How to avoid Verizon roaming charges during international travel
If you’re a Verizon customer and you’re planning to travel internationally soon, you might be worried about avoiding data roaming charges.
We’ll explain several methods for avoiding Verizon roaming charges during international travel, and you can choose the best option for your trip.
Do you want to keep your Verizon phone number active during international travel?
Five ways to avoid Verizon roaming charges during international travel
1. PHONE OFF or keep it on Airplane Mode
2. VERIZON SIM OFF, and use Wi-Fi only for internet access
3. VERIZON SIM ON, ROAMING ON with a Verizon travel plan
4. VERIZON SIM ON, ROAMING OFF and only use Wi-Fi for internet
5. PREPAID eSIM data package for affordable local data
Do Verizon roaming charges start as soon as I leave the country?
As with most carriers, Verizon roaming charges will kick in when you travel outside of your normal coverage area (typically this means your home country) and your phone is detected as ‘roaming.’
When a phone ‘roams,’ that means it’s allowed to connect to NEW networks, and there are extra fees associated with this. Verizon can certainly keep your phone connected to the internet when you travel internationally, but the cost will be reflected on your next bill.
How expensive are Verizon roaming charges, typically?
Verizon wants to keep their customers happy, of course, so they do a good job of offering various travel plans with flat daily rates for calling, texting, and using mobile data during an international vacation. (MORE INFO)
Some customers choose to skip the Verizon travel plan and instead use an eSIM (digital SIM card) to access prepaid data on a local network at their destination. This is the modern equivalent of popping in a local SIM card for a cheap data connection on vacation.
How does an eSIM work? Can my phone use eSIM?
An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a downloadable SIM card you can add instantly to a phone or tablet. Most newer devices already support eSIM, so this is a fast way of adding new, affordable data connections to your existing Verizon phone.
Once you have installed the eSIM on your phone, you can use it to connect to networks in new countries. This gives your phone a steady data connection (no Wi-Fi required) anywhere you travel within your eSIM’s boundaries.
How does an eSIM help me avoid Verizon roaming charges?
If you’re using a prepaid eSIM data package on vacation, we’ll show you during activation how to prevent your Verizon cell phone plan from ‘roaming’ in another country.
You can choose to leave your Verizon phone number available for calling and texting (and pay small fees for each call and text), but you’ll want to rely ONLY on your prepaid eSIM for all travel data.
Can I call and text on my Verizon phone number when I’m using an eSIM?
Absolutely! If you choose to use an eSIM for vacation data and leave your Verizon phone number available for calling and texting during your trip, this is how it will work:
- You will keep your Verizon SIM toggled on, with Data Roaming toggled off
- Your phone number will work normally
- You will see pay-per-use fees on your next Verizon bill for any active calling minutes or texts
Avoid Verizon roaming charges
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