Student Phone Plans in Canada: What to Look For
Srujan YeletiFounder, Unlimit Mobile
6 min read
For international students, the best student phone plans in Canada are prepaid: no credit check, no contract, and a length that matches your term. Unlimit Mobile offers Canada phone plans for students on Telus 5G+ for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, with 50GB to 120GB of data. Check your phone, then pick your data and length.
This guide explains what a student plan in Canada should include, prepaid versus postpaid, how much data you need, which plan length fits your studies, and how to keep the cost down.
What is a student phone plan in Canada?
A "student phone plan" isn't a special kind of plan. Some providers run student promotions, but for an international student the terms matter more than the label. A good student plan:
- Works without a Canadian credit history
- Gives you a Canadian number from day one
- Runs as long as your term, without monthly renewals
- Has enough data for classes, maps and video calls home
- Includes calls to your home country
- Lets you leave without a penalty if your plans change
Unlimit Mobile doesn't have a separate student price. Its Canada plans are the same for everyone, and they're built around these needs: prepaid, with a Canadian number, unlimited local calls and texts, and 1,000 international minutes to 34 countries.
Prepaid vs postpaid student mobile plans in Canada
Canadian phone plans come in two kinds. For most international students, prepaid is the practical choice, at least for the first year.
| Detail | Prepaid | Postpaid |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Upfront, for the length you choose | A monthly bill after you use the service |
| Credit check | No | Usually, which is hard without a Canadian credit history |
| Contract | None | Often, especially with a phone on a payment plan |
| Extra charges | You know the cost before you start | Possible, depending on the plan |
| Good fit for | New arrivals and students | People with a Canadian credit history |
Building a Canadian credit history takes time, and our guide on how to build a credit score in Canada explains how. Until then, prepaid keeps you connected without one.
How much data does a student need in Canada?
It depends on how much of your day you spend on Wi-Fi. Campus and home Wi-Fi cover lectures and big downloads. Mobile data covers everything in between: maps, transit apps, messages, social media and video calls home. If you plan to use your phone as a hotspot for your laptop, you'll need more.
- Unlimit Slay, 50GB a month: you're on campus or home Wi-Fi most of the day.
- Unlimit Loki, 75GB a month: you use data on the move every day, with some streaming and video calls.
- Unlimit GOAT, 120GB a month: you hotspot your laptop for classes or work, or stream a lot away from Wi-Fi.
Still unsure? Try our mobile data usage calculator for moving abroad.
| Plan | Data | 1 month | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimit Slay | 50GB | CAD $33 | CAD $324 |
| Unlimit Loki | 75GB | CAD $35 | CAD $384 |
| Unlimit GOAT | 120GB | CAD $50 | CAD $564 |
Whichever you choose, calls and texts are the same: unlimited within Canada, plus 1,000 international minutes to 34 countries.
Can I use my phone as a hotspot for online classes?
Yes. Hotspot and tethering work on compatible phones on every Canada plan, so you can share your data with a laptop or tablet when there's no Wi-Fi. Hotspot use comes out of your monthly data, which is where the 120GB on Unlimit GOAT helps.
Moving with friends?
Unlimit Loki and Unlimit GOAT can take more than one line on an order, so friends or roommates flying out together can check out once. Unlimit Slay is one line per order.
Which plan length fits your studies?
Unlimit Mobile's Canada plans run for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, paid once, upfront. Most providers only do monthly or a full year. Longer plans cost less per month, and on every Canada plan the 12-month length has the lowest monthly price.
- 1 month: a short course, a visit, or a first month while you settle in.
- 3 or 6 months: fewer renewals, and less per month than paying month by month.
- 12 months: the whole year in one payment, at the lowest price per month.
What happens when your plan ends?
When a plan's validity ends, your number is suspended for 7 days. Renew or switch plans within those 7 days to keep it. After that, the number is disconnected for good and can't be recovered. You can renew in the Unlimit Mobile app or on the website, so if you go home for the summer, renew before you leave, so you don't lose the number your bank and college have on file.
What do you need to get a student phone plan in Canada?
Less than you might think. You don't need a Canadian credit history, a Canadian bank account or a contract. You do need:
- An unlocked phone. For the eSIM it also has to be eSIM-compatible: check yours on the eSIM compatible phones list, or read about bringing your own phone.
- A bank account or credit card from home to pay with.
- Your passport, for the eKYC photos you upload after paying.
- Your travel date, which sets when your number goes live: 48 hours before it.
Buying from India? Our guide to getting a Canada SIM card in India covers delivery, timing and keeping your Indian number.
Already have a Canadian number?
You can keep it. Port your Canadian number to Unlimit Mobile for free and carry on with the same number on a prepaid plan.
How to get the best student phone plans in Canada for less
- Buy before you fly. Unlimit Mobile has special pre-departure rates, and the CAD 80 sign-up fee is waived.
- Pay for a longer length. 3, 6 and 12 months all cost less per month than renewing every month.
- Pick the data you actually use. With Wi-Fi on campus and at home, you may not need the biggest plan.
- Open your Student GIC through a partner. Open an ICICI Student GIC or a BMO Student GIC through Unlimit Mobile's referral and get CAD 120 worth of mobile plans as Unlimit Coins.
See all our student phone plans for Canada, the USA and the UK, or compare Canada eSIM plans and prices now. Still weighing roaming, travel eSIMs and local SIMs? Our guide to the best SIM card in Canada compares them side by side.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best student phone plans in Canada?
Prepaid plans with a Canadian number, no credit check and a length that matches your term. Unlimit Mobile's Canada plans run on Telus 5G+ for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, with 50GB, 75GB or 120GB of data a month.
Do international students need a credit check for a phone plan in Canada?
Not for a prepaid plan. Unlimit Mobile's plans have no credit check and no contract, so you can get one before you have a Canadian credit history.
Is there a student discount on Unlimit Mobile plans?
There's no separate student price. Plans come with special pre-departure rates and the CAD 80 sign-up fee waived, and opening a Student GIC with ICICI or BMO through Unlimit Mobile's referral adds CAD 120 in Unlimit Coins.
Can I pay for a whole year at once?
Yes. Canada plans run for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months, paid upfront, and the 12-month length has the lowest price per month.
What happens if I don't renew my plan?
Your number is suspended for 7 days. Renew within that time to keep it; after that, it's disconnected and can't be recovered.
Can I keep my existing Canadian number?
Yes. You can port a Canadian number to Unlimit Mobile for free and keep using it.
