tiptrans, or you can find one online that won't be actually verified)

Purchasing ClubSim physical SIM cards

• Purchase link: https://www.clubsim.com.hk/

ClubSim physical SIM cards only support Hong Kong shipping addresses. I used Tiptrans Hong Kong address for delivery. In addition, the order needs to reach a minimum of 50HKD for shipping. We can freely choose the package combination. I recommend the "Message Combo + Charging Data" package, which costs 56HKD and supports payment methods such as Alipay/WeChat/Credit Card.

When purchasing the physical card, pay attention to the following:

• If you fill in the Tiptrans Hong Kong address, remember to include your Tiptrans ID.
• Fill in the Tiptrans Hong Kong phone number.
• Fill in your English name (pinyin) as it appears on your passport. This will be used for real-name authentication. Do not fill in the name randomly, as it may affect the authentication process.

Real-name authentication

After the purchase is completed, download the "ClubSim APP" and upload your passport for real-name authentication. It is recommended to complete this step in advance. The authentication process took 1 hour for me on a working day.

Shipping ClubSim physical SIM cards

After the ClubSim physical cards arrive at Tiptrans, you will receive a notification email. The storage fee is $5 per item. Here's a pitfall: I bought 2 physical SIM cards, and ClubSim sent 2 regular mails, resulting in a storage fee of $10. In addition to the consolidation fee and shipping fee, I ended up paying a total of $21.67, which was higher than the cost of the SIM cards themselves.

Using Charging Data

If you selected the "Charging Data" combination during the purchase, it is said that you can use it for consumption deductions in the Apple or Google App Store. Due to my lack of understanding at the time, I chose the "4.5G No Contract Local Data and Call Service" option, which resulted in no access to "Charging Data". Therefore, I cannot share the usage process further.

Activating ClubSim physical SIM cards

ClubSim requires real-name authentication before activation. It is recommended to complete the authentication after purchasing the card to avoid delays in use due to long verification times. Real-name authentication requires taking a photo of the passport and uploading it.

I chose "Hong Kong Post" as the shipping method for Tiptrans, and received the cards in less than a week.

Open the ClubSim APP, scan the QR code on the back of the SIM card to complete the activation, and then insert the card into your phone to use it normally. You can roam in Mainland China using "China Unicom".

Converting physical SIM cards to eSIM

ClubSim supports converting physical SIM cards to eSIM. You can do this directly in the APP. After the operation, you will receive a QR code, which can be scanned with a phone that supports eSIM to add it. However, please note that once the physical SIM is converted to eSIM, it cannot be converted back.

Purchasing ClubSim eSIM cards

ClubSim also provides eSIM cards, which are programmable SIM cards embedded directly in devices. eSIM does not require a physical card, but the prerequisite is that your phone supports eSIM. Most phones in Mainland China do not support eSIM. However, some models of US/Japanese/European versions of iPhones or Google Pixel support eSIM. I have no problem using a Japanese version of the SE2.

If your phone supports eSIM, there is no need to purchase a physical SIM card. The process of shipping and forwarding physical SIM cards is too complicated, and there are additional forwarding fees. When purchasing from ClubSim, you will be asked to choose the type of SIM card. Choose according to your situation. Prioritize eSIM if your phone supports it; otherwise, you can only choose a physical card.

ClubSim fees

ClubSim does not have a fixed monthly fee. It offers a flexible selection of package combinations based on user needs. For example:

• If you are going to travel to Hong Kong, it is recommended to purchase the "Local Data Service" in advance.
• If you are just keeping the number, you can purchase the "Message Combo".

If you need to roam and use the internet in Mainland China, the fee is 38HKD/1GB or 88HKD/3GB. Roaming internet access is very expensive, so it is not recommended.

Keeping the number

If you want to keep your ClubSim number for a long time, you only need to purchase any other service combination within 365 days after the expiration of the current package. I recommend purchasing the "Message Combo" for only 6HKD. By repeating this process, you can keep your number for 6HKD/year. The following content is quoted from the official website:

Customers only need to purchase any service combination within 365 days after the last use of the combination to keep using the phone number.

Other notes

• ClubSim cannot choose or change the phone number. The numbers are random and usually include 4 and 7.
• Users have reported that they cannot make calls or send messages in Mainland China, but receiving messages is not a problem.
• When initially purchasing a ClubSim combination, remember to turn off monthly auto-renewal.

Conclusion

ClubSim is suitable for keeping the number and receiving messages, or for using during a trip to Hong Kong. It is not suitable for roaming and using the internet in Mainland China. Purchasing physical SIM cards is relatively complicated, and there are high forwarding fees. If your phone supports eSIM, it is recommended to purchase the ClubSim eSIM card, which is more convenient to use.

In addition, Tiptrans forwarding and depositing are also quite troublesome. If you don't have a Hong Kong shipping address, you can also find someone on Xiaohongshu to receive it for you and then forward it to Mainland China, which may be cheaper.

ClubSim purchase link: https://www.clubsim.com.hk