Pay as you go eSIM: one balance, every border
Pay as you go is one eSIM with a prepaid credit balance instead of a data plan. Load $10 or more, and data comes off the balance by the megabyte at each country's published rate, in 180+ countries. The credit never expires, and data simply stops at zero, so a surprise bill is impossible.
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Every travel data plan starts with the same two questions: which country, and how many gigabytes? Pay as you go removes both. There is no plan to size, no validity window ticking down, and nothing to re-buy when a trip crosses a border. You install one eSIM, load a balance, and pay for exactly the data you use, wherever you happen to be standing. Here's how it actually works, and just as importantly, when it isn't the right choice.
One eSIM, one balance, metered by the megabyte
With a fixed plan you buy a bucket of data up front, sized to a country and a number of days. Pay as you go inverts that. You load credit in dollars, and as you browse, navigate and message, the cost of each megabyte comes off the balance at the local rate of the country you're in. Land somewhere new and nothing changes on your side: same eSIM, same balance, new local rate. There is no plan to activate at the border, no new QR code to scan, and no leftover gigabytes stranded in the country you just left.
What a megabyte costs
Every country has a published rate, and you will never pay more than it. You can check the rate for anywhere you're headed before you travel, in the rate card and in your account, so the price per megabyte is never a surprise. Rates vary by country, and per gigabyte, metered credit generally costs more than a big fixed bucket. That is the honest trade: a bucket is cheaper per gigabyte because you commit to a number up front; pay as you go charges more per megabyte but only for the megabytes you actually use.
A bill can never arrive later. The balance is prepaid, and when it reaches zero, data stops. Top up and it starts again. Roaming horror stories need an open-ended bill to happen; there isn't one here.
Loading credit
Top-ups start at $10, and you can add $25, $50 or $100 whenever you like. The balance is yours: it carries between countries, between trips, and it never expires. We warn you when credit runs low, first around $5 and again around $1, so a busy day doesn't end with a dead connection mid-map. If you'd rather not think about it at all, optional automatic top-up reloads the balance when it runs low, capped at a limit you choose. Your card is handled by our payment provider, never stored by us, and you can switch it off at any time.
When pay as you go is the right pick
- Multi-country trips: a rail loop through four countries needs four buckets, or one balance that just keeps working.
- Light users: if your trip is maps, messages and the odd photo home rather than streaming, you may spend a few dollars where a plan would cost fifteen.
- Unpredictable plans: no dates to commit to and no validity window to waste if the trip changes.
- A standing travel line: frequent short hops where buying and installing a new plan every time is the real cost.
When a fixed plan is still better
If you know you'll use serious data, a bucket wins. Streaming video, backing up big photo libraries over cellular, or hotspotting a laptop will run a metered balance down much faster than a fixed plan, and per gigabyte the bucket is simply cheaper. For a one-country trip with heavy, predictable usage, pick a fixed or unlimited plan for that country. We sell both, and we'd rather you picked the right one.
Do I need a new eSIM for each country?
No. You install one eSIM, once. It stays on your phone and connects in every country we cover, with data metered at each country's own published rate.
What happens to credit I don't spend?
Nothing. It stays on your balance, carries to your next trip, and never expires. There is no validity window to outrun.
Can I get a surprise bill?
No. The balance is prepaid and data stops when it reaches zero. If you turn on automatic top-up, it is capped at the limit you chose. There is nothing open-ended to bill against.
How do I know what data costs where I'm going?
Every country's rate is published before you travel, in the rate card and in your account. It's a ceiling: you will never pay more per megabyte than the published rate.
Does it work alongside my home SIM?
Yes. Like any travel eSIM it sits next to your physical SIM, so your own number stays live for calls and bank codes while data runs on the balance. Any recent eSIM-capable phone works; see the compatibility checklist.
Is pay as you go always the cheapest option?
No. Per gigabyte a fixed bucket costs less, so heavy and predictable usage favors a plan. Pay as you go wins when usage is light, unpredictable, or spread across many countries.
