What changed
- As of October 2026, AT&T's International Day Pass costs $12 a day for one line and $6 for each additional line on the same account, with no more than 10 daily fees per line per bill period. Verizon's TravelPass costs $12 a day in 210+ countries and $6 a day in Canada and Mexico.
- T-Mobile's Experience More and Experience Beyond plans include 5GB and 15GB respectively of high-speed data in 215+ countries and destinations, then unlimited data at up to 256 kbps.
- 27 January 2026: Verizon stopped automatically removing the carrier lock 60 days after purchase. Phones bought on installments now stay locked until paid off, and a locked phone cannot use another provider's eSIM.
- September 2025: iPhone 17 models sold in the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan and several Gulf states became eSIM-only; iPhone Air is eSIM-only everywhere.
- 1 January 2026: the EU's Roam Like at Home rules were extended to Ukraine and Moldova.
Why it matters
Connectivity costs are small per person but add up across a team or a family. On a single AT&T account, a family of four whose phones all use the Day Pass pays $30 a day ($12 plus three lines at $6), and at sea AT&T and Verizon both charge $20 a day per line. For longer trips, Verizon's $100 International Monthly Plan or a travel eSIM may cost less than daily fees.
For a company, the main issues are control and access. Company phones may be locked to a carrier or managed by IT, which rules out a travel eSIM unless arranged in advance. Travelers also need their home number reachable for calls and text-message security codes. Apple notes that iMessage and FaceTime keep working on the home line while a travel eSIM carries data, but warns that the home line can still incur roaming fees.
Who is affected
- Employees who travel abroad on company phones, and the operations or IT lead who manages those devices.
- Owners and families traveling with several phones, tablets or watches on one account.
- Anyone on a cruise, where at-sea rates are higher than land rates.
- Sydney-based travelers on Australian carriers, whose roaming passes are priced separately.
Program by program
- AT&T International Day Pass
- $12 a day for one line and $6 for each additional line on the same account, using the domestic plan's talk, text and data in over 210 destinations. Charges stop after 10 daily fees per line per bill period. At sea the rate is $20 a day per line.
- Verizon TravelPass and International Monthly Plan
- TravelPass costs $12 a day in 210+ countries and $6 a day in Canada and Mexico; Unlimited Ultimate already includes international use. The $100 International Monthly Plan includes 20GB of high-speed data, unlimited texts and 250 minutes, and Verizon positions it for trips of nine days or more.
- T-Mobile
- Experience More includes 5GB and Experience Beyond 15GB of high-speed data in 215+ countries and destinations, then slower unlimited data. International Passes add high-speed data: $10 for one day (2GB), $50 for 10 days (15GB) or $75 for 30 days (30GB).
- Travel eSIMs
- Data plans for a country or region, installed alongside the home line; Apple supports running a travel eSIM as a second line. The phone must not be locked to a carrier, and the traveler chooses which line carries data.
- Local SIMs and EU roaming
- Suited to long stays in one country, at the cost of a different phone number. A SIM from an EU operator generally roams across the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and now Ukraine and Moldova, at domestic rates for periodic travel, subject to fair-use limits.
- Telstra International Day Pass (Australia)
- A$10 a day with 2GB of data and unlimited standard calls and texts in more than 80 destinations, and A$5 a day in New Zealand and several Pacific destinations.
What we recommend
- Match the option to the trip: a carrier day pass for short trips where the home number matters most; a monthly plan or travel eSIM for longer or data-heavy trips; a local SIM for extended stays in one country.
- Before departure, confirm each company device is eSIM-capable and not carrier-locked, and agree with IT whether travelers may add a travel eSIM.
- Keep the home line reachable for calls and security codes, and check data settings so the home line does not incur roaming charges by accident.
- For family trips, count the devices on the account. Daily fees per line add up, and some devices may not need roaming at all.
- Put a short connectivity rule in the travel policy: which option the company pays for, and when.
What silentVIP manages
- Record each traveler's carrier, device and connectivity preference in their traveler profile.
- Note on each itinerary where connectivity costs change, such as cruise days and destinations outside the usual carrier coverage.
- Include connectivity in pre-trip notes for staff and families, so the choice is made before departure.
- Monitor changes to carrier international pricing and tell you when they affect upcoming travel.
Sources
- Get details about AT&T International Day Pass (AT&T)
- International travel plans (Verizon)
- International roaming plans (T-Mobile)
- Use an eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhone (Apple Support)
- Apple iPhone 17 series eSIM-only countries list (Android Headlines)
- Samsung phones on Verizon now harder to unlock (SamMobile)
- Roaming (European Commission)
- International roaming (Telstra)
Program rules change often. This briefing reflects published information as of October 12, 2026; confirm details before acting on them.