How to save money when using your phone overseas

By Anula Wiwatowska

Last updated 18 July 2023

Contents

In this guide:

Turn off international roaming and use WiFi
Turn off location services and push notifications
Buy data before you go
Buy a local SIM
FAQs

Heading overseas? We’re a bit jealous. Getting a giant phone bill at the end of it all? That, we'll pass on.

If you want to take your phone with you overseas and avoid monstrous international roaming charges at the same time, we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we look at how to beat bill shock when using your phone overseas.

But first, if you have a particular destination in mind, we may have some specific travel plans to suit your chosen location:

Travel guides by destination

In this guide, we've tried to provide as much general advice as possible. But some details can change depending on where you're going, so we've put together comprehensive guides on roaming in the most popular destinations for Aussies overseas.

Or if you're a visitor heading our way, we've got a guide for travellers in Australia too. Check them out.

Best phone plans for travelling in Singapore

Best phone plans for travelling in Malaysia

Best phone plans for travelling in Vietnam

Best phone plans for travelling in Bali

Best phone plans for travellers in Australia

Switch off international roaming and use WiFi

While you’ll need to pay more for calls, texts and MMS when using international roaming, the high costs come from using data overseas. When you consider how much time you spend online on your phone day-to-day, the costs can get excruciatingly high, quickly.

If you want to keep your bill under control, a simple option is to just turn your data off while you roam. By doing this you won’t be able to connect to any internet-connected services unless you’re connected to WiFi.

How to turn off data roaming

On Android

Open Settings
Go to Connections, then Mobile networks
Make sure Data roaming is toggled off

These steps might vary slightly depending on who made your Android phone and what version of Android you're running

On iPhone

Open Settings
Go to Mobile, then Mobile data options
Ensure Data roaming is toggled off

Switch off location services and push notifications

Many apps utilise background data consistently throughout the day, and throughout a holiday, these minor charges can add up quickly. An easy way to minimise surprise data charges is to turn off anything that might contribute to this namely; Location Services, Push Notifications and Auto-updates.

While Location Services rely on GPS to pinpoint your location, and it is technically free to use, it does use mobile data to increase accuracy. And although Push Notifications only use a small amount of data each time (around 2KB), if you’re being charged per 10KB (which is the case for some PAYG roaming options), these can add up.

Note that when it comes to Push Notifications, you may need to go through every app and disable them individually. But you can turn off Location Services easily in the Settings menu of both iPhone and Android phones.

Buy data before you go

If you want to access a mobile network when you go overseas, you’ll need to enable international roaming.

Generally, you’ll have two options when it comes to international roaming, you’ll either need to Pay As You Go or purchase a roaming option. There are almost no circumstances where we'd recommend choosing a PAYG roaming option. The costs are far greater than you’d pay at home and you’re more likely to underestimate your usage than overestimate it. Chances are it will result in a big bill.

Luckily, many telcos offer good value roaming bundles:

Vodafone $5 Roaming

Vodafone’s international roaming offering is easily the best value for money. If you're a postpaid customer you can pay an additional $5 per day to use all your regular inclusions while travelling overseas.

Vodafone's $5 Roaming is available on the following mobile phone plans:

#1	Vodafone	Vodafone $49 Small SIM Only Plan 100GB data Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 100GB for $39 (incl. 50GB bonus + $10/mth off) on the $49 Small plan. T&Cs apply. $39/mth Min. cost $39 Go to Site	$39/mth Min. cost $39	Go to Site
#2	Vodafone	Vodafone $59 Medium SIM Only Plan 360GB data Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 360GB for $49 (incl. 180GB bonus + $10/mth off) on the $59 Medium plan. T&Cs apply. $49/mth Min. cost $49 Go to Site	$49/mth Min. cost $49	Go to Site
#3	Vodafone	Vodafone $69 Large SIM Only Plan 720GB data Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 720GB for $59 (incl. 360GB bonus + $10/mth off) on the $69 Large plan. T&Cs apply. $59/mth Min. cost $59 Go to Site	$59/mth Min. cost $59	Go to Site

Optus Roaming Pass

Optus postpaid plans allow you to add on a $5 Roaming Pass, which gives you 5GB to use every 24 hours. At the end of these 24 hours, any remaining data will expire and you’ll need to pay to top up again. Optus' international roaming comes with unlimited talk and text in 100 countries. This option is available for use in over 100 destinations.

