Help centre
How can we help?
Nearly every question about a travel eSIM has a short answer. Here are the short answers — and if yours is not below, one email gets you a person.
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Install your eSIM
QR and manual setup for iPhone and Android, plus the two settings people miss.
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Check your device
Dial *#06# for the definitive answer, or browse the supported-device list.
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How it works
Three steps from choosing a plan to being online at the airport.
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Talk to a human
support@travelnet.world, answered by a person, usually within one working day.
Before you buy
What is an eSIM, in one sentence?
A SIM card built into your phone that you load over the internet instead of slotting in a piece of plastic — same networks, same coverage, no shop visit and no tray tool.
Will it work on my phone?
Dial *#06# on your phone. If an EID number appears alongside the IMEI, your phone has eSIM hardware. If there is no EID, no eSIM plan from anyone will work on it.
My phone supports eSIM but was bought on a contract. Is that a problem?
It can be. Carrier-locked phones download the profile and then fail to activate it. On iPhone check Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock — it should say "No SIM restrictions". Unlocking is usually free once the contract is paid off, but it can take a few days, so check before you book.
Do I keep my own phone number?
Yes. The travel eSIM is a data line that sits alongside your normal SIM, so your usual number keeps receiving calls, texts and verification codes. Most people turn roaming off on the home line and leave it on for the travel eSIM.
Can I make calls and send texts on the travel eSIM?
Not on the local number — these are data-only plans. Calls and messages work over the internet as usual: WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal, Telegram, Teams and the rest all run fine on the data.
Should I buy before I fly or after I land?
Before. Installing needs an internet connection, and the moment you need the eSIM most is the moment you have none. The plan does not start counting down when you buy it — the clock starts when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination.
Can I buy one for somebody else?
Yes. The QR code is not tied to your phone, so you can forward the order email to a partner, colleague or parent and they install it on their own device.
Installing and activating
The full step-by-step, with screenshots of every menu, lives in the install guide.
How do I get the QR code?
It is emailed to you shortly after purchase, along with the manual SM-DP+ address and activation code in case the camera scan will not cooperate. Keep the email — you need it again if you ever reinstall.
What do I need to have ready before installing?
An eSIM-capable, carrier-unlocked phone, the order email, and a stable Wi-Fi connection. Avoid installing on aeroplane or ship satellite Wi-Fi and on open airport or café networks — captive portals frequently break the profile download.
Can I install it now and use it later?
Yes, and it is the recommended order. Install at home on your own Wi-Fi, then leave the line switched off until you land. Nothing is consumed and no validity is used while the eSIM has never connected to a network at your destination.
Nothing happens when I scan the QR code.
Nine times in ten it is the network. Switch to a different Wi-Fi, or use your home mobile data, and try again. If the scan still fails, use manual entry with the SM-DP+ address and activation code from your order email — it installs exactly the same profile.
I installed it and there is still no signal after landing.
Check three things in order: data roaming is switched on for the travel line, mobile data is set to use the travel line rather than your home SIM, and the APN matches the one in your order email. Then restart the phone — a restart forces a fresh network scan and fixes most of the rest.
Can I use the same eSIM in more than one country?
If you bought a regional or global plan, yes — it keeps working as you cross borders within its coverage list. A single-country plan works in that country only, so a multi-stop trip usually wants a regional plan.
Data and usage
How do I check how much data I have left?
Your phone counts it for you. On iPhone, Settings, Mobile Data, and look at the usage figure for the travel line; on Android, Settings, Network and internet, SIMs, and pick the travel eSIM. Reset the counter when you land and it tracks the plan almost exactly.
What happens when I run out of data?
The line stops carrying data. Nothing is charged automatically, there is no overage bill and no surprise invoice — you simply top up or buy another plan when you want to be back online.
Can I share the connection with my laptop or a travel companion?
Yes, personal hotspot works on every plan we sell. If the hotspot refuses to hand out a connection, turn Wi-Fi off, restart the phone, confirm the eSIM data itself works, then switch the hotspot on — and check that the APN in the hotspot settings matches your order email.
Is the connection speed limited?
You get the host network speed, up to 5G where the plan and the local network both support it. We do not throttle. Where a partner network applies its own fair-use policy after a certain volume, that is stated on the destination page rather than buried here.
Does an unused plan expire?
Validity begins on first connection, not at purchase, but an uninstalled eSIM does not sit unused forever — the activation window for your order is stated in the order email. If you are planning more than a few months ahead, buy closer to the trip.
How much data does a trip actually use?
Rough figures, deliberately rounded up. The single biggest variable is video — everything else is noise by comparison.
| What you're doing | Roughly | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Maps and navigation | ~5 MB per hour | A fortnight of daily navigation barely dents 1 GB. |
| Messaging (WhatsApp, iMessage) | ~1 MB per hour | Text is effectively free. Photos are not. |
| Web and email | ~20 MB per hour | Heavier with image-dense sites. |
| Social feeds | ~100 MB per hour | Autoplaying video is the whole cost. |
| Music streaming | ~70 MB per hour | Download playlists on hotel Wi-Fi instead. |
| Voice call over data | ~20 MB per hour | Cheap. Video calling is fifteen times more. |
| Video call | ~300 MB per hour | One long family call can cost a third of a 1 GB plan. |
| Video streaming (HD) | ~2 GB per hour | Do this on Wi-Fi. |
So which plan size?
- 1 GB
- A week of maps, messaging and the occasional search. The classic short-trip plan.
- 3 GB
- One to two weeks of normal use — navigation, messaging, social, photo uploads.
- 5 GB
- Two weeks of daily social use with regular video calls home.
- 10 GB
- Heavy use, or tethering a laptop for a few hours of work each day.
- 20 GB
- A working trip: hotspot as your main connection, video calls, cloud sync.
If you are between two sizes, take the smaller one and top up. Unused data is money left behind, and topping up takes a minute.
Orders, delivery and refunds
How fast is delivery?
Digital and immediate — the QR code arrives by email within minutes of the order. If it has not appeared, check the spam folder first, then email support@travelnet.world and we will resend it.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no account to create, no password to forget and no app to install. Your order email is the whole record, which is also why it is worth keeping.
What if it does not work at all?
Then you get your money back. If an eSIM cannot be installed or cannot connect at your destination and we cannot fix it with you, the plan is refunded in full. The full terms are on the refund policy page.
Which currency are prices in?
All prices are shown and charged in US dollars. Your bank converts at its own rate, and some cards add a foreign-transaction fee — that fee comes from your card issuer, not from us.
Where do I find the full policies?
Still stuck?
Email support@travelnet.world with your order reference and what you're seeing on screen. A person reads it.