Roaming charges happen when your phone connects to another carrier's network outside your home country
Roaming charges are fees your carrier adds when you use your phone abroad — texting, calling, or data — on a foreign network. These charges can be shockingly high: a single text message might cost $0.50 to $2, a minute of calling $1 to $3, and data can run $5 to $10 per megabyte depending on the country and your carrier. The charges appear on your next bill, sometimes weeks after you return home.
The good news is that roaming charges are entirely avoidable if you plan ahead. Your carrier has options built into your account — some free, some cheap — that let you use your phone abroad without surprise bills. The key is turning off the default behavior before you leave, not after you land.
Key Takeaways
- Turn off data roaming in your phone settings before you travel; this single step prevents the largest charges.
- Contact your carrier before departure to ask about their international plans, which often cost $10 to $15 per day and cap your charges.
- Use WiFi calling and messaging apps like WhatsApp or iMessage instead of your carrier's network when you are abroad.
- If you will be in one country for weeks, buying a local SIM card from a shop in that country is usually cheaper than any roaming plan.
- Check your bill within 30 days of returning home; carriers sometimes credit roaming charges if you dispute them promptly.
Turn off data roaming before you leave home
Data roaming is the biggest source of unexpected charges because it happens silently in the background. Your phone automatically connects to the strongest available network — which abroad means a foreign carrier — and begins using data for email, maps, social media, and app updates without asking permission.
On an iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options and toggle off "Data Roaming". On Android, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Network and toggle off "Data Roaming" or "Roaming". Do this before you leave your home country. Once data roaming is off, your phone will not use data on foreign networks at all, even if you accidentally open an app. You can still make calls and send texts on the foreign network (which may still cost money, but far less than data), and you can use any WiFi network you find.
If you need data abroad, use WiFi at your hotel, airport, or a café instead. This costs nothing and avoids roaming charges entirely.
Ask your carrier about international plans before you travel
Most carriers offer daily or monthly international plans that cap your charges. Verizon's TravelPass costs $10 per day (only charged on days you actually use your phone) and includes unlimited calls, texts, and data in over 210 countries. AT&T's similar plan costs $12 per day. T-Mobile includes texting and data in 215 destinations at no extra cost, though calling still charges per minute. Sprint (now part of T-Mobile) has comparable coverage.
Call your carrier's customer service or log into your online account at least a week before you leave. Ask what plans are available for the countries you are visiting, what they cost, and whether they include data or only calls and texts. For a week-long trip, a daily plan often costs less than paying per-use charges. For a month-long stay, a monthly plan might be cheaper — or a local SIM card might be cheaper still.
Add the plan to your account before departure. Some carriers let you set up it online; others require a phone call. Do not wait until you land abroad, because set up can take a few hours and you may incur charges in the meantime.
Use WiFi calling and messaging apps instead of your carrier
WiFi calling lets you make calls and send texts over any WiFi network using your regular phone number, with no roaming charges. On iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > WiFi Calling and toggle it on. On Android, go to Settings > Advanced > WiFi Calling and toggle it on. Once enabled, your phone will automatically use WiFi calling when WiFi is available and your carrier's network when it is not.
Messaging apps like WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram, and Signal let you text and call anyone else using the same app, over WiFi or data, for free. These work on any WiFi network and do not trigger roaming charges. If the people you need to reach use these apps, this is the cheapest option.
The catch: WiFi calling works only where WiFi is available, and messaging apps work only if both people have the app installed. For calls to people who do not use these apps, or in places without WiFi, you will need either a carrier plan or a local SIM card.
Buy a local SIM card if you are staying more than a week
A SIM card is the small chip inside your phone that connects you to a carrier's network. When you travel, you can buy a local SIM card in your destination country and swap it into your phone temporarily. This gives you a local phone number and local rates, which are usually far cheaper than roaming charges.
