BLOOM CertificationSIM and eSIMVancouver, Toronto
Ketaiya
Suited to people who want to sign up for a Bell-group line and get advice at a shop after arriving.
Official websiteGood to know before you ask
- Type
- SIM and eSIM
- Based in
- Vancouver, Toronto
- Founded
- 2008
- Languages
- Japanese
- Help in Japanese
- Available
- Cost
- Each carrier's regular price (no markup from Ketaiya)
- Countries
- Canada
- On this site
- 9 plans listed
What you can do
You can compare SIMs and eSIMs from Bell, Virgin Plus and Lucky Mobile, and sign up online while you are still in Japan. Prepaid Lucky Mobile can be signed up with a passport or similar, while a monthly contract needs a passport or similar plus one of a Canadian credit card, driver's licence or SIN. For a short stay you can choose a rental phone or pocket Wi-Fi, and for a long stay you can arrange home internet at the same contact point. They also handle Wi-Fi and SIMs for temporary returns to Japan and trips to the US.
From applying to after you arrive
Choose a carrier and plan on the plan finder or comparison page.
Apply online at least 1 week before you travel (shipping to Japan is available).
SIMs are basically shipped on the day you apply, except weekends and holidays, and reach Japan in about 3 days.
The line is activated 3 days before the Canadian entry date you registered (excluding weekends and holidays) and your phone number is sent to you, so you can start procedures that use the number before you arrive.
After you arrive, you can get advice at a shop, by phone, on LINE or through the form, and advice after you sign up is free.
What sets it apart
There is a main shop in Vancouver and a shop in Toronto, so you can handle things at a shop even after signing up. Changing your phone number is free, and a replacement SIM or eSIM for a lost one costs $30 (excluding tax) at a shop.
For a phone you bring from Japan, the shop can put a test SIM in before you sign up and check whether it works on Canadian networks. This is because some models can't be used if the frequencies don't match, even when SIM-unlocked.
Ketaiya began selling mobile phones to Japanese speakers in Canada in 2008, and more than 40,000 people have signed up in total (July 2024, from the official company history). All staff who give advice have been trained by the carriers.
There is no system for suspending a line during a temporary return home. The official FAQ recommends switching to the cheapest plan and keeping it. With Lucky Mobile, the account remains for 4 months even if you stop paying. If you buy a phone with a 2-year Bell contract, the remaining device cost is owed if you cancel before the term ends, so decide whether to buy a phone first.
It suits people who will live in Canada for six months or more and want to visit a shop and get advice when in trouble. If you plan temporary returns home, it's worth comparing it with other agencies, including how charges are handled in the meantime.
