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FAQ

100 answers about travel eSIM

Each answer is written once and reused across the site. Where the answer depends on the supplier, the device or the country, we say so rather than generalising.

Plan data in this build comes from a demo supplier used to exercise the system. Prices and networks are replaced with live data once a supplier API is connected.
A traveller setting up a phone
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Topics

Pick the topic that matches your situation

Choosing and buying10 questions · Picking a plan, comparing shapes, and what the price on the page does and does not include.Read more Installing10 questions · Getting the profile onto your phone, by QR code or by typing the details in.Read more Activation and expiry10 questions · When the validity clock starts, and what happens when it runs out.Read more Coverage and networks10 questions · Which networks a plan may use, what speed to expect, and what nobody can promise.Read more Data and usage10 questions · How much to buy, how to make it last, and what unlimited actually means.Read more Payment and refunds10 questions · How to pay, the currency you see, receipts, and when a refund is possible.Read more Devices10 questions · Which handsets support eSIM, carrier locks, and running two numbers at once.Read more Troubleshooting10 questions · Installed but offline, slow, or no network found — the order of checks that actually works.Read more Travel and country rules10 questions · Crossing borders, SIM registration, and the limits that come from a country rather than a plan.Read more Business, resellers and affiliates10 questions · Buying for a team, tax invoices, reselling, and partnering with us.Read more
Asked most

The eight questions asked before every purchase

What is a travel eSIM?+

An eSIM is a SIM held as a digital profile on a chip already inside your phone, so there is no plastic card to swap. Travel plans are mostly data-only, run for a fixed period, and work by roaming onto networks at your destination — which means your home SIM can stay in place for calls and texts.

How do I know if my phone supports eSIM?+

The most direct check is the cellular settings: look for an option to add an eSIM or a mobile plan. You can also dial *#06# and see whether an EID appears — if it does, the phone has an eSIM chip.

How much data should I buy?+

Light use — maps, chat, email — runs about 0.4GB a day; normal use with social and photos about 0.9GB; heavy use with streaming or hotspot about 1.9GB. Multiply by days and add 15 percent.

When does the validity period start?+

Most plans start at first connection to a network at the destination, not at payment or installation — but some start from the purchase date. Every plan page states which policy applies; read that line before buying.

Which network will I connect to?+

It depends on the supplier's roaming agreements, your device and where you are. The networks listed on a plan page are the ones it may use, not a promise of any particular one.

Can I keep my home number active?+

Yes, and that is the main advantage. Keep the home SIM in place for calls and OTP codes while the eSIM carries data — with data roaming off on the home line so nothing bills unexpectedly.

Is unlimited really unlimited, and what is FUP?+

Almost every unlimited plan carries a fair-use policy: full speed up to a daily amount, throttled after that. The connection stays up but slows. Where the provider states the full-speed cap, we show it.

When can I get a refund?+

Broadly: when the profile has not been installed or started, and when we cannot deliver something you have already paid for. Once installed and used, a refund is usually not possible because the product has been delivered. The refund policy has the detail.

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