Are you planning a trip to the Big Apple, the bright lights of Las Vegas or Florida's Walt Disney World? The United States remains one of the most consistently popular choices for Australians travelling abroad, but if you're hoping to take your phone overseas, it's not always cheap.
International roaming can be expensive, especially if you're using data outside of Australia. But luckily, you might not even have to switch SIM cards, depending on your telco and plan. So whether you want to use your own Australia mobile plan in America, get a travel eSIM, or pick up a local SIM on arrival, here are our picks for your best value options.
Before we start, here are the most popular roaming-compatible plans from each postpaid telco featured in this guide:
|
#1
|
Vodafone
$49 Small Plan
$39/mth
Min. cost $39
|
|
#2
|
Vodafone
$49 Small SIM Only Plan
$39/mth
Min. cost $39
|
|
#3
|
Tangerine Telecom
12GB Mobile SIM
$23/mth
Min. cost $23
|
|
#4
|
More
12GB Mobile SIM
$26/mth
Min. cost $26
|
|
#5
|
Tangerine Telecom
25GB 5G Mobile SIM
$29/mth
Min. cost $29
|
|
#6
|
Belong
25GB Mobile Plan
$30/mth
Min. cost $30
|
|
#7
|
More
25GB 5G Mobile SIM
$32/mth
Min. cost $32
|
|
#8
|
Tangerine Telecom
32GB 5G Mobile SIM
$34/mth
Min. cost $34
|
|
#9
|
Belong
40GB Mobile Plan
$35/mth
Min. cost $35
|
|
#10
|
More
32GB 5G Mobile SIM
$38/mth
Min. cost $38
|
And here are the most popular roaming-compatible plans from each prepaid telco featured in this guide with a minimum 28-day expiry:
|
#1
|
felix mobile
felix 50GB Mobile Plan
$30
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#2
|
amaysim
UNLIMITED 10GB Plan
$22
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
felix mobile
felix 25GB Mobile Plan
$25
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#4
|
Boost Mobile
$26 Prepaid
$26
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
#5
|
Boost Mobile
$39 Prepaid
$39
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
#6
|
felix mobile
felix Unlimited Mobile Plan
$40
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#7
|
Boost Mobile
$49 Prepaid
$49
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
#8
|
Boost Mobile
$59 Prepaid
$59
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
#9
|
Boost Mobile
$74 Prepaid
$74
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
#10
|
Boost Mobile
$300 Prepaid
$300
Per 12 Month Renewal
|
Buying a US eSIM
If you're travelling to the United States for more than a week, consider picking up a US travel eSIM. If you have a phone with eSIM support, a travel eSIM is a mobile plan you can download to your phone and activate entirely on your device. There's no physical SIM card, so you don't need to find a convenience store when you're jetlagged on arrival. You can even download and activate travel eSIMs before you leave Australia so you have connectivity as you soon as you turn off flight mode.
I've regularly used Airalo while travelling in the US, where you can get a 10GB plan with a 30-day expiry for AUD$42. Airalo plans are data-only, so you won't been able to make phone calls. They do have 5G, however, Airalo's US SIMs won't work in Mexico or Canada.
Jetpac is another eSIM provider worth considering. Jetpac's plans are a little more expensive than Airalo - you'll pay USD$25 for 10GB - and they also cover Canada. The plans are data-only and you'll get 4G and select 5G connectivity.
Jetpac US travel eSIMs are valid for 1 year and have a unique perk where you can score for free airport lounge access you you and 1 other friend if your flight is delayed (and meets the threshold). This is done by registering your flight in the Jetpac app.
If you're after an eSIM travel plan that also lets you make phone calls, you could go with SIMCorner. Most of SIMCorner's US eSIMs have unlimited talk and text. Exact inclusions depend on the plan, however. For example, its 10GB and unlimited date options only have US calling and text (including Hawaii) as a standard, you can pay $15 extra for each to unlock its International Talk and Text feature. Make sure you double-check the inclusions on your SIM if this is important to you. SIMCorner's eSIMs are a bit pricier again, starting at AUD$49.
