Can I reuse a SIM card? How do I re-use a SIM? These are just a few of the questions people ask about SIM cards. We created this page to discuss different carriers and inform you of their SIM Card Reusability policies.

When Can You Reuse A SIM Card?

You can reuse some SIM Cards after activation while others get “burned” or placed on temporary hold for activation. The table below details whether you will need to purchase a new SIM card or if you can reuse the old one. If you consider a new or used phone with a SIM already in it, remember that only Sprint SIMs can be re-used. We cannot activate any other company’s SIMs if they did not come from Best Cellular.

1. Once activated, Sprint SIM cards attach to the initial device but the phone number is not provisioned to the SIM Card. There are currently (40) different types of Sprint SIM cards and most Sprint devices need a specific SIM card in order to activate. Since Sprint SIM Cards cannot be cut to fit, please verify Sprint SIM Card Compatability. We created our version of the Sprint UICC Matrix tool to make it easier for people to get the right SIM card for their device.
2. Other carriers require the right profile on the carrier to authenticate upon activation and to provision the number into the SIM.

Carrier	Reusable	Notes	Required SIM Supplier	Bring Your Own Sim
AT&T SIM Cards	NO	Burned After Activation	Best Cellular	NO
Sprint SIM Cards	YES	Reusable as long as not active	ANY – eBay, Amazon, a Sprint retailer, etc.	YES
T-Mobile SIM Cards	NO	Burned After Activation	Best Cellular	NO
Verizon SIM Cards	YES	Reusable 52 Days after Deactivation	Best Cellular (Some prepaid MVNOs are cross-compatible)	NO