Can I get a refund for an unused eSIM?
Yes, if it's still sitting uninstalled. An eSIM that was never installed and never carried any data refunds automatically and instantly from My account, no ticket needed, any time within 30 days of purchase. Once you've installed the profile, or it's carried any data, a refund becomes a request reviewed within 24 hours instead.
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It's a fair worry: plans changed, you bought the wrong destination by mistake, or a trip fell through, and now you want your money back rather than a QR code you'll never scan. The good news is the refund path isn't a form you fill in and wait on, it turns on one simple fact: did the eSIM ever get installed? Here's exactly how that plays out either way, and what actually happens to the eSIM once a refund goes through.
The one thing that decides it: was the eSIM installed?
Every refund request lands in one of two buckets, and the eSIM's own history decides which one before anyone reviews anything. An eSIM that's still sitting exactly as it arrived, never installed on a phone and never carrying any data, is treated as barely different from an order you changed your mind about. The moment it's installed, even without connecting to a network yet, it moves into a second bucket that needs an actual look before money moves.
- Never installed, no data used: refunds automatically and instantly, no ticket, no waiting.
- Installed, connected, or outside the 30-day window: reviewed by a person, typically within 24 hours.
- An order that can't be matched to a payment: also goes to the 24-hour review, so support can confirm it's really yours.
Never installed it? Refund it yourself, right now
If your eSIM is still exactly as it arrived, open My account, find the order, and request a refund. There's no ticket to raise and no 24-hour wait, the system approves it on the spot as long as you're inside 30 days of buying it. Approved refunds go back to your original payment method, card or PayPal, and typically land within 5-10 business days, the same settlement time any card refund takes regardless of how quickly it was approved on our side.
Already installed it, or past 30 days? Here's what happens instead
Installing the profile, even if you never actually connected abroad and even leaving it installed with zero data used, takes a refund out of the instant path and into a 24-hour review instead. So does asking outside the 30-day window, or an order that doesn't match cleanly to a payment. None of that means no, it just means a person looks at it rather than a script. Request it the same way, from My account, and expect a decision by email within 24 hours.
Why installing, not just using data, is the line
This isn't a quirk of our checkout, it mirrors how digital-goods refunds work generally. The EU's Consumer Rights Directive gives buyers of digital content a right to withdraw, but that right ends the moment delivery begins with the buyer's consent (Article 16(m)). The UK's Consumer Contracts Regulations draw the same line for digital content once supply has started (Regulation 37). An eSIM profile is exactly that kind of digital content: once it's installed, delivery has effectively happened, which is why installing, not just connecting or using data, is the moment that changes which refund path applies.
What happens to the eSIM once a refund goes through
An approved refund cancels the eSIM. Its QR code and manual activation details stop working immediately and can't be reissued or reactivated afterward, so don't request one until you're sure you won't need it. If you're refunding because you bought the wrong destination or size rather than because you don't want an eSIM at all, it's usually worth buying the right one first and only refunding the mistake once the new one is confirmed working.
Before you request a refund, check it isn't actually a fixable problem. A profile that's stuck partway through setup, an order still showing Provisioning long after you paid, or an eSIM you can't find in My account at all usually has a two-minute fix rather than needing a refund. Why isn't my eSIM ready right after I pay? and Can't find your eSIM or order? cover the two most common versions of that, and our full diagnostic guide sorts out everything else.
How to request a refund
- Open My account and sign in.
- Find the eSIM or order you want refunded.
- Select Request refund.
- Never installed and inside 30 days: it's approved immediately. Otherwise, you'll get a decision by email within 24 hours.
The complete terms, including edge cases like a partially used top-up, are in our refund policy.
Can I get a refund if I installed my eSIM but never connected to a network abroad?
Yes, it's still eligible, but installing moves it out of the instant self-serve path and into a 24-hour review instead of an automatic approval.
How long do I have to request a refund?
The instant, self-serve refund applies within 30 days of purchase for an eSIM that was never installed. Outside that window, or once it's been installed, request one anyway, it just goes through the same 24-hour review instead.
How long does an approved refund take to reach my card or PayPal?
Typically 5-10 business days back to whichever payment method you used at checkout, the standard settlement time for a refund regardless of how quickly it was approved.
What happens to my eSIM once the refund is approved?
It's cancelled immediately. The QR code and manual activation details stop working and can't be reissued, so only request a refund once you're sure you don't need the eSIM.
Can I get a refund for a plan that's already run out of data or expired?
Not through the automatic money-back path, that only covers an eSIM that never carried any data. If something went wrong with the service itself, request a review anyway, those are looked at individually rather than ruled out automatically.
Do I need to contact support to request a refund?
No. Request it yourself from My account next to the order. Support only gets involved if your case needs the 24-hour manual review.
