How to use an eSIM card to save on roaming fees (step by step process)

Roaming fees and roaming plans from mobile providers are some of the worst travel scams out there. Yet, sadly, so many people still waste their money by using them instead of eSIM cards. Our post about how to access the Internet abroad for less explains all that (including how to check if your phone is compatible with eSIMs), but many of you have asked for a step-by-step explanation of how to use eSIM cards. It’s really easy.

To help you find the cheapest eSIM cards, Flytrippers recently launched an eSIM card comparison tool, which we hope you use (like all our links) to support us at absolutely no cost to you. That means we can create more content to help you travel for less!

So, since I used the new tool myself for the first time last week (during my current epic round-the-world trip that will get me 1 million points), I can share my experience to show you a concrete example.

Here’s how to use an eSIM card.

Basics of how to use an eSIM card

My detailed step-by-step instructions below are obviously for just 1 of the dozens and dozens of eSIM card providers that exist, but the process to use them is extremely similar for all of them.

I’ve been using eSIM cards for years, basically since they’ve existed. It’s always very easy to use. I also took screenshots of the process with the biggest eSIM providers Airalo and Saily; I’ll share step-by-steps for those too soon. 

Again, I can’t stress enough how easy it is to use an eSIM card.

There are 4 simple steps to follow:

• Find the cheapest eSIM card (with the eSIM comparison tool)
• Download the eSIM card by completing your payment (with the right credit card)
• Install the eSIM card (easy to do in a few clicks)
• Activate the eSIM card (once you arrive at your destination)

I’ll share a few brief basics about each step before my most recent eSIM use example.

Finding the cheapest eSIM card

That’s the most important part, as it always is for any travel expense if you want to travel for less. For EVERYTHING, you should always compare! It’s not rocket science… just compare! It’s the most basic thing about travel.

That’s why our eSIM card comparison tool is useful. If you don’t want to put in that time, major providers like Airalo and Saily are obviously fine — and literally anything is better than your phone’s terrible roaming plan. Still, they’re the biggest and most well-known, so naturally, they don’t often have the lowest prices. All eSIM cards connect to the same local networks, so it’s not worth paying more.

Downloading the eSIM card

This simply requires making the payment. If you like to travel for less, choosing the right credit cards is the next most important thing, even if it’s seemingly unrelated to travel.

That means choosing the right cards to get all throughout the year to get huge welcome bonuses, but also choosing the right cards to use to pay for everything you buy during the year.

Installing the eSIM card

This is extremely easy even if you have zero tech skills. I highly recommend buying and installing (without activating) the eSIM before leaving for your trip. Because everything you can do before will save you some time at the moment when your time is most precious: once you’re at a destination and can go out and enjoy it.

It’s really easy to install for everyone, but you can buy physical local SIM cards if you want someone to do the installation for you (that’s also cheaper than the roaming plans scam).

Activating the eSIM card

This is the easiest part; it takes 30 seconds. By installing it before, you’ll be able to use the Internet as soon as the plane hits the runway, rather than waiting to get inside the terminal and hoping free Wi-Fi exists (and is decent enough to download the eSIM).

You can be offline; you don’t need Wi-Fi to activate it if you’ve downloaded it before! You land, and you’re connected right away!

Step-by-step instructions on how to use an eSIM card

Here’s the whole process, step by step.

1. Find the cheapest eSIM card (with the Flytrippers eSIM comparison tool)

You can obviously manually compare the prices on your own by going to each website. That said, there are a ton of eSIM card providers, so it’ll take you a while: Airalo, Saily, Global YO, eSIM4Travel, AIRHUB, Nomad, Instabridge, esimatic, YOHO, FlexiRoam, Ubigi, Jetpac, Gigsky, GoMoWorld, iRoamly, VOYE, simify, Holiday eSIM, ETravelSim, easySIM, Firsty, etc.

I recommend using the Flytrippers eSIM card comparison tool.

Use the tool now

Flytrippers eSIM card comparison tool

You can always find it in the “Resources” tab of our main menu, along with many other resources that are very useful for travelers (or you can just bookmark the link, obviously).

Our tool is very simple to use, with just 3 settings.

Because the price of an eSIM card is determined by 3 simple variables:

• Destination
• Quantity of data
• Number of days

When you arrive at the tool, it shows results for the United States (because we had to have a destination set by default, and we put the country most visited by Canadians) and for the lowest quantity of data.

