Question 1

What is an eSIM?

Accepted Answer

An eSIM is a SIM card built into your phone. Instead of putting in a piece of plastic, you scan a QR code and the plan is downloaded onto the phone. Your normal SIM stays where it is, so you keep your own number for calls and messages while using our data abroad.

Question 2

Will it work on my phone?

Accepted Answer

Most phones sold since 2019 support eSIM, but the phone also has to be carrier-unlocked. Check your model on our compatible devices page, and if your phone came from a carrier on a contract, ask them to unlock it before you travel — that is the single most common reason an eSIM cannot be installed.

Question 3

Do I keep my own phone number?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our eSIM adds a data-only line alongside your existing SIM. Calls and texts continue to arrive on your usual number, though you should keep roaming switched off for that line unless you want to pay your home carrier's roaming charges.

Question 4

Can I make calls or send texts?

Accepted Answer

Not on our line — these are data plans. Calls and messages over WhatsApp, FaceTime, Telegram or any other app work normally, because those use data.

Question 5

How much data do I need?

Accepted Answer

For maps, messaging, email and occasional browsing, roughly 1 GB a week is enough. Add 1–2 GB a week if you use social media heavily, and considerably more if you plan to stream video or work over a hotspot. If you run low you can usually top up without buying a new eSIM.

Question 6

How soon do I get it?

Accepted Answer

Normally within a minute of payment. The QR code appears on the order page and is emailed to the address you gave at checkout. If it takes longer than a few minutes, the order page will say so plainly rather than spinning — and we will have been alerted.

Question 7

Do I need an account?

Accepted Answer

No. You can buy as a guest with just an email address. If you later create an account with that same address, every purchase you made as a guest appears in it automatically.

Question 8

I lost the email. Can I get the QR code again?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sign in with the address you bought with and the eSIM is in your account, QR code and all. You can also open the order link from the confirmation email at any time.

Question 9

Which payment methods do you take?

Accepted Answer

Cards and the wallets your device offers — Apple Pay and Google Pay among them — through Stripe. We never see or store your card details.

Question 10

When should I install the eSIM?

Accepted Answer

Install it before you travel, while you still have reliable Wi-Fi: adding an eSIM needs an internet connection, and you will not have one when you land. Installing is not the same as starting the plan.

Question 11

When does my plan start?

Accepted Answer

On most plans the validity period begins when the eSIM first connects to a mobile network, not when you install it or when you buy it. That is why you should install at home but leave the line switched off until you arrive. A few plans start on installation instead; the plan page says which.

Question 12

Can I install it on a second phone?

Accepted Answer

No. An eSIM profile can only be downloaded once. If you delete it from your phone — or reset the phone — it cannot be reinstalled, so keep it in place for the whole trip.

Question 13

The QR code will not scan.

Accepted Answer

If you are reading the email on the phone that needs the eSIM, there is nothing to scan it with. Every order page and email also lists the SM-DP+ address and activation code, which you can type in by hand under the manual entry option in your phone's eSIM settings.

Question 14

It is installed but I have no data.

Accepted Answer

Three things to check, in order: the new line is switched on, data roaming is enabled for that line, and mobile data is set to use it rather than your home SIM. Roaming sounds wrong but it is correct — the eSIM is a foreign network from your phone's point of view.

Question 15

How do I see how much data is left?

Accepted Answer

In your account, on the eSIM's page. The figure comes from the network operator, which settles usage counters every two to three hours, so it always shows when it was last updated rather than pretending to be live.

Question 16

Can I add more data?

Accepted Answer

On most plans, yes — open the eSIM in your account and choose Add data. The extra allowance goes onto the eSIM you are already using: nothing to scan, nothing to reinstall. Top-ups are not available after a plan expires.

Question 17

What happens when the plan ends?

Accepted Answer

The data stops. Your own SIM is unaffected, and you can buy another eSIM at any time. An expired eSIM stays visible in your account as a record of the purchase.

Question 18

Can I get a refund?

Accepted Answer

If the eSIM has not been installed and the plan has not started, yes — see our refund policy. Once a profile has been downloaded to a phone it cannot be returned, because it cannot be reissued to anyone else. If something is wrong with an eSIM you bought, contact us: a plan that never worked is a different matter from a change of mind.

Question 19

Why is the price different from yesterday?

Accepted Answer

Prices follow wholesale rates and the exchange rate for your currency, both of which move. Whatever price you see at checkout is the price you pay, and it is frozen onto your order — it cannot change afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

Before you buy

Buying and delivery

Installing it

After you arrive

Money

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