US Carrier Day Passes Abroad Cost $10 to $12 a Day

Verizon’s TravelPass and AT&T’s International Day Pass each cost $12 for every day you use your phone abroad, and T-Mobile’s cheapest pass is $10 for one day with 2GB, though its Experience plans already include 5GB or 15GB of high-speed data abroad. A travel eSIM, added as a second line on an unlocked phone, is the alternative when your trip is long, you need more data than the pass gives, or your plan includes nothing abroad.

All prices below are from each carrier’s own pages, read on 9 October 2026, and exclude taxes and fees.

What each carrier charges per day

Carrier · product	Price	Data, and speed after	Who can get it
Verizon TravelPass	$12 per line per day; $6 in Mexico and Canada	Unlimited talk and text; 5GB high-speed a day, then 3G speeds. Another 2GB for $10	A qualifying plan and a “world device”. Added automatically on Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Welcome
Verizon International Monthly Plan	$100 per line per month	250 minutes, unlimited texts; 20GB high-speed, then 3G	Add-on; Verizon pitches it at trips of 9 days or more
AT&T International Day Pass	$12 a day; $6 for each extra line used the same day; $20 a day on cruise ships	Unlimited talk and text; data from your own plan’s allowance, with speed varying by destination	Unlimited plans
T-Mobile International Pass	$10 for 1 day (2GB); $50 for 10 days (15GB); $75 for 30 days (30GB)	Free calls, hotspot allowed; after the pass data, your plan’s roaming data, or 128Kbps if it has none	A qualifying plan; one pass at a time

Both day passes cover 210+ countries and destinations; T-Mobile’s covers 215+. Verizon says it charges “only … on the days you make or receive a call, send texts or use data” abroad, so a pass left on your line costs nothing at home. AT&T says the same.

What some plans already include

Plan	Included abroad
T-Mobile Experience Beyond	Up to 15GB high-speed data in 215+ countries, then 256kbps; unlimited texting; calls $0.50 a minute
T-Mobile Experience More	Up to 5GB high-speed, then 256kbps; unlimited texting; calls $0.50 a minute
T-Mobile Essentials	Unlimited texting and calls at $0.50 a minute; no high-speed data without a pass
AT&T Elite 2.0	Unlimited international talk and text, and 20GB of data a month, in 210+ destinations
AT&T Premium 2.0	Talk, text and high-speed data in 20 Latin American countries
Verizon Simplicity	Mexico and Canada included. A $30-a-month For Travelers bundle adds 3 TravelPass days a month
Verizon Unlimited Ultimate	International data, talk and text included, per Verizon; TravelPass cannot be added

On T-Mobile’s Experience plans, the first question is whether 5GB or 15GB covers your trip; if it does, no pass is needed. AT&T says all its unlimited plans include the US, Canada and Mexico, and Verizon says roaming there is included with Simplicity and Unlimited plans. For how those same plans slow down at home, see what “unlimited” data actually limits.

When a travel eSIM makes more sense

The day pass bills by the day, so it gets expensive as the trip gets longer. Ten days on TravelPass or AT&T’s Day Pass is $120 for one line; Verizon’s own monthly plan is $100, and Verizon suggests it from 9 days. T-Mobile’s 10 Day Pass is $50.

A travel eSIM is a prepaid plan from a carrier in the country you visit, or from a worldwide provider. Apple says worldwide providers cover “over 190 countries or regions”, and that local carriers sell prepaid plans online before you leave or at airport kiosks on arrival, sometimes asking for a passport. Prices vary by seller, country and data amount; we have not priced any.

It tends to fit when:

• the trip is long enough that daily charges add up past your carrier’s monthly option;
• you need more high-speed data than the pass includes (5GB a day on TravelPass, 2GB on T-Mobile’s one-day pass);
• your plan includes nothing abroad and you mostly need data, not your US number;
• your destination is outside your carrier’s pass countries.

It needs an unlocked phone. If yours is still locked, you are left with your carrier’s own options.

How a second eSIM works

On iPhone. Dual SIM works on iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later; iPhone 13 and later can run two eSIMs. Apple’s Dual SIM page lists “Add a local data plan when you travel outside of the country or region” as a use, and says “your iPhone can use one cellular data network at a time.”

