Recharge Guatemala
from the USA.

How to recharge a mobile number in Guatemala from the USA

Slashtel delivers a direct top-up to a Guatemalan number in minutes, paid from the USA by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. You enter the number, the operator is detected automatically, and you pick a plan. No account with the Guatemalan operator is needed, and the person in Guatemala receives the balance or package on their phone.

Guatemalan mobile numbers use the country code 502 and are 8 digits long. The national format looks like 5123 4567, and the international format is +502 5123 4567. There is no leading zero to drop, so you can enter the number as it appears on the phone or in a message.

The steps are the same whether you are paying for your own Guatemalan line or a family member's:

1. Enter the Guatemalan mobile number, either as 5123 4567 or as +502 5123 4567.
2. Check the operator shown. Slashtel detects Claro or Tigo from the number itself.
3. Choose a plan or an airtime amount from the list that appears.
4. Pay with a card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
5. The top-up lands on the Guatemalan number in minutes.

If the number is entered correctly and the operator is detected, the plan list loads straight away. If nothing appears, the number is usually mistyped or belongs to a different operator than expected.

Popular plans and what they include

The plans that appear depend on the operator detected from the number. Claro SuperPack options include Superpack $7 All included USA with 7 days validity, $12 Datos USA 1 and Superpack $12 All included USA with 15 days, and Superpack $15 All included USA with 30 days. Tigo Paquetigo options include Paquetigo 8GB with 7 days, Paquetigo 15GB with 15 days and Paquetigo 20GB with 30 days.

Tigo Paquetigo plans are shown in quetzales, so Paquetigo 8GB lands as GTQ 72, Paquetigo 15GB as GTQ 108.01 and Paquetigo 20GB as GTQ 144. Straight Tigo recharges are also available, such as a GTQ 72 recharge and a GTQ 108 recharge, which add airtime rather than a data bundle.

Claro airtime top-ups are listed in quetzales too, with amounts such as GTQ 95.87 and GTQ 144. These suit someone who prefers to buy their own bundle from the operator once the balance arrives.

Where a plan carries the operator's tax, the amount shown is what actually lands on the phone. The figure you see for the recipient is the figure they receive.

Keeping a Guatemala number active while you live abroad

Many people in the USA keep a Guatemalan number alive because it receives bank and card one-time passcodes, and because family back home use it to stay in touch. A small airtime top-up or a short plan keeps the line in service without needing a local SIM in your US phone.

If the number is your own, the main reason to keep it funded is verification. Guatemalan banks and card issuers send codes by SMS, and an inactive line cannot receive them. A recharge every so often keeps that channel open.

If the number belongs to a family member, the reason is usually simpler: they need data or airtime and you are paying from abroad. Sending a plan directly to their phone avoids transfer fees and the need for them to visit a shop.

Either way, the number stays in Guatemala. You are adding value to it from the USA, not moving it.

Entering the number correctly

Guatemalan numbers are 8 digits after the 502 country code, written as 5123 4567 nationally or +502 5123 4567 internationally. There is no trunk zero to remove, so the digits you see are the digits you enter. A wrong digit is the most common reason a top-up fails to arrive.

Check the number against a recent message or call from that line rather than typing it from memory. If you are copying it from a contact, confirm the country code is 502 and not a neighbouring country's code.

Slashtel detects the operator from the number, so you do not need to know in advance whether the line is Claro or Tigo. If the detected operator does not match what you expected, stop and recheck the digits before paying.

Paying from the USA and what it costs

Payment is by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and prices start from $13.99. The amount that lands on the Guatemalan phone is shown in the local currency for quetzal plans, or in US dollars for the Claro SuperPack USA options, so you can see exactly what the recipient gets.

There is no need for a Guatemalan bank account or card. The charge is made in the USA on the payment method you choose, and the top-up is delivered to the number in minutes.

Plan validity runs from the day the top-up lands. Claro SuperPack options run for 7, 15 or 30 days depending on the one chosen, and Tigo Paquetigo options run for 7, 15 or 30 days. Airtime recharges have no validity period attached in the same way, since they simply add balance.

If you top up regularly, keeping the same number saved makes repeat purchases quicker and reduces the chance of a typing error.