How to choose a travel eSIM: eight things to check before you buy
Which travel eSIM is best has no single answer, but a handful of checks sort a good buy from a bad one, whoever sells it. Here they are, each with what we do, so you can hold us to the same test.
Your phone first
No seller can fix a phone without eSIM. Dial *#06#: an EID line means it can install one.
Ours: Bought one by mistake? An eSIM not yet installed can be refunded on its order page, in full, to points.
Exactly where it works
A plan named for a region may leave out a country you are going to. Read the coverage list, not the name.
Ours: Every destination page lists its places; multi-country pages say which much-asked places they include and which not. 97 countries and regions today.
Price for your trip, not the headline
Compare the plan that lasts your days with the data you need, not the cheapest plan on the page.
Ours: Each destination page shows the cheapest plan for 3 days, a week, two weeks and a month; plans from $0.90. See also the price list.
When the days start counting
Some plans start at purchase, most when they first connect at the destination. It decides whether you can buy early.
Ours: Most of ours start when they first connect there; the plan page says which.
What happens if you do not use it
Ask what an unused plan gets back, and how.
Ours: An eSIM not yet installed: refunded by you on the order page, in full, to points. Installed or used: not refundable on request; support looks at problems case by case.
How you pay
A card abroad, a currency conversion, or the apps you already use.
Ours: Alipay, WeChat Pay or points, prices in US dollars.
Help in your language
When it does not connect, you want help you can read, quickly.
Ours: Chinese and English; the install page has the steps for iPhone and Android, and a way to reach support from the order.
Speed and hotspot
Ask whether speed drops after the allowance and whether hotspot works.
Ours: Hotspot depends on the phone and the local network; read the plan page for each plan.
Every destination’s prices on one page
Questions
Which travel eSIM is the best?
None is best for everyone. Check that your phone supports eSIM, the exact coverage, the price of the plan that lasts your trip, when it starts counting, and what you get back if you do not use it.
Is a travel eSIM reliable?
It uses local networks like any SIM. Most problems are settings: data roaming off for it, or mobile data left on the home SIM.
How do I tell a legitimate travel SIM seller?
Look for the company behind it, published terms and a refund rule before you pay. Ours: Green Tea Mobile Co., Limited, registered in Hong Kong; the terms are on the site, and an eSIM not yet installed can be refunded on its order page.