(There seems to be a bug with Gigsky actually showing up at $0, which I’ll see if I can fix. I personally just skipped it because I have no time to lose to maybe save $1!) 

Click on the “X” next to “United States” and then write any country’s name.

You’ll see the results load instantly. As I had only 1 day in Singapore and was fine with eSIM plans with little data, I only changed the destination. But you should adjust all 3 depending on your planned length of stay and data usage. 

Obviously, data usage varies a lot depending on each traveler. Often, the cost of getting more data is barely a few dollars when you make the initial purchase. You can often top up existing plans if you need more while on your trip, but that’s not always at the best price (compare it with purchasing a new card outright). Ideally, try to estimate your required usage at the initial purchase.

As you can see, eSIM4Travel was the cheapest ($1), at least for the 1 GB quantity I wanted.

(And for that particular point in time! A search for Singapore in a month might show you a cheaper new provider, or the prices may simply change! The world of travel is so simple: the prices for everything always change! So just check them with a comparison tool; it takes literally 10 seconds!) 

Click on the green “Check offer” button to be taken to the provider’s secure website, all the while supporting Flytrippers for free.

You can check the details of the eSIM card if you want.

(It’s 2024, so most local networks will provide great coverage in most regions of the country, at least those where travelers will tend to go!)

The provider will show you all its own options for the number of days and the quantity of data.

But if you change your mind on that, go back to the Flytrippers comparison tool because that specific provider that was the cheapest option for 1 GB of data might not be the cheapest option for 3 GB of data (again, it’s the most basic of basics: always compare)!

Once you’ve decided, add the eSIM card to your cart like you would to buy literally anything on the Internet.

A final note on how to choose the cheapest eSIM card (which should be taken into account for any travel expense): the payment currency.

In this case, you can see the amount is in U.S. dollars. Many eSIM card providers, including major ones like Airalo and Saily, allow you to pay in your local currency. But it happens that providers only let you pay in a specific currency, which may be a foreign currency for you.

If you’re a travel pro who always uses all your spending to unlock huge welcome bonuses, paying in a foreign currency often costs you 2.5%. So you can compare if the price difference is 2.5% between an eSIM provider that allows you to pay in your local currency and one that doesn’t.

If you’re the absolute opposite of a pro who pays with a card that charges foreign transaction fees, it always costs you 2.5%, so it’s the same principle: compare. Or just do like all travel pros and get a free card with no foreign transaction fee — the EQ Bank Card (Prepaid Mastercard) is completely free and is not even a credit card (so no credit check), so every single Canadian traveler should have it with absolutely zero exceptions.

If you’re using a card with no foreign transaction fees (as you should do at the very least if you’re not using all your spending to unlock huge welcome bonuses), you can simply choose the cheapest provider regardless of currency.

2. Download the eSIM card by completing your payment (with the right credit card)

Often, you need to create an account to buy and download the eSIM card.

But it’s not that long; it took me 30 seconds in this case. At least eSIM4Travel doesn’t require downloading an app, unlike most major providers (like Airalo and Saily).

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Then, to download the eSIM card, you must complete your payment.

The best card to use to pay for any expense is always a card on which you are unlocking a huge welcome bonus. ALWAYS!!! So simple.

That way you’ll earn 10%-15% back instead of the pathetically terrible 1%-2% most people sadly earn on their purchases.  

Here are the effective return rates on your purchases with the current best offers.