Compare Airalo, Jetpac, and SIMCorner plans at the time of writing below.
| Price | Data | Expiry | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUD$0.00 Free welcome SIM |
1GB | 1 day | View on Airalo |
| AUD$7.50 | 1GB | 7 days | View on Airalo |
| AUD$13.00 | 2GB | 15 days | View on Airalo |
| AUD$18.00 | 3GB | 30 days | View on Airalo |
| AUD$$26 | 5GB | 30 days | View on Airalo |
| AUD$42.00 | 10GB | 30 days | View on Airalo |
| AUD$68.00 | 20GB | 30 days | View on Airalo |
| Price | Data | Expiry | |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD$1 | 1GB | 4 days | View on Jetpac |
| USD$10 | 3GB | 7 days | View on Jetpac |
| USD$13 | 5GB | 30 days | View on Jetpac |
| USD$25 | 10GB | 30 days | View on Jetpac |
| USD$30 | 15GB | 30 days | View on Jetpac |
| USD$40 | 20GB | 30 days | View on Jetpac |
| USD$55 | 30GB | 30 days | View on Jetpac |
| USD$63 | 40GB | 30 days | View on Jetpac |
| Price | Data | Countries | Expiry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUD$49.00 | 10GB | US | 30 days | View on SIMCorner |
| AUD$70.00 | Unlimited | US | 30 days | View on SIMCorner |
| AUD$69.00 | 15GB | US, Canada, Mexico | 30 days | View on SIMCorner |
| AUD$90.00 | Unlimited | US, Canada, Mexico | 30 days | View on SIMCorner |
| AUD$109 | AT&T Unlimited (25GB in Canada) | US, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Mexico | 30 days | View on SIMCorner |
Read more about travelling with eSIM here.
Get a US SIM card
If you don't have an eSIM-enabled phone, you can always pick up a local American SIM card when you arrive. Unlike most other countries, you typically won't always find stores selling SIM cards at airports. Instead, you'll want to find an AT&T or T-Mobile shop at your destination, where you can buy a prepaid SIM card.
If you're looking for an easy option, we'd recommend T-Mobile. USD$60 (plus tax) gets you unlimited talk and text plus unlimited data for one month. You'll only get a 10GB high-speed hotspot data allowance, however. International calls aren't included on these plans by default, but you get a USD$15 per month add-on if you really need to be able to call Australian numbers.
AT&T prepaid is also worth considering. USD$35.99 per month (plus tax) gets you unlimited talk and text, unlimited data and 5GB hotspot data. Alternatively, USD$40.99 per month gets you unlimited talk and text, unlimited data and 30GB of hotspot data. AT&T's USD$50.99 plan allows for unlimited talk and text, unlimited data and 60GB of hotspot data. Plus you'll be able to keep using your plan if you roam in a select 20 Latin American countries. These plans do not include international calls.
Read more about travelling with your phone here.
Roaming in the US with your telco
Roaming in the US with felix
felix mobile is a smaller provider with a great international offer: a $20 roaming pack. This gets you 4GB of data, 100 texts, and 100 minutes of calls on a 365-day expiry. If you're using WiFi as much as you can while abroad, 4GB could even last your entire trip!
Here are felix's mobile plans:
|
#1
|
felix mobile
felix 25GB Mobile Plan
$25
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#2
|
felix mobile
felix 50GB Mobile Plan
$30
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#3
|
felix mobile
felix Unlimited Mobile Plan
$40
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
Unlike other providers, felix offers unlimited data but caps its plan to speeds of 20Mbps (both locally and abroad). That's fast enough for most online activities, however. felix is powered by the Vodafone network.
felix's roaming isn't as broadly available as options from The Big Three: it only works in around 40 destinations. This still covers the United States and Canada, but not Mexico (if you were thinking about ducking south of the border on your trip).
Roaming in the US with Vodafone
Vodafone postpaid plans are the simplest choice for heading overseas thanks to $5 roaming. For $5 per day, you're able to use your local inclusions overseas in over 100 countries, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This means you don't have to worry about a separate overseas data allowance - your usage will work the same way it does in Australia.
The $5 per day charge will only be added to your bill on days when you make a call, send a text, or use data overseas. Just note, you can only use $5 roaming for a maximum of 90 days of the calendar year.
These Vodafone postpaid plans all include $5 roaming:
|
#1
|
Vodafone
$49 Small SIM Only Plan
$39/mth
Min. cost $39
|
|
#2
|
Vodafone
$59 Medium SIM Only Plan
$49/mth
Min. cost $49
|
|
#3
|
Vodafone
$69 Large SIM Only Plan
$59/mth
Min. cost $59
|
Roaming in the US with Optus
If you're an Optus postpaid customer on a plan from the last few years, you'll use Optus' $5 roaming when travelling overseas. $5 per day will give you 5GB of data per day, in addition to unlimited standard talk and text. All unused data expires at the end of each day, but if you go over your allowance, another $5 pack will automatically be purchased.
