Cuba November. For Those with Cuban Phone Numbers

[Ryan]

Cubacel has a new bonus offer starting today.

Anyone with a Cuban sim card can top it up, from anywhere in the world.

During the bonus offer, if you top up by $30, Cubacel will give you $50 extra credit free.

$80 is plenty for most people for a week of calls, texts, taxis and reservations.

The bonus amount expires on November 17th but that's most of the trip for most of us.

The bonus amount expires earlier, November 10th, if you top up by less than $30.

I find Ding.com the simplest company to use for top-ups to Cuban mobiles, I've never had a problem and I've used them dozens of times.

 https://www.ding.com/

T&Cs of the current bonus here.

https://support.ding.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000147905-Cubacel-Promotion-Terms-Conditions?fbclid=IwAR1YVjxy4dCoY_nG0Wxspw9yXWaUmdqJjwjLEebLSgv4lWI4srjabg3g_fQ

I find, when I have to call Ireland from Cuba, it's much cheaper to use my Cuban number (about $1.20 per minute) than my Irish carrier (over $2.00 per minute). The bonus amount can be used for international calls too. Basically the bonus amount gives me free calls home for the week.

 

 

[El Presidente]

Thanks Andy 

I now know who's phone to borrow 

[Ryan]

15 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Thanks Andy 

I now know who's phone to borrow 

Somebody borrowed my phone in Cuba last November, not you, and cost me €180 in a new screen.

One of the funniest was at the Habanos festival about 3 years ago, there was a girl at the opening night, very excited to be in Cuba for the first time and very drunk. She gave her phone to a local to get a picture of her and her boyfriend.

As she described to me 5 minutes later, "I think that man forgot to give my phone back! I can't find him."

[El Presidente]

17 minutes ago, Ryan said:

Somebody borrowed my phone in Cuba last November, not you, and cost me €180 in a new screen.

 

My money's on Stuart 

 

 

[Ryan]

3 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

My money's on Stuart 

 

 

I wish it was, I would have sent him an invoice!

I can't say who it was, it's in the past now anyway.

[Nino]

Thank you Andy !!

I was looking for exactly this kind of offer ... and you're right, ding is cheaper than what I use, Rebtel - topping up 160CUC it's 3 € cheaper ...

[oliverdst]

Every time I call home from Cuba I get ripped off. Usually from a hotel.

To buy a Cuban chip we just have to go to an ETECSA office? I always check their site and doesn't look hard but I know how things work in Cuba. Any hint?

[Ryan]

20 minutes ago, oliverdst said:

Every time I call home from Cuba I get ripped off. Usually from a hotel.

To buy a Cuban chip we just have to go to an ETECSA office? I always check their site and doesn't look hard but I know how things work in Cuba. Any hint?

Go to an Etecsa office with your passport and something with your address in Cuba (casa particular etc.) on it, printed on a piece of paper is fine.

There is an office in the Focsa building and there is one nearer to the Habana Libre hotel. I can't remember the address of that one.

There may be a queue, you might have to try to time it right. I was lucky, I have a Cuban friend who "knows somebody" in one of the offices and we could jump the queue.

It has been a few years since I bought mine but I think it was $40 which gave me $10 dollars credit. It could be $50 now. It has saved me 100s over the years.

That's all, there were no bribes or anything like that.

The number must be used at least every 11 months in order to keep it live. I'm nearly sure that topping it up from abroad, as described above, is enough to keep it in service, if you're going to have more than an 11 month gap in travel to Cuba. Cuban numbers don't work outside of Cuba. 

[Derboesekoenig]

I recommend Ding as well. I've been using it for 3 overseas SIMs to top up for the last 2 years.

[oliverdst]

The Cuban address is not mentioned in the website. Thanks.

http://www.etecsa.cu/telefonia_movil/contratacion_y_activacion/

[Ryan]

37 minutes ago, oliverdst said:

The Cuban address is not mentioned in the website. Thanks.

http://www.etecsa.cu/telefonia_movil/contratacion_y_activacion/

That's right, you may not even need it. I can remember it being written on my contract though, which I've long since lost. So, better to have it handy on case they ask. You don't want to have to queue twice.

[Nino]

2 hours ago, oliverdst said:

Every time I call home from Cuba I get ripped off. Usually from a hotel.