1. Install the travel eSIM before you leave, on Wi-Fi. With iOS 26 or later you may be asked whether it is for home or travel.
2. On arrival, tap Turn On Travel eSIM if prompted, and choose Travel eSIM and Current eSIM to keep your number. Apple says the travel eSIM is then used for data.
3. Otherwise set it by hand: Settings › Cellular › Cellular Data, then pick the travel line.
4. Leave Allow Cellular Data Switching off. Apple says turning it on lets the iPhone use data from both plans.

Choose Travel eSIM Only instead and Apple says FaceTime and iMessage keep working on your home number. With iOS 26, the iPhone switches the travel eSIM off and your home SIM back on when you return, depending on your country or region.

On a Pixel. Google’s help says Pixel 3a and later can run a card and an eSIM; two eSIMs at once need a Pixel 7 or later and a carrier that allows it, and US Pixel 10 models other than the 10 Pro Fold take eSIM only.

1. Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › Add SIM, then set up the eSIM.
2. Under Your primary SIMs, set Mobile data to the travel eSIM and leave Calls and Texts on your home SIM.
3. Leave Automatic data switching off. On Pixel 8 and earlier, Google says that during a call all data goes through the SIM making the call.

The phone keeps both numbers live, but the home line is still roaming. Apple warns you “might still incur roaming fees from your home eSIM”, and Verizon says that with two numbers, “charges apply per the international plan associated with each line.”

On Verizon and AT&T, one call answered or one text sent on your home number can start a $12 day. Verizon’s trigger list is “make or answer a phone call, send a text or use data”; AT&T’s is to “use data, send a text, or make or accept a phone call”. Neither lists receiving a text. Verizon adds that background data, such as app refreshes and email sync, can start a session once data roaming is on, which is a reason to keep data roaming off on the home line.

Is your phone unlocked?

Apple’s condition is plain: “your iPhone cannot be locked to a carrier.” On iPhone, Settings › General › About shows “No SIM Restrictions” next to Carrier Lock when it is unlocked. Each carrier’s own policy for postpaid phones it sold:

Carrier	When a postpaid phone unlocks
Verizon	Automatically, when bought at full retail price or once the financing balance is paid in full. Prepaid: after 365 days of paid service
AT&T	Bought more than 60 days ago, paid in full, not reported lost or stolen, and the account not past due. Prepaid: twelve months of service
T-Mobile	Active for at least 40 days on the line and paid in full; T-Mobile unlocks it remotely within two business days. Prepaid: 365 days, or more than $100 in refills

Verizon’s pages disagree with each other. Its unlocking policy, effective 18 February 2026, ties the unlock to paying the phone off, while its Dual SIM FAQ still describes “a 60-day SIM lock” before another carrier’s service can go on the second SIM. If you are paying off a Verizon phone, ask Verizon before relying on a travel eSIM.

For what changes between the two kinds of SIM beyond travel, see how an eSIM differs from a physical SIM.

Questions people ask

How much is Verizon TravelPass per day?

$12 per line per day in most of its 210+ countries and destinations, and $6 in Mexico and Canada, plus taxes and fees. Mexico and Canada are included at no extra cost on Simplicity and Unlimited plans. You get 5GB of high-speed data a day, then 3G speeds.

How much is the AT&T International Day Pass?

$12 a day on land, plus $6 for each additional line used on the same calendar day, and $20 a day on a cruise. It gives unlimited talk and text and uses your unlimited plan’s own data allowance. AT&T Elite 2.0 already includes 20GB a month in 210+ destinations.

Does T-Mobile charge for international data?

Not on Experience plans, up to an allowance: Experience Beyond includes up to 15GB of high-speed data in 215+ countries and destinations and Experience More up to 5GB, then 256kbps. Calls are $0.50 a minute unless you buy an International Pass, from $10 for one day with 2GB.

Can I keep my number and use a travel eSIM?

Yes, on a dual SIM phone. Keep your home line on for calls and texts and set the travel eSIM as the data line. Apple warns your home line may still incur roaming fees, and on Verizon and AT&T a call or a sent text on it can start a day’s pass charge.

Does my phone need to be unlocked for a travel eSIM?

Yes, for an eSIM from another carrier. Apple says your iPhone cannot be locked to a carrier. On iPhone, Settings › General › About shows “No SIM Restrictions” next to Carrier Lock when it is unlocked. Each carrier sets its own unlock rules.

Do I get charged for TravelPass if I don’t use my phone?

No. Verizon and AT&T charge only on days you use the phone in a covered country, so you can leave the pass on. But background data counts: Verizon says app refreshes, email sync and updates can start a session once data roaming is on.