Using phones in other countries getting cheaper, easier (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
It’s getting cheaper and cheaper to use our mobile phones in other countries. Today, AT&T said that starting Friday, its customers can opt for the AT&T International Day Pass.
Day Pass allows you to talk, text and access data all you want (within the bounds of your current plan) in more than 100 countries. You’ll pay a $10 flat fee per day instead of the previously confusing and onerous per minute, message or megabyte fees.
Here’s how AT&T describes Day Pass benefits:
- Add to each device one time and it’s available whenever you travel within the 100+ countries until you remove the feature.
- Use in our most popular destinations in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean – like the U.K., France, Italy, China, India, Jamaica and the Bahamas – as well as all of Central and South America.
- Access your plan data and get unlimited calls within International Day Pass countries and back to the U.S., as well as unlimited texts to the world at no additional charge.
- Simply add AT&T International Day Pass to your devices on myAT&T.
This comes on the heels of Verizon’s late 2015 introduction of the helpful, cheaper TravelPass plan. And it all started with T-Mobile’s Simple Choice plan, offering free data and texting and 20-cent calls in 140+ countries.
This is how Verizon lets me know that I’ll be charged again using TravelPass
Verizon:
Verizon TravelPass is priced at $2 a day per line in Mexico and Canada and $10 a day in 100+ other countries— the plan lets you “take your domestic talk, text and data allowances with you,” Verizon says. Once you sign up for TravelPass, the fee kicks in when you receive a call, connect to a data service, or send a text inside one of the countries where it works. Once that 24 hours is up, the daily fee won’t kick in again until you receive a call, connect to a data service, or send a text – at which point another TravelPass day will begin.
I’m a Verizon guy, and have been very pleased with TravelPass, which removes the uncertainty and fear of outrageous bills for using your phone in other countries.
To sign up go to MyVerizon.com and select “manage international services” or use the MyVerizon app on your phone to activate it before embarking on a trip. Once at your destination, you’ll receive a text message welcoming you to the country and reminding you of the service and the daily fee.
T-Mobile:
T-Mobile has the most economical plan for international travelers– unlimited calling, data and texting in the U.S., Mexico, & Canada is automatically included with its Simple Choice plans.
The Simple Choice Plan also offers unlimited data and texting in what it says are “95% of the places Americans travel most” That is currently 140+ countries and destinations. Details on using T-Mobile overseas.
Here’s a link to Sprint’s international roaming plan.
Which plan do you use for overseas calling? How do you save money on international call? VOIP? Something else? Please leave your comments and tips below.
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