Best credit card offers (November 2024)
NEW TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card
Min. income (card): $60k or $100kMinimum personal income of $60,000 or minimum household income of $100,000
Min. spend (bonus): $5k in 6 months
WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION)	SEE MORE ends January 6th
$1025Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus (after 1st purchase): 20,000 pts ($100) Welcome bonus (after min. spend): 115,000 pts ($575) Earn on min. spend: 30,000 pts ($150) Annual travel credit (2024): On 1st $500 hotel booking ($100) Annual travel credit (2025): On 1st $500 hotel booking ($100) Card fee: rebated the 1st year (-$0)
Rewards: $1025
Annual fee: $0 $139
Effective return rate: 20.5% back on $5,000 & simple points
EXTENDED Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
Min. income (card): $12kMinimum personal income of $12,000
Min. spend (bonus): $7.5k in 12 mos. (or $1k for lower bonus)
WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION)	SEE MORE ends December 31st
$825Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus (after $1k in 3 mos.): 25,000 pts ($250) Welcome bonus (after another $6.5k in 1y): 20,000 pts ($200) Earn on min. spend (1k$): 5,000 pts ($50) Earn on min. spend ($6.5k): 32,500 pts ($325) Card fee: 1st year free (-$0)
Rewards: $825
Card fee: $0 $120
Effective return rate: ≈ 11.0% back on $7,500 & simple points
Show more
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
Min. income (card): $60k or $100kMinimum personal income of $60,000 or minimum household income of $100,000
Min. spend (bonus): no min. spend
WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION)	SEE MORE  apply now
≈ $405Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus (after 1st purchase): 35,000 pts (≈ $525) Card fee: deducted (-$120)
Rewards: ≈ $525
Card fee: $120
Effective return rate: ≈ 40500% back on $1 (*$0) & lucrative pts
NEW Platinum Card® from American Express
Min. income (card): $0No minimum income required.
Min. spend (bonus): $10k in 3 mos.
WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION)	SEE MORE ends January 28th
≈ $1252Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus: 100,000 pts (≈ $1500) Earn on min. spend: 10,000 pts (≈ $150) Annual travel credit (year 1): can be cashed out ($200) Dining credit (year 1): $200 credit at conservative valuation (≈ $100) Card fee (year 1): deducted (-$799) Renewal bonus: 40,000 pts (≈ $600) Annual travel credit (year 2): can be cashed out ($200) Dining credit (year 2): $200 credit at conservative valuation (≈ $100) Card fee (year 2): deducted (-$799)
Rewards: ≈ $2051
Card fee: $799
Effective return rate: ≈ 12.5% back on $10,000 & unlimited lounges
American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card
Card: no business required
Min. spend (bonus): $7.5k in 3 mos.
WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION)	SEE MORE
≈ $514Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus: 40,000 pts (≈ $600) Earn on min. spend: 7,500 pts (≈ $113) Card fee: deducted (-$199) Also offered but not included in Valuation: quarterly spending bonus
Rewards: ≈ $713
Card fee: $199
Effective return rate: ≈ 6.9% back on $7,500 & lucrative pts
NEW TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
Min. income (card): $60k or $100kMinimum personal income of $60,000 or minimum household income of $100,000
Min. spend (bonus): $12k in 12 mos. (incl. $7.5k in 180 days)†
WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION)	SEE MORE ends January 6th
≈ $791Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus (after 1st purchase): 10,000 pts (≈ $150) Welcome bonus (after $7.5k min. spend): 15,000 pts (≈ $225) Earn on $7.5k min. spend: 7,500 pts (≈ $113) Anniversary bonus (after another $4.5k in spend): 25,000 pts (≈ $375) Earn on another $4.5k in spend: 4,500 pts (≈ $67) Card fee (year 1): rebated the 1st year (-$0) Card fee (year 2): deducted (-$139)
Rewards: ≈ $791
Annual fee: $0 $139
Effective return rate: ≈ 6.6% back on $12,000 & lucrative pts
American Express® Aeroplan®* Card
Min. income (card): $0No minimum income required.
Min. spend (bonus): $3k in 3 mos. + $1k
WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION)	SEE MORE
≈ $420Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus: 30,000 pts (≈ $450) Earn on $3k min. spend: 3,000 pts (≈ $45) Card fee (year 1): deducted (-$120) Renewal bonus: 10,000 pts (≈ $150) Earn on $1k min. spend: 1,000 pts (≈ $15) Card fee (year 2): deducted (-$120)
Rewards: ≈ $540
Card fee: $120
Effective return rate: ≈ 10.5% back on $4,000 & lucrative pts
American Express Cobalt® Card
Min. income (card): $0No minimum income required.
Min. spend (bonus): $750/mo for 12 mos.
WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION)	SEE MORE
≈ $744Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus: 15,000 pts (≈ $225) Earn on min. spend: 45,000 pts (≈ $675) Card fee: deducted (-$156)
Rewards: ≈ $900
Card fee: $156
Effective return rate: ≈ 8.3% back on $9,000 & best overall card
American Express® Gold Rewards Card
Min. income (card): $0No minimum income required.
Min. spend (bonus): $1k/mo for 12 mos.
WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION)	SEE MORE
≈ $930Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus: 60,000 pts (≈ $900) Earn on min. spend: 12,000 pts (≈ $180) Annual credit: can be cashed out ($100) Card fee: deducted (-$250) Also offered but not included in Valuation: NEXUS credit ($50)
Rewards: ≈ $1180
Card fee: $250
Effective return rate: ≈ 7.8% back on $12,000 & 8 lounge passes
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Financial institutions are not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "See More" to see most up-to-date information.