You can buy a SIM card at the airport, a phone shop, or a convenience store in your destination country. Prices vary widely — expect to pay $5 to $20 for the card plus credit. A week of calls and texts might cost $10 to $30 total, compared to $70 to $150 in roaming charges on your home carrier.
Before you buy a local SIM, check that your phone is unlocked. Most carriers will unlock your phone for free if you ask; some do it automatically after you have paid off the device. Call your carrier's customer service before you travel and ask if your phone is unlocked. If it is not, ask them to unlock it — this takes a few minutes and costs nothing.
The downside: you will have a different phone number while abroad, so people calling your regular number will not reach you. You can give people your temporary local number, or use WiFi calling and messaging apps to stay reachable on your regular number.
What to do if you return home with unexpected roaming charges
If you see roaming charges on your bill that you did not expect, contact your carrier within 30 days. Explain what happened — you were traveling, you thought data roaming was off, you did not know a particular action would trigger charges, or whatever the case is. Carriers sometimes credit roaming charges if you dispute them quickly, especially if you have been a customer for years and this is your first complaint.
Have your bill in front of you when you call. Note the date, time, and amount of each charge you want to dispute. The carrier will ask what you were doing when the charge occurred — for example, "I opened Google Maps on March 15 at 2 p.m." — so be as specific as you can. Some charges may be credited; others may not. There is no may provide, but it is worth asking.
If the carrier refuses to credit the charges and you believe they are unfair, you can file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at fcc.gov/consumers. The FCC does not refund charges directly, but complaints on file can pressure carriers to change their practices.
Comparing your options: which method costs the least
| Method | Cost for One Week | Best For | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| WiFi only (no calls) | $0 | Messaging apps, email, maps on WiFi | None |
| Carrier daily plan | $70–$84 | Staying connected everywhere, short trips | 1 phone call, 1 week before |
| Local SIM card | $15–$40 | Longer stays, frequent calling | 30 minutes at destination |
| WiFi calling + messaging apps | $0 | Staying in WiFi-rich areas, free calls to app users | 10 minutes setup |
The cheapest option depends on how long you are staying and where. For a three-day city trip where you will be in hotels and cafés with WiFi, turning off data roaming and using WiFi calling costs nothing. For a two-week rural trip where WiFi is scarce, a local SIM card is usually cheaper than a carrier plan. For a one-week trip where you need to stay connected everywhere, a carrier daily plan is the simplest choice even though it costs more.
Before you book your trip, think about where you will be and what you actually need to do on your phone. This helps you pick the method that fits your situation and your budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my phone in airplane mode to avoid roaming charges?
Airplane mode turns off all wireless connections — cellular, WiFi, and Bluetooth. It prevents roaming charges, but it also prevents you from using your phone at all except to take photos or play offline games. You can turn off airplane mode and turn on WiFi only (leaving cellular off) to use WiFi without roaming charges.
Do I have to tell my carrier I am traveling?
You do not have to, but some carriers flag unusual activity as fraud and may temporarily block your phone if you suddenly start using it in another country. If this happens, call your carrier to confirm it is really you. To avoid this, you can call ahead and let them know your travel dates and destinations, though it is not required.
What if I accidentally use roaming and do not notice until I get home?
Check your bill within 30 days and call your carrier to dispute the charges. Explain what happened and ask for a credit. Carriers sometimes grant credits for accidental roaming, especially if you have been a long-term customer. There is no may provide, but it is worth asking within the 30-day window.
Are roaming charges the same in every country?
No. Roaming charges vary by destination and by carrier. Some countries have agreements with your carrier that keep costs lower; others do not. Before you travel, ask your carrier what the per-minute, per-text, and per-megabyte rates are for each country you are visiting. This helps you decide whether a plan is worth it.
Can I use a local SIM card in any phone?
Only if your phone is unlocked. Most phones sold by carriers are locked to that carrier's network and will not accept another SIM card. Ask your carrier if your phone is unlocked before you travel. If it is not, ask them to unlock it — this is free and takes a few minutes.