Register a Simbase SIM card

You have to register a SIM in your Simbase dashboard before it can connect to a network. This guide covers the two registration paths: one card at a time, or a full batch in one go, and the two checks every new SIM has to pass before it works in a device.

Before you start

You need:

• A Simbase account with positive balance. SIMs with zero balance stay blocked. See Set up billing.

• The ICCID (for individual cards) printed under the barcode on the back of each SIM, or the Batch ID (for SIM packs) printed on the paper insert that came with the pack.

• The matching serial number for each, printed directly under the ICCID or to the right of the Batch ID.

Choose your registration method

• A handful of loose SIM cards → use Individual SIMs (~30 seconds each).

• A SIM pack or box (50, 100, 1,000 SIMs) → use SIM Packs (~1 minute for the whole batch).

Register individual SIMs

1. On the Home screen of your Simbase account

2. Click Register SIMs (top right)

3. Select Individual SIMs

4. Enter the ICCID from the back of the card

5. Enter the Serial number printed below the ICCID

6. Optional: add tags so you can filter by device, customer, or location later

7. Choose whether to register the SIMs as Enabled or Disabled, and whether to activate Theft Protection. Register as Disabled if they aren't going into devices yet, as the daily fee starts when a SIM is enabled.

8. Click Add SIMs. Repeat for each card. When you've added them all, click Next step

9. Pick a plan that matches your deployment region

The SIMs now appear in your SIM cards list.

Register a SIM pack (batch)

Use this if your SIMs arrived in a sealed pack with a paper insert.

1. On the Home screen of your Simbase account

2. Click Register SIMs (top right)

3. Select SIM Packs

4. Enter the Batch ID from the paper insert in the pack

5. Enter the Serial number printed to the right of the Batch ID

6. Click Add SIMs. Optional: tag the batch

7. Choose whether to register the batch as Enabled or Disabled, and whether to activate Theft Protection for the entire pack. Register as Disabled if the SIMs aren't going into devices yet, as the daily fee starts when a SIM is enabled.

8. Repeat for additional packs, then click Next step

9. Pick a plan and click Select Plan

All SIMs in the batch now appear in your SIM cards list.

Before you put the SIM in a device

A registered SIM only connects when both of these are true:

• Status is Enabled in the dashboard. You choose this during registration, and you can change it afterwards from the SIM's actions menu. See SIM state.

• Your account balance is positive. A zero balance blocks every SIM on the account.

If either condition fails, the SIM appears as registered but won't attach to a network.

Confirm activation

After inserting the SIM, you can verify it's online from the dashboard:

1. Open the SIM cards page.

2. Click the SIM (use the ICCID search if you have many).

3. Look at the Status and Last seen fields. A successfully activated SIM shows Online within a few minutes of first powering on the device.