Best credit card offers (November 2024)		WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION)	Effective return rate
NEW	TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card Min. income (card): $60k or $100kMinimum personal income of $60,000 or minimum household income of $100,000 Min. spend (bonus): $5k in 6 months	$1025Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus (after 1st purchase): 20,000 pts ($100) Welcome bonus (after min. spend): 115,000 pts ($575) Earn on min. spend: 30,000 pts ($150) Annual travel credit (2024): On 1st $500 hotel booking ($100) Annual travel credit (2025): On 1st $500 hotel booking ($100) Card fee: rebated the 1st year (-$0) Rewards: $1025 Annual fee: $0 $139	20.5% back on $5,000 & simple points	SEE MORE ends January 6th
EXTENDED	Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card Min. income (card): $12kMinimum personal income of $12,000 Min. spend (bonus): $7.5k in 12 mos. (or $1k for lower bonus)	$825Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus (after $1k in 3 mos.): 25,000 pts ($250) Welcome bonus (after another $6.5k in 1y): 20,000 pts ($200) Earn on min. spend (1k$): 5,000 pts ($50) Earn on min. spend ($6.5k): 32,500 pts ($325) Card fee: 1st year free (-$0) Rewards: $825 Card fee: $0 $120	≈ 11.0% back on $7,500 & simple points	SEE MORE ends December 31st
	RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card Min. income (card): $60k or $100kMinimum personal income of $60,000 or minimum household income of $100,000 Min. spend (bonus): no min. spend	≈ $405Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus (after 1st purchase): 35,000 pts (≈ $525) Card fee: deducted (-$120) Rewards: ≈ $525 Card fee: $120	≈ 40500% back on $1 (*$0) & lucrative pts	SEE MORE  apply now
NEW	Platinum Card® from American Express Min. income (card): $0No minimum income required. Min. spend (bonus): $10k in 3 mos.	≈ $1252Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus: 100,000 pts (≈ $1500) Earn on min. spend: 10,000 pts (≈ $150) Annual travel credit (year 1): can be cashed out ($200) Dining credit (year 1): $200 credit at conservative valuation (≈ $100) Card fee (year 1): deducted (-$799) Renewal bonus: 40,000 pts (≈ $600) Annual travel credit (year 2): can be cashed out ($200) Dining credit (year 2): $200 credit at conservative valuation (≈ $100) Card fee (year 2): deducted (-$799) Rewards: ≈ $2051 Card fee: $799	≈ 12.5% back on $10,000 & unlimited lounges	SEE MORE ends January 28th
	American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card Card: no business required Min. spend (bonus): $7.5k in 3 mos.	≈ $514Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus: 40,000 pts (≈ $600) Earn on min. spend: 7,500 pts (≈ $113) Card fee: deducted (-$199) Also offered but not included in Valuation: quarterly spending bonus Rewards: ≈ $713 Card fee: $199	≈ 6.9% back on $7,500 & lucrative pts	SEE MORE
NEW	TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card Min. income (card): $60k or $100kMinimum personal income of $60,000 or minimum household income of $100,000 Min. spend (bonus): $12k in 12 mos. (incl. $7.5k in 180 days)†	≈ $791Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus (after 1st purchase): 10,000 pts (≈ $150) Welcome bonus (after $7.5k min. spend): 15,000 pts (≈ $225) Earn on $7.5k min. spend: 7,500 pts (≈ $113) Anniversary bonus (after another $4.5k in spend): 25,000 pts (≈ $375) Earn on another $4.5k in spend: 4,500 pts (≈ $67) Card fee (year 1): rebated the 1st year (-$0) Card fee (year 2): deducted (-$139) Rewards: ≈ $791 Annual fee: $0 $139	≈ 6.6% back on $12,000 & lucrative pts	SEE MORE ends January 6th
	American Express® Aeroplan®* Card Min. income (card): $0No minimum income required. Min. spend (bonus): $3k in 3 mos. + $1k	≈ $420Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus: 30,000 pts (≈ $450) Earn on $3k min. spend: 3,000 pts (≈ $45) Card fee (year 1): deducted (-$120) Renewal bonus: 10,000 pts (≈ $150) Earn on $1k min. spend: 1,000 pts (≈ $15) Card fee (year 2): deducted (-$120) Rewards: ≈ $540 Card fee: $120	≈ 10.5% back on $4,000 & lucrative pts	SEE MORE
	American Express Cobalt® Card Min. income (card): $0No minimum income required. Min. spend (bonus): $750/mo for 12 mos.	≈ $744Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus: 15,000 pts (≈ $225) Earn on min. spend: 45,000 pts (≈ $675) Card fee: deducted (-$156) Rewards: ≈ $900 Card fee: $156	≈ 8.3% back on $9,000 & best overall card	SEE MORE
	American Express® Gold Rewards Card Min. income (card): $0No minimum income required. Min. spend (bonus): $1k/mo for 12 mos.	≈ $930Flytrippers Valuation Welcome bonus: 60,000 pts (≈ $900) Earn on min. spend: 12,000 pts (≈ $180) Annual credit: can be cashed out ($100) Card fee: deducted (-$250) Also offered but not included in Valuation: NEXUS credit ($50) Rewards: ≈ $1180 Card fee: $250	≈ 7.8% back on $12,000 & 8 lounge passes	SEE MORE
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Financial institutions are not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "See More" to see most up-to-date information.