These Optus postpaid plans all support $5 Roaming.
|
#1
|
Optus
$55 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
|
|
#2
|
Optus
$65 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
|
|
#3
|
Optus
$79 Optus Promo Plan
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
|
|
#4
|
Optus
$85 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$85/mth
Min. cost $85
|
You can only use the $5 Roaming option in what Optus calls "Zone 1" countries. This covers the United States, Canada, Mexico, most of Europe, the UK, New Zealand, and China.
"Zone 2" (any country not part of "Zone 1") is predominantly made of countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America. You won't be able to use Optus $5 Roaming in these countries.
Roaming in the US with Belong
Telstra's budget brand Belong is reasonably new to roaming, and has just a single travel pack.
For $30 you get 3GB of data, 150 minutes of calls, and unlimited standard SMS with a 15-day expiry. You can use this add-on in over 45 destinations, including the United States and Canada.
All Belong customers also get free access to a basic roaming service. This lets you receive SMS while still overseas (but not reply) and use WiFi calling when on a suitable network.
Here are the Belong plans eligible for roaming:
|
#1
|
Belong
25GB Mobile Plan
$30/mth
Min. cost $30
|
|
#2
|
Belong
40GB Mobile Plan
$35/mth
Min. cost $35
|
|
#3
|
Belong
100GB Mobile Plan
$45/mth
Min. cost $45
|
|
#4
|
Belong
160GB Mobile Plan
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
|
Roaming in the US with Tangerine
Tangerine, a Telstra-powered provider, is another smaller telco with three solid international roaming offer. Below we've outlined all the options and identified which is better if you want data, SMS or voice calls.
Tangerine's roaming packs work up until 11:59PM (AEST) on your last included day. These travel pack works in the United States, as well as Canada and Mexico. Here are the full details:
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Three-day expiry | $60 | 300 mins, 300 texts, 3GB |
| Seven-day expiry | $35 | 30 mins, 30 texts, 5GB |
| 14-day expiry | $55 | 60 mins, 60 texts, 10GB |
Below are Tangerine's plans you can pair these packs with:
|
#1
|
Tangerine Telecom
12GB Mobile SIM
$23/mth
Min. cost $23
|
|
#2
|
Tangerine Telecom
25GB 5G Mobile SIM
$29/mth
Min. cost $29
|
|
#3
|
Tangerine Telecom
32GB 5G Mobile SIM
$34/mth
Min. cost $34
|
|
#4
|
Tangerine Telecom
50GB 5G Mobile SIM
$40/mth
Min. cost $40
|
|
#5
|
Tangerine Telecom
80GB 5G Mobile SIM
$46/mth
Min. cost $46
|
|
#6
|
Tangerine Telecom
150GB 5G Mobile SIM
$58/mth
Min. cost $58
|
Roaming in the US with More
More offers identical international roaming packs to its sibling brand Tangerine. More's roaming packs work in over 65 countries, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Three-day expiry | $60 | 300 mins, 300 texts, 3GB |
| Seven-day expiry | $35 | 30 mins, 30 texts, 5GB |
| 14-day expiry | $55 | 60 mins, 60 texts, 10GB |
Here are More's mobile plans that you can roam with:
|
#1
|
More
12GB Mobile SIM
$26/mth
Min. cost $26
|
|
#2
|
More
25GB 5G Mobile SIM
$32/mth
Min. cost $32
|
|
#3
|
More
32GB 5G Mobile SIM
$38/mth
Min. cost $38
|
|
#4
|
More
50GB 5G Mobile SIM
$44/mth
Min. cost $44
|
|
#5
|
More
80GB 5G Mobile SIM
$50/mth
Min. cost $50
|
|
#6
|
More
150GB 5G Mobile SIM
$64/mth
Min. cost $64
|
Roaming in the US with Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile is another Telstra-powered telco offering customers International Roaming Packs. Boost Mobile customers can choose from three roaming options:
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Three-day expiry | $20 | 15 mins, 15 texts, 1GB |
| Seven-day expiry | $30 | 30 mins, 30 texts, 3GB |
| 14-day expiry | $40 | 60 mins, 60 texts, 5GB |
Boost's roaming works in 42 countries, including the United States and Canada. Take a look below for Boost Mobile's compatible prepaid plans:
|
#1
|
Boost Mobile
$13 Prepaid
$13
Per 7 Day Renewal
|
|
#2
|
Boost Mobile
$26 Prepaid
$26
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
#3
|
Boost Mobile
$39 Prepaid
$39
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
#4
|
Boost Mobile
$49 Prepaid
$49
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
#5
|
Boost Mobile
$59 Prepaid
$59
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
#6
|
Boost Mobile
$74 Prepaid
$74
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
Roaming in the US with amaysim
amaysim has four international roaming add-on packs available to its prepaid customers, each lasting 365 days. amaysim roaming works in over 120 countries, including the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Here are the four add-ons:
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Small Talk | $20 | 100 mins, 100 texts, no data |
| The Works | $25 | 50 mins, 30 texts, 2GB |
| Just Gigs | $50 | No mins, no texts, 6GB |
| The Epic | $70 | 100 mins, 60 texts, 9GB |
You'll need an active amaysim recharge to use its roaming. Here are its 28-day plans:
|
#1
|
amaysim
UNLIMITED 10GB Plan
$22
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
amaysim
UNLIMITED 32GB Plan
$30
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
amaysim
UNLIMITED 80GB Plan
$40
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
amaysim
UNLIMITED 120GB Plan
$50
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
Roaming in the US with Telstra
To use a Telstra Upfront plan overseas, you will need to purchase an International Day Pass. While overseas you'll get a daily 2GB data allowance for $10 per day in Zone 2 locations, which include the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Upfront plans expire 24 hours from your service's first use.
