Planning a trip overseas? Global roaming costs can add up quickly, especially if you’re using data.
Luckily for Telstra customers, the company does offer several international roaming add-ons and solutions. Here we explore the international roaming options offered by Telstra.
Roaming with Telstra International Day Pass
If you’re heading to a major or popular destination, you’ll most likely be able to use Telstra’s International Day Pass roaming option with your Upfront Mobile Plan.
The service is priced at $10 per day (or $5 per day in New Zealand, Fiji and other Oceania locations), and includes:
- Unlimited standard voice calls
- Unlimited standard SMS and MMS
- 2GB of data per day
Telstra International Day Pass is available to use in over 80 countries worldwide, including most of North America, Europe, Asia and other countries throughout Africa and the Middle East.
Note that some locations are not eligible for a daily data allowance on Telstra’s International Day Pass and just receive unlimited standard voice calls and SMS/MMS.
What if I run out of data?
The included 2GB allowance expires at the end of each day. If you exceed your daily data allowance, users on an Upfront Plan will receive an SMS with the option to buy a data top-up of 2GB for $10 (expires in 31 days). Non-Upfront plans will automatically receive a data top-up.
How to check if you’re on an Upfront Plan
There are two ways to check whether you’re on an Upfront Plan:
- Check your Telstra account number. If your account number starts with 2000, you’re not on an Upfront Plan. You can find your account number on your Telstra bill or in the Payments tab in the My Telstra App.
- Check your International Roaming settings in the My Telstra App. If you’re on an Upfront Plan, you will only have the International Roaming Day Pass option. If you also see a Pay-As-You-Go option, you’re not on an Upfront Plan.
To access your International Roaming settings:
- Open the My Telstra App
- Go to Services
- Select your Mobile service
- Tap on Extras
- Go to International Roaming
How to purchase an International Day Pass
- Log in to the My Telstra app
- Select your mobile service and go to Extras, then tap International Roaming
- Scroll down to International Roaming Day Pass and turn it on
Telstra plans with International Day Pass
International Day Pass is available on new postpaid Upfront Telstra plans. So if you’re on an up-to-date postpaid plan, you’re most likely able to activate and use the service when travelling. If you’re unsure, check with Telstra before you jet off.
The following table shows a selection of Telstra postpaid SIM-only plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
Where can I use Telstra International Day Pass?
Telstra International Day Pass can be used in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the UK, the USA, China, Indonesia, India, and Canada.
Exceptions include most of Africa, except South Africa and Egypt, as well as parts of Asia and Eastern Europe.
Pay-as-you-go international roaming
If you’re a postpaid customer travelling to a country not covered by Telstra’s International Day Pass, you can still use pay-as-you-go global roaming. With this option, you’ll pay per minute for each call you make or receive, as well as for each message you send and each megabyte of data you use.
Pay-as-you-go roaming rates vary country to country, and you may not be able to access data roaming in all locations. So it’s best to check rates before you depart.
As an example, below are the current per-use charges for roaming in Canada:
- Calls: $3 per minute, to make and receive voice calls
- Texts: $0.75 per standard text message sent
- Data: $3 per megabyte, charged per kilobyte
Keep in mind that pay-as-you-go rates mean your bill can shoot up quickly, particularly if you’re using data. Going by the above rates for Canada, you’ll pay more than $3000 to use a gigabyte of data, so pay-as-you-go isn’t a good option if you want to maintain affordable internet access when travelling.
Prepaid international roaming
If you’re on a prepaid plan, you still have roaming options. Telstra offers its prepaid customers the choice of adding one of three International Roaming Browse Plus Packs for data use in selected countries.
As international prepaid data use is normally charged at $3 per megabyte, using a roaming pack is a much more affordable alternative to paying hundreds (or thousands) in roaming costs.
Prepaid international roaming packs:
- $10 pack: 400MB data, 15 SMS or MMS, 15 calling minutes. Valid for three days.
- $15 pack: 2GB data, 25 SMS or MMS, 25 calling minutes. Valid for seven days.
- $25 pack: 4GB data, 50 SMS or MMS, 50 calling minutes. Valid for 14 days.
Note that a Pre-paid International Roaming Pack is enabled the day it’s purchased, not when you start using it, and the expiry date is set from the purchase date. So it’s advisable to only buy a pre-paid roaming pack when you want to use it.
How does travelling overseas with dual SIM work?
If you’re using a dual SIM device, be aware of your main and secondary number settings. Both numbers could potentially incur international roaming charges.
When travelling overseas with a dual SIM device, it’s a good idea to understand how a dual SIM works on your device to effectively manage your usage and roaming costs.
You can disable International Roaming for each Telstra service independently, but this won’t prevent charges if your voicemail/MessageBank is used for any of your Telstra numbers.
To avoid any unnecessary costs, consider switching off or removing a service linked to any SIM account on your device that you don’t need while travelling.
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