(The rate varies a bit depending on the merchant category code for each specific purchase, but it’s just to show you the overall return rate at our Flytrippers Valuation — and how it’s not even in the same universe as what you are probably earning!)

As I just mentioned, if you’re paying with almost any card in Canada, you’re not even earning 1%-2%!

Because you’re paying a 2.5% foreign transaction fee!!!

That’s why you should always use your spending to unlock huge welcome bonuses — with the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card, you’re earning 20.5%, so even if you were to pay 2.5% in foreign transaction fees on 100% of the $5,000 minimum spending requirement (highly unlikely), that’s still an amazing 18% net earn rate.

If you are not currently unlocking a huge welcome bonus, that’s a very bad idea, and you should really get started to earn free travel so much faster!

Once you’ve paid, you can install your eSIM card straight away and get ready for your trip!

3. Install the eSIM card (easy to do in a few clicks)

Your payment automatically triggers the download to your account with the provider.

Click on the “Install” button or follow the simple instructions that will obviously always be written there.

Again, it’s not rocket science. 

Even if you’re not great with technology, if you know how to read, you’ll be fine. It tells you exactly what to do.

You can either scan a QR code with another phone, or copy/paste a code into your phone settings.

To be clear, you install the eSIM card before your trip (you just don’t activate it).

In this case, the installation took less than a minute.

The only potential difficulty is very minor. As you can see here, my eSIM card, which I bought on eSIM4Travel and uses the Singtel network, is called VOCOM.

Providers are only intermediaries, and the eSIM card itself can often appear under another name in your phone once downloaded. And that name is not always clearly written on the provider’s website (that’s not very well designed).

Thankfully, they seem to simply appear in the order of when you download them, so pick the last one even if you don’t recognize the name (I went to Vietnam after Singapore).

Anyway, if you’ve never downloaded an eSIM, it’ll be the only one there, so it’s simple. If you delete your old ones every time, too. But you can also rename eSIM cards in your phone, so do that each time you download one to make sure you know which is which.

4. Activate your eSIM card (once you arrive at your destination)

Again, the provider will give you the detailed instructions, usually with screenshots. Just take screenshots because you obviously won’t have Internet access to read them when you’ll want to activate your card (unless you wait for Wi-Fi).

It’s really just going into your phone’s settings, switching your eSIM card to “ON” and activating the “Roaming” option for that eSIM. That’s it!

Once you take the 30 seconds to activate the eSIM, you’ll be all set!

You’re connected to the exact same local network as if you had used your mobile provider’s roaming plan scam.

Except it cost me $1 for the day instead of $11 with my provider. An 86% discount! Yes, 86%… that’s how terrible roaming plans are! And that was for just 1 day… the longer you stay, the more you save!

I used my data during my day in Singapore, and it worked great — just like every other time I used eSIM cards over the years!

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Summary

Knowing how to use an eSIM card will save you a lot of money on roaming charges when traveling, and it’s super simple. Choose the cheapest eSIM card (with our Flytrippers comparison tool), download the card by paying (with a credit card on which you are unlocking a huge welcome bonus), install the card, and activate the card once at your destination! Very easy to do, even for the less tech-savvy.

What would you like to know about how to use an eSIM card? Tell us in the comments below.

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Featured image: Using an eSIM card in the Himalayan mountains (photo credit: Curated Lifestyle)

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