How to avoid the high cost of roaming fees when travelling

A physical SIM card is a removable chip within your phone that tells it your carrier and phone number, whereas an eSIM (the “e” is for embedded) is a programmable chip built into your phone. When you buy an eSIM for travel you’re essentially buying a short-term mobile plan that you download onto your embedded eSIM. Travellers can purchase eSIMS from online eSIM providers like Ubigi, Airhub and Airalo or local mobile network providers, often for a great price.

Relying on your own carrier’s data roaming costs, on the other hand, can quickly add up if you forget to deactivate roaming on your phone before entering a new country, NamKung says.

“Roaming” allows smartphone users to connect to another service provider’s network when travelling abroad. This feature lets travellers make calls, send texts and use apps like Google Maps in a foreign country. However, it can result in unexpected and hefty charges if not planned for in advance.

Mohammed Halabi, director and founder of MyBillsAreHigh.com, a telecom expense management company, says roaming fees have been climbing higher than the cost of inflation.

Bell’s Roam Better daily roaming charges, for example, cost $13 (Canadian) a day in the U.S. and $16 internationally, capped at 20 days for each region.

Similarly, Rogers’ Roam Like Home daily roaming costs $12 a day in the U.S. and $15 a day internationally, capped at 20 days.

Telus’s Easy Roam daily rate is priced slightly higher at $14 a day in the U.S., capped at $280 per billing cycle, and $16 a day internationally, capped at $320 per billing cycle.

Here are some options, in addition to eSIMs, to help keep roaming costs down:

Under the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) wireless code, service providers can’t charge more than $100 for domestic and international data roaming within a one-month period or per billing cycle.

The CRTC said in an email that “this protection applies to all roaming plans.” Providers should be notifying users when they begin roaming internationally to help avoid accidental charges, says Scott Hutter, vice-president of consumer analytics and strategy at the CRTC.

However, service providers may be assuming that if consumers have been notified that they’re roaming and charges apply, that they’ve consented to daily rates without the $100 cap, Hutter says.

The CRTC has been working to raise awareness about the wireless code while urging major cellphone companies to take immediate action in providing Canadians with affordable roaming options.

According to Halabi, customers have to call their smartphone provider before travelling to enable the $100 cap on their account. Once they reach $100 in data roaming, however, their data services will cease to work. “It doesn’t significantly reduce costs for Canadian customers,” he adds.

Before leaving Canada on a trip, Namkung will buy an eSIM from the online eSIM company Airalo and deactivate roaming on her phone.

Once at the airport, she’ll log onto Wi-Fi, activate the eSIM and then activate low-data mode on her iPhone. She’ll rely on Wi-Fi in hotels and cafes, whenever possible, to keep costs down.

“A five to 10 GB plan can easily last a two-week trip,” she says.

On Airalo’s website, travellers visiting the U.K., as an example, can get a 5GB plan for 30 days for $15 (U.S.), while a 10 GB plan for 30 days costs $22.50 (U.S.)

There are also regional eSIMS travellers can use to hop around countries within the same continent without buying new plans. For instance, a traveller could visit Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia using a 5 GB plan for 30 days for $20 (U.S).

The drawback of an eSIM, however, is that you can’t use your main phone number, Halabi says, which can be important when trying to access an app or website that requires two-factor authentication, like online banking. Instead, eSIMs give users a local, temporary phone number while travelling. Namkung tries to use email when possible for two-factor authentication but notes that it can cause issues.

Another problem is that incoming calls to your regular number will go to voicemail. That can be a problem if you’re awaiting a phone call from a doctor or another urgent situation, Hutter says. If you need your phone number for emergency purposes, it’s likely better to choose a plan with your current carrier, he says. If not, eSIMs are an option to explore.

Outside of eSIMs, a physical SIM card can be purchased in whatever country you’re visiting, Halabi says. Like with eSIMS, incoming calls to your main line will go to voicemail as you’ll have a new local number.

Canadians need to plan how they’ll text, call or use data when travelling abroad, just like they would plan for their health insurance, a rental car or accommodations, Hutter says.

If you’re heading to New York City from Toronto for a few days on a business trip, your provider’s daily charges, which can range from $12 to $16 a day (Canadian), may be an easy option to stick with, he says. However, if you live close to the Canada-U.S. border and often head south on weekends to a family cottage, then you’re likely going to want a base plan that includes roaming to the U.S.

For example, some carriers have plans where you can use your calling, texting and data allotment anywhere within Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. For example, one of Bell’s current featured plans offers unlimited data, calling and text in all three countries for $73 (Canadian) a month when you bundle the internet.

It’s also important to estimate your data usage to choose the appropriate plan, Hutter says. Travellers are often surprised at how much data an app like Google Maps takes up when exploring a new area. “You can easily check to see what you’ve been using on your phone and adapt yourself accordingly,” he says. You can check your data usage under “settings” on most phones.

Like the CRTC, Freedom Mobile also recently launched a campaign to encourage major smartphone companies to reduce high roaming rates.

Mark H. Goldberg, a telecommunications consultant at Mark H. Goldberg and Associates, says the carrier has been offering one of the more competitive roaming plans called “Roam Beyond.”

Prices vary based on deals offered but customers can currently buy base phone plans starting at $39 a month that include a one-time allotment of 5 GB of data that can be used in more than 100 countries. For $49 a month, customers can get unlimited talk and text, as well as 15 GB of data when travelling internationally.

In July 2024, Freedom Mobile also introduced U.S. and Mexico roaming to all of its monthly plans, meaning customers won’t need to buy add-on roaming services when travelling to those locations. The data they use in these countries is built into their plans.

However, comparing Freedom to the Big 3 providers — Bell, Rogers and Telus — “is not apples to apples,” Halabi cautions. The three big providers have a larger network footprint than Freedom, he says, which means users may get a stronger, more reliable phone signal in more places.

Ideally, the CRTC would like to see the major carriers include affordable international roaming options in their base plans, like many countries in Europe already do, Hutter says.

Zac Carreiro, spokesperson for Rogers, said that the provider is introducing additional options later this year for customers to consider when travelling internationally, but did not provide more details.

One simple option for Canadians looking to cut costs is to simply put a smartphone in airplane mode, says Goldberg. Also known as flight mode, the feature will block your device from using data, and calling and texting.

Travellers will need to rely on Wi-Fi instead, and use various messenger apps like WhatsApp, Apple’s iMessage or Facebook messenger to send messages, or do voice or video calls.

“There’s a number of options available,” he adds. “There shouldn’t be any surprise charges that bankrupt people when they’re travelling.”