How do I use my AT&T prepaid plan in Ireland?

Well, since I leave next week, it sounds as if switching carriers is the only option.

Why would AT&T intentionally disallow something as simple as this?  I can't see any technical reason why this isn't possible - or even simple, for that matter. 

I wouldn't mind paying a fee to get it turned on, so this just makes me want to stop doing business with them.

It is nothing to do with carriers,it is all because you're on PREPAID.
The other US carriers are saying you can roam intentionally even on Prepaid.
How about most time you cannot call back to USA while you're in Ireland?  
People try to reach you can only get to your voicemail,but your phone is on and got full signal in Ireland??
Oh!! even Text & SMS  was delay for 36 hours??
I hope you have an unlocked phone ,go and get a local Sim card in Ireland.
If you go to Northern Ireland,you will need UK sim card . But both sim can roaming all around EU.

 

What does the payment plan have to do with a technical feature like roaming?  Prepayment is better for the service provider - it decreases working capital by time shifting receivables. 

Why would ANY carrier limit what you can purchase on ANY payment plan?  I just don't see a connection between the payment plan and the ability to use a specific feature.

And yes, I have unlocked my phone so that I can use a local SIM, but that doesn't solve the problem of getting unlock codes from banks, credit cards, etc. while traveling.

After doing some looking, I see that Brand V has an international pre-paid plan that will work.  AT&T just doesn't seem to be very interested in supporting their customers, from my persective.

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@mmauneyjr wrote:

What does the payment plan have to do with a technical feature like roaming?  Prepayment is better for the service provider - it decreases working capital by time shifting receivables. 

 AT&T prepaid is the CHEAPer plan, it has fewer features. Basically, it's the second class plan.  

International roaming, HD Voice, VoLTE, WiFi calling are features that they have not been catering to on their cheaper service. They don't offer phone payments or discounts to go with their TV services either. Just recently they've started offering multi-line discounts and I hear VoLTE and WiFi calling is coming.

Why would ANY carrier limit what you can purchase on ANY payment plan?  I just don't see a connection between the payment plan and the ability to use a specific feature. AT&T just doesn't seem to be very interested in supporting their customers, from my persective.

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I think part of it is not wanting to support it on their cheaper plans.  You get what you get and there aren't many options. If you want more features, they've been wanting you to sign up for postpaid to get those features. Looks like some of that is changing, but that's not going to help you.

Well, given my other experiences with AT&T, this leaves me thinking it's time to switch carriers.

Honesty, they could jack up the rate to as much as they want to enable international roaming.  Not making it available at any price is just insulting to their customers, and no amount of "it's just their prepaid plan" changes this simple fact.

We unlocked the phone and put a different SIM in it.   I would have gladly paid AT&T 2-3x as much to have them turn on roaming for a couple of weeks.  They need a better marketing / product management team.