Optus' Roaming Pass is available on the following plans:

#1	Optus	Optus $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan 50GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device $55/mth Min. cost $55 Go to Site	$55/mth Min. cost $55	Go to Site
#2	Optus	Optus $65 Optus Choice Plus Plan 200GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device $65/mth Min. cost $65 Go to Site	$65/mth Min. cost $65	Go to Site
#3	Optus	Optus $79 Optus Promo Plan 360GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device Deal: Get up to $10/mth SubHub credit to use on your favourite subscriptions for 12 months. T&Cs apply. $69/mth Min. cost $69 Go to Site	$69/mth Min. cost $69	Go to Site
#4	Optus	Optus $85 Optus Choice Plus Plan 400GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device SubHub: Receive up to $20/mth SubHub credit when you have an active SubHub account with subs greater than $0. T&Cs apply $85/mth Min. cost $85 Go to Site	$85/mth Min. cost $85	Go to Site

Telstra International Day Pass

Similar to Optus, Telstra postpaid customers or those on the Upfront Plans can top up roaming data day-to-day using the International Day Pass.

Telstra’s Day Pass has three tiers: $5 per day when roaming in New Zealand (Zone 1) with 1GB data, unlimited calls and SMS, $10 per day when roaming in over 70 other eligible Zone 2 countries with 1GB data, unlimited calls and SMS or $10 per day when roaming in Zone 3 destinations with just unlimited calls and SMS.

If you exceed your data limit, you can pay to top up an extra $10 for 1GB which is valid for the following 31 days.

Telstra's International Roaming Day Pass is available on these Upfront plans:

$65 Basic Upfront SIM Plan

50GB data
Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices
Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth.

$65/mth

Min. cost $65

Link not supplied

$65/mth

Min. cost $65

Link not supplied

felix International Roaming Pack

While felix mobile may be a smaller provider, it's one of the few offering an affordable roaming offer with solid inclusions. Typically, Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) charge pay-as-you-go rates or don't offer roaming options at all.

felix mobile's roaming pack is priced at just $20 and includes 4GB of international data, 100 texts and 100 minutes of talk with a 365-day expiry. 4GB is enough to last your entire holiday, especially if you take advantage of free public WiFi.

Here is felix mobile's only roaming mobile plan:

felix 25GB Mobile Plan

25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps
Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices
Deal: Get 50% off your first 3 mths when you switch to felix. $12.50/mth for first 3 mths, then $25/mth. Use promo code FELIX50. T&Cs apply

$25

Per 1 Month Renewal

Go to Site

$25

Per 1 Month Renewal

Go to Site

felix mobile is unique to other telcos in that it offers unlimited data, however, speeds are capped at 20Mbps (both locally and abroad). This is still fast enough though for most online activities. felix is powered by the Vodafone network.

Make sure you check your destination is eligible for felix's roaming as it's not as broadly available as other roaming options. At the time of writing it only works in around 40 destinations although the most popular countries are covered.

amaysim International Roaming Add-ons

New to the roaming game, amaysim has made the switch from pay-as-you-go roaming to roaming add-on packs. Simply log into the amaysim app, add on a roaming pack or stack multiple together for a range of benefits like calls and data.

Each pack lasts 365 days and each range from $20 to $70 with varying inclusions. Some packs offer a bit of everything while others just cater for data or calls and texts. We have broken down their inclusions below:

Pack	Price	Inclusions
Small Talk	$20	100 mins, 100 texts, no data
The Works	$25	50 mins, 50 texts, 1GB
Just Gigs	$50	No mins, no texts, 5GB
The Epic	$70	100 mins, 100 texts, 5GB

And here are amaysim's 28-day expiry plans to pair with its add-on roaming packs:

#1	amaysim	amaysim UNLIMITED 10GB Plan 10GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps On the Optus 4G Plus Mobile Network $22 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$22 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#2	amaysim	amaysim UNLIMITED 32GB Plan 32GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Save $20 & get 18GB bonus data for first renewal when you sign up by 30.04.25. Online only. T&Cs apply $30 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$30 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#3	amaysim	amaysim UNLIMITED 80GB Plan 80GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Save $25 for first renewal when you sign up by 30.04.25 $40 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$40 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#4	amaysim	amaysim UNLIMITED 120GB Plan 120GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT $50 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$50 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied

Roaming add-ons can also be attached to a seven-day expiry plan or long-expiry plan, however, your roaming pack can only be used as long as you've got an active amaysim recharge.

In Australia, amaysim is powered by the Optus network. amaysim supports international roaming in over 90 international destinations.

Belong International Roaming Add-on

Telstra-powered telco, Belong is also offering an add-on international roaming pack.

Belong's single roaming packs will set you back just $30 and get you 3GB of data, unlimited standard SMS and 150 minutes of calls with a 15-day expiry. It works in just over 30 destinations, but these include some popular destinations such as parts of Asia and Europe, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

On top of the travel pack, all Belong customers get free access to basic roaming services. This means regardless of if you purchase the additional roaming add-on, you will still be able to use WiFi calling when on a suitable network and receive SMS' while overseas. This is great for receiving verification codes, for example.

