Must Know Things About Using Phone Overseas
If you use your cell phone abroad, it can lead to thousands of dollars in your bills. This can be a nightmare for you because you did not consider the mobile phone charges. Eventually, when you come back, you will have to deal with this disaster. But if you are careful enough to know the international mobile phone charges, you can avoid going bankrupt.
You can simply choose a Telstra international roaming pack before you travel internationally. You have to call your provider and consider the options. Some carriers do not offer international plans and they will suspend your service during your trip abroad. That is why there is Telstra international roaming pack which you can utilize in the meantime.
There are other things as well that you should know of:
-
Buy A Prepaid SIM
The best way to not consume too much data is to purchase a prepaid SIM before you go on the trip. This will give you the advantage that when your mobile balance runs out, you will not be able to make any calls or texts. In this way, you will be saving money on your trip. A prepaid SIM will give you a limited talk time, unlike a postpaid SIM. A postpaid SIM will keep on adding to your bill. You can look for different Telstra mobile phone deals to get the best plan.
-
Buy A Local SIM at Your Destination
The second option you have is that you can buy a SIM at your destination. In this way, you will be using a local SIM which will not use international data. You can find the local SIM at the airport or a nearby supermarket. But you will have to call or text your home, to let them know your number. This can charge a little, but if you have free messaging apps like WhatsApp, you can simply use that.
-
Use Wi-Fi Instead of Mobile Data
International data roaming can pile up in your bill. You have to switch off your data and use Wi-Fi where ever you can find it. There will be free Wi-Fi available at different places. Using mobile data will cost you a lot in the end. It is better if you only mobile data it in case of emergency. But otherwise, switch it off for other apps.
-
Choose an International Phone Plan
You can simply choose a Telstra international roaming pack so that you can save your precious money and enjoy your trip abroad. There will be no hidden or extra charges. Telstra offers prepaid roaming which covers selected countries. You can pay $5 daily for that prepaid plan.
-
Leave Your SIM Card at Home or Have a Reliable Roaming Package
The easiest way to not consume too much data is to leave your SIM card at home. It sounds impossible but it will make your life easier once you get home. Once you are in a different country, you can simply utilize the free Wi-Fi. Use apps like WeChat and WhatsApp or even Facebook to contact your home. This will save you from a major setback once you get back from the trip.
If this is hard, then you should register to a reliable roaming package that doesn’t have any hidden charges.
