@vansvoler: Many people have recently bought giffgaff cards. Are you only using it to receive verification codes? Let me tell you how to maximize the value of this SIM card. 1. Use this +44 number to register a UK PayPal account. 2. Then use this PayPal to buy a Red Pocket US SIM card on eBay. 3. Use th...

Lately, quite a few people have gotten giffgaff SIM cards. Are you just using it for receiving SMS verification codes?
Let me tell you how to maximize the value of this phone card.

1. Use this +44 number to register for a UK PayPal account.
2. Then use this PayPal to buy a Red Pocket US phone card on eBay.
3. Use this US number to register for a US PayPal account.
4. Switch the numbers for all overseas services to the US one. For those that can’t be switched, register a backup using the US number.
5. Later, when subscribing to things like Claude or ChatGPT, just pay directly with a US Apple ID + US PayPal.
   No card picking issues, no payment rejections. If it gets banned by chance, PayPal refunds are quick and safe.
6. For other US financial services and such, take it slow from there.

I have a tutorial on opening an account with East West Bank, and that also comes with a US phone card.
But I wouldn’t recommend using that as your primary card. $100/year is just not a good deal. Just leave it aside after opening the account.

There are plenty of tutorials online for each of these steps.
Registering the Red Pocket card, getting a foreign address, converting a physical giffgaff SIM to eSIM—
I’ve also posted tutorials on all of these on X.

I didn’t expect this thread to blow up like this…
If you’re not in a hurry, feel free to follow me—
I’ll be posting detailed tutorials for each step over the next few days.

Some people say a UK SIM is enough for receiving codes, and you can still subscribe using gift cards.
Sure, that works, which just means you’re not my target audience.
But if you want to become a “cloud resident” of the US and play the US financial credit system,
this isn’t even the starting point.

Check out the insights from @bailyLU and @wadezone for this area.

The first tutorial on Wise is already out.
This is the prerequisite for registering a UK PayPal account,
and in my opinion, the most important financial infrastructure for going global.

Second tutorial: XeSIM + converting giffgaff to eSIM.
If your domestic phone doesn’t support eSIM, this is the solution.

I got KYC’ed two weeks after registration. Used my passport + an overseas address.

I linked my China Construction Bank Muse card and have already made two payments.

Just buy as an eBay guest directly.
If you try to register an eBay account, it’ll be banned instantly—
don’t bother.

Yes, you can. I linked my CCB Muse card.

I have both. Feel free to check my profile—I’ve shared everything there.

Also, a UK IP and address are easy to get.

Why not try it yourself instead of being a critic?

Some big names do it, but I can’t say it outright.

How did a big shot end up giving me a nice guy card? Haha

Seems like besides the $30 Red Pocket card, there are no other costs…

Learn from the West to counter the West.
Learn the good things from abroad,
but ultimately it’s all for creating GDP for our motherland.

Because Red Pocket is the best value right now, bar none.
$30/year, 200 SMS, 200 minutes talk, plus 1GB roaming data each month. Any other contender?

It’s a payment tool, after all—Alipay copied PayPal.

The 1GB roaming data comes with AT&T pure residential IP, more than enough for emergencies.