These are Belong's mobile plans you add a roaming pack onto:

#1	Belong	Belong 25GB Mobile Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks $30/mth Min. cost $30 Go to Site	$30/mth Min. cost $30	Go to Site
#2	Belong	Belong 40GB Mobile Plan 40GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks $35/mth Min. cost $35 Go to Site	$35/mth Min. cost $35	Go to Site
#3	Belong	Belong 100GB Mobile Plan 100GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks $45/mth Min. cost $45 Go to Site	$45/mth Min. cost $45	Go to Site
#4	Belong	Belong 160GB Mobile Plan 160GB data at download speeds up to 250Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks $55/mth Min. cost $55 Go to Site	$55/mth Min. cost $55	Go to Site

Boost Mobile International Roaming Packs

Boost Mobile offers three international roaming packs, each with its inclusions and its own expiry period. These can be activated through the My Boost Mobile app when you arrive at your holiday destination and, like amaysim, can be layered on top of one another to maximise your inclusions. Just note the pack that has the soonest expiry will be used first.

Below we have a breakdown of Boost's international roaming packs:

Pack	Price	Inclusions	Expiry
Small	$20	15 mins, 15 texts, 1GB	3 days
Medium	$30	30 mins, 30 texts, 3GB	7 days
Large	$40	60 mins, 60 texts, 5GB	14 days

And here are Boost's compatible mobile plans:

#1	Boost Mobile	Boost Mobile $13 Prepaid 7GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 7GB data for the first 3 recharges, then 5GB from 4th recharge. New customers only. Activate by 07.07.25 $13 Per 7 Day Renewal Go to Site	$13 Per 7 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#2	Boost Mobile	Boost Mobile $26 Prepaid 17GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 17GB data for the first 3 recharges, then 7GB from 4th recharge. New customers only. Activate by 07.07.25 $26 Per 28 Day Renewal Go to Site	$26 Per 28 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#3	Boost Mobile	Boost Mobile $39 Prepaid 65GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Grab a $39 SIM for $13 – save $26. Hurry! Offer ends 12 May 2025. Terms Apply $39 Per 28 Day Renewal Go to Site	$39 Per 28 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#4	Boost Mobile	Boost Mobile $49 Prepaid 95GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 95GB data for first 3 recharges, then 35GB from 4th recharge. New customers only. Activate by 07.07.25 $49 Per 28 Day Renewal Go to Site	$49 Per 28 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#5	Boost Mobile	Boost Mobile $59 Prepaid 120GB data at download speeds up to 250Mbps Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 120GB data for the first 3 recharges, then 45GB from 4th recharge. New customers only. Activate by 07.07.25 $59 Per 28 Day Renewal Go to Site	$59 Per 28 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#6	Boost Mobile	Boost Mobile $74 Prepaid 160GB Uncapped download speed Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 160GB data for the first 3 recharges, then 90GB from 4th recharge. New customers only. Activate by 07.07.25 $74 Per 28 Day Renewal Go to Site	$74 Per 28 Day Renewal	Go to Site

For those interested in a set-and-forget option, Boost also has 12-month-long expiry plans.

Boost is covered by the Telstra mobile network within Australia but only covers 40 countries for international roaming. We recommend checking the list of available countries before rushing to buy and jetting off overseas.

The complete guide to using your mobile overseas

If you plan to take your mobile phone overseas, it's important to first find out if you even can or if your mobile plan has any limits or roaming options. View our guide.

The complete guide to taking your phone overseas

Get a local SIM

One of the cheapest options for using your smartphone overseas is swapping out your Australian SIM-only plan for a local prepaid plan upon arrival. Pricing will depend on your destination, but it will be cheaper than roaming in most cases, especially if you haven't purchased a travel pack.

You’ll need to answer 'can I take my phone overseas', 'is my handset unlocked' and 'is it compatible with local networks'. SIM cards can usually be purchased at airports: it may cost you a little bit more, but airport retailers are accustomed to dealing with travellers and you can be confident it will be good to go from the minute you leave the terminal. However, if you've got a phone that supports eSIM, it's now easier than ever to buy a digital local SIM when you get to your destination. All you need is WiFi. If you're travelling Australia, check out our best prepaid SIM cards guide here.

How to save money when using your phone overseas FAQS

Can I use my phone overseas without international roaming?

You can use your phone overseas without international roaming by purchasing a local SIM. These can be pre-purchased online before you go, often with free delivery, or immediately once you land. However, you will need to make sure your phone is unlocked so it can accept a different SIM. By turning off international roaming you can also simply make use of free public WiFi to get online.

What is the cheapest way to use my phone overseas?

Turning off international roaming and making the most of free WiFi will save you on excess data charges by the end of your trip. Prepaid local SIMs are also a sure-fire way to make sure you're not getting overcharged to use your device each day, especially if your telco doesn't offer a specific international roaming pack or add-on. Check out our best prepaid plans here.