Softbank Prepaid Sim Only

Hi! If I already have a softbank mobile phone, can I just buy a prepaid sim from Softbank?
Thanks!

Yes, you should be able to take the handset into a softbank store and get a prepaid sim card assuming you meet the other requirements for a prepaid phone (i.e. address, passport or other ID). Also, I don't think there is a charge for the sim card other than the prepaid credit you would need to purchase to use the phone.

It is possible but you might have to dig around sometimes. I'm not sure what city you are in but for Tokyo my experience was this:

I already had an older softbank phone that the contract expired and I wanted to switch to a prepaid plan.

I went to one location who told me I had to purchase a prepaid phone even though I already had a phone, I just wanted the chip, another shop told me the same thing, but these were both small local shops. So finally I went out to the location near Harajuku Station (Omotosando store) I think it's called. I explained (in Japanese) I just wanted the prepaid sim for my already existent phone, it was no problem, he went out back, came back with the new prepaid sim, filled out the application, they did some scanning of stuff and I was out with a new prepaid sim for ZERO cost.

You do however have to purchase a 3000 or 5000yen charge to load on to the phone. I didn't buy it from softbank, but from one of those discount ticket shops in shinjuku since you can save a few yen in purchasing from them.

thanks yllwsmrf and expresstrain! :)

@expresstrain where can I find those discount ticket shops in Shinjuku? And I'll try my luck in Omotesando..but I don't speak Japanese that well yet so I'll try asking in english. Hopefully this will be okay since I found out online that Softbank Omotesando is one of the few stores with english-speaking staff. :)

And about those 3000 yen card, they only last for 2 months? I don't really make calls so I'm just planning to use the 300 yen/month unlimited mail..so if I don't make calls, I'll be losing 2400 yen/month?

Thanks! :D

you can get discounted prepaid recharge/reload
@2649yen for the 3000yen card here

http://mobilesys.co.uk/

been using it for the past 1-1/2year ..

@ctrlalt

your 3000/5000yen will last you for 60days, and 300yen per month for unlimited email usage, plus few yen for taxes( everytime you recharge)

you will lose your balance at the end of 60days unless you top it up/recharge again with either 3000 or 5000yen ,then your new balance will be = previous month balance + new recharge amount.

For example your balance is 2,100 yen and you recharge 3000yen before end of 60days,so your new balance is (2100+3000) 5,100yen.

you will keep whatever balance you have if you recharge before 60days expired and every time you recharge, the 60 days cycle begin again.

I've been using prepaid for the past 2 yrs after I finished off my postpaid softbank plan. and been getting my recharge at the above website for the past 1-1/2 years. you can pay through bank transfer,I used JPost, since I have JPost account so no bank transfer charges. Discount shop only sell the most 50-100yen cheaper.

postpaid cheapest is 980yen plus you need to pay 315yen for email/sms/mms function plus other charges which might come to around 1,300yen(maybe) per month,and you don't get to used that money. Unlike prepaid, you used all the amount you paid or get to keep the balance (provided you recharge it every 60days)