Money, wifi and staying connected

Staying connected and paying your way at ORD: free wifi, charging a phone, SIM and eSIM options on arrival, currency exchange and cash machines. The guides say where each service is and when it is worth using, and the amenities pages list every location the airport publishes.

• Currency exchange and ATMs at O'Hare: counters, hours and machines

  Seaway Bank runs O'Hare's exchange counters, notes only. See each counter's gate and hours, the ATMs by terminal and where the map differs from the list.

  • Where each counter sits and when it’s open
  • What the counters buy and how you pay
  • Where the airport’s list and its map disagree
  • ATMs by terminal and level
• Free Wi-Fi at O'Hare: how to connect

  O'Hare's Wi-Fi is free and unlimited in every terminal, before and after security. Join the network, open a non-https page, then tap Watch Ad to Connect.

  • Connect in these five steps, in this order
  • Which network name do you pick?
  • What the airport doesn’t say
  • Sources
• Where to buy a SIM card at O'Hare

  O'Hare's map marks SIM cards at the Terminal 5 and Terminal 3 baggage claims and past security in Terminals 1 and 3. It names no seller or price.

  • Where the map marks SIM cards
  • Terminal 5 shops that sell chargers and electronics
  • How Wi-Fi covers you when you land
  • Sources
• Where to charge your phone at O'Hare

  O'Hare lists free power stations gate by gate, and Terminal 5 has one, at Gate M13. If yours isn't listed, shops that sell chargers are the fallback.

  • Which gates have a power station?
  • No station at your gate
  • Which shops sell chargers?
  • Before you clear security
  • Sources