Sim cards can be bought at Beijing Airport. These are offered in vending machines of the provider SnailMobile.
The vending machines are located in the departure hall of Terminal 3, after the check-in counters, directly in front of the entrance to the train to the gates. Another vending machine is located to the left of the security checkpoints in the international section of Terminal 3, making it possible to purchase SIM cards during transit.
Tariffs are offered for data and telephony for various countries in Asia, but also the rest of the world. Prices range from 30 to 80 yuan, depending on the country, data volume and period. Before buying, you should make a price comparison to see if the SIM cards are cheaper in the country of arrival.
Overview of data plans for Asian countries
| Country | Duration | Data quantity | Price (RMB) | Euro | US dollar |
| India | 8 days | Unlimited | 80 | 10.24 | 11.36 |
| Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand | 10 days | Unlimited | 80 | 10.24 | 11.36 |
| Malaysia | ? | ? | 50 | 6.40 | 7.10 |
| Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand | 7 days | Unlimited | 80 | 10.24 | 11.36 |
| South Korea | 7 days | Unlimited | 70 | 8.96 | 9.94 |
| Vietnam | 20 days | 3 GB per day | 30 | 3.84 | 4.26 |
| Philippines | 8 days | Unlimited | 80 | 10.24 | 11.36 |
| Singapore | 5 days | Unlimited | 60 | 7.68 | 8.52 |
| Indonesia | 8 days | Unlimited | 60 | 7.68 | 8.52 |
| Japan | 7 days | Unlimited | 70 | 8.96 | 9.94 |
| Thailand | 8 days | Unlimited | 70 | 8.96 | 9.94 |
Status of prices: November 2019
Other available countries are the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Depending on the country, a different local provider is used. As a rule, you get an original SIM card from the respective provider. In Vietnam, for example, it is the provider Vietnamobile. In Japan, Softbank’s network is used.
You can pay by WeChatPay and AliPay, but fortunately also with cash. Of course, only RMB is accepted. Coins are not supported. You can exchange your Euros, Dollars or other foreign currency at one of the money exchange providers. In the arrivals hall there are also Mastercard, Visa and Co. support.
The company Snail Mobile is a virtual mobile phone provider in China. SIM cards are also offered for China. For the purchase of a Chinese SIM card a verification with an ID is necessary.
In addition to Snail’s vending machines, there are other shops in the arrivals hall where SIM cards with data tariffs can be purchased.