To buy a Cuban chip we just have to go to an ETECSA office? I always check their site and doesn't look hard but I know how things work in Cuba. Any hint?

Yes, best to have a Cuban friend along to help smooth the way ...

2 hours ago, Ryan said:

Go to an Etecsa office with your passport and something with your address in Cuba (casa particular etc.) on it, printed on a piece of paper is fine.

There is an office in the Focsa building and there is one nearer to the Habana Libre hotel. I can't remember the address of that one.

There may be a queue, you might have to try to time it right. I was lucky, I have a Cuban friend who "knows somebody" in one of the offices and we could jump the queue.

It has been a few years since I bought mine but I think it was $40 which gave me $10 dollars credit. It could be $50 now. It has saved me 100s over the years.

That's all, there were no bribes or anything like that.

The number must be used at least every 11 months in order to keep it live. I'm nearly sure that topping it up from abroad, as described above, is enough to keep it in service, if you're going to have more than an 11 month gap in travel to Cuba. Cuban numbers don't work outside of Cuba. 

Still is 40 CUC with a 10 CUC credit.

There is an ETECSA office at the Miramar business center plaza as well ....

[Ryan]

1 hour ago, nino said:

Yes, best to have a Cuban friend along to help smooth the way ...

Still is 40 CUC with a 10 CUC credit.

There is an ETECSA office at the Miramar business center plaza as well ....

Thanks Nino. I've never been to that Etecsa office in the Miramar Business Center but I hear it can have shorter queues.

[Nino]

1 hour ago, Ryan said:

Thanks Nino. I've never been to that Etecsa office in the Miramar Business Center but I hear it can have shorter queues.

@Ryan  Andy,

when standing in the central plaza with the Melia Habana to your back it's on the left hand side in the "metal animal figures" plaza.
Queues are par for Cuba ...

[Derboesekoenig]

3 minutes ago, SenorPerfecto said:

So here's a question: if I have an extra iphone I bring with me (since my USA phone won't work there except on WiFi), can I buy a cuban SIM and pop it in there, and it'll work? Or do I still need the phone turned on through an outside wireless account too?

Why won't your USA phone work? Is it not unlocked? It's very easy to unlock, by the way even if it is locked. What network is it on?

I unlocked my s8+ when it was first released (Verizon). Took literally all of about 30 seconds. I use several different SIMs globally--no issues.

[JamesKPolkEsq]

18 minutes ago, SenorPerfecto said:

AT&T. I'm pretty sure unclocking will void the contract, and I have good insurance on that contract.

 

But again, my question is, can I just use another phone with a cuban SIM -- a phone that has no wireless service at all?

If your phone is unlocked (ATT does it for free on old iPhones) it's just a matter of putting in the SIM to get cell service. It's not unlocked out of the box, here's the link to the free service :

https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/#/

Phone calls and texting work without any configuration. You'll need to change "APN" for data though. 

[JohnnyO]

These offers with the Cuban phone lines seem great, but in my experience their minutes tend to have 40 seconds on it. John

[Ryan]

2 hours ago, SenorPerfecto said:

So here's a question: if I have an extra iphone I bring with me (since my USA phone won't work there except on WiFi), can I buy a cuban SIM and pop it in there, and it'll work? Or do I still need the phone turned on through an outside wireless account too?

Any unlocked phone should work. Cubacel even has nano-sims now. I had to bring mine to a guy with a scissors and a file to have it cut down to size.

6 minutes ago, JohnnyO said:

These offers with the Cuban phone lines seem great, but in my experience their minutes tend to have 40 seconds on it. John

I wouldn't put anything past them but my experience is that what used to be 200 euro + phone bills from Cuba are now $50 or less

[JohnnyO]

I have bought these offers for relatives and they count the seconds/minutes after each call. Most conclude they are not giving you the time awarded. I use the $10 cards and try to find a landline asap. If "te llamo pa'tras" is under 6 seconds there is usually no charge for the call. Also I use a phone only for Cuba. My grassy knoll conspiracy theory leads me to believe that they are running programs/viruses on your phone to pick up any information on you. Probably harmless spy vs spy games. In the past when I used my US phone in Cuba it came back discombobulated and needed to be reset by the provider, loosing all my contacts and all. John

[oliverdst]

Cuba-Brazil 7 CUC/minute.

Even if their minute has 15 seconds it's ok.