If you exceed your 2GB, you will receive an SMS with the option to purchase a data top-up for an extra $10 for another 2GB. This data can then be used over the following 31 days. The Pass includes unlimited talk and text, but MMS is billed at $0.75 per message. Telstra roaming works in over 70 destinations. Note that Zone 3 locations only receive unlimited calls and SMS.
Here is Telstra's range of Upfront plans:
|
#1
|
Telstra
$65 Basic Upfront SIM Plan
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
Telstra
$75 Essential Upfront SIM Plan
$75/mth
Min. cost $75
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
Telstra
$99 Premium Upfront SIM Plan
$99/mth
Min. cost $99
Link not supplied
|
If you're on a Telstra Upfront plan and you travel outside of an eligible destination, you simply won't be able to use your service. Telstra won't bill you pay-as-you-go rates.
Use free public WiFi
If you're really looking to save money, you can hop on the free public WiFi networks available in hotels, cafes, attractions and city centres throughout the US.
Mooching off Wi-Fi doesn't mean giving up on talk and text either. Apps like Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Skype, Viber and WhatsApp will let you send and receive text messages and phone calls via the internet. These apps allow you to contact anyone else using the app for free. And if you want to make calls to those who don't, you can buy a little Skype or Viber credit.
You'll want your friends and family to install your app of choice on their phone so you can contact them and they can contact you for free. You'll also want to make sure your phone is in aeroplane mode to stop any accidental calls, texts or data usage that could trigger exorbitant roaming charges.
You can check out maps of available Wi-Fi through an app such as Wiman or Instabridge to help you connect on the go.
Best SIM cards for travelling in the USA FAQs
Can I use my Australian phone in America?
Most Australian phones should work in America. You will however need to get a phone plan from AT&T or T-Mobile for the best experience (or for a smaller provider powered by one of these networks). You should avoid Verizon and smaller providers powered by its network, as part of its network uses a different standard to Australian telcos. This means you may not be able to make phone calls, for example.
Can you buy a US SIM in Australia?
If you're looking to buy a US SIM in Australia, there are websites like SIM Corner that will ship you a SIM to your Australian address, so you don't have to spend time looking for one when you arrive. Just be sure to double-check what these SIMs include, as they're often different to the SIMs you can get on arrival.
Can I use a US SIM in Mexico and Canada?
Some US phone plans include free roaming for Mexico and Canada, but not all of them. Is this an important feature for you, be sure to double-check when you buy your SIM card.
These are the most popular NBN 50 plans with WhistleOut users this week:
|
#1
|
Kogan Internet
Silver Unlimited
$59.90/mth
Min. cost $59.90
|
|
#2
|
Tangerine Telecom
Value Plus NBN
$59.90/mth
Min. cost $59.90
|
|
#3
|
MATE
Ripper nbn 50/20
$60/mth
Min. cost $60
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
Exetel
Extra-value nbn50
$60.99/mth
Min. cost $60.99
|
|
#5
|
Buddy Telco
Value nbn - Unlimited
$63/mth
Min. cost $63
|
|
#6
|
Moose NBN
nbn 50/20 Premium
$63.80/mth
Min. cost $63.80
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
Superloop
Extra-value nbn50/20
$67/mth
Min. cost $67
|
|
#8
|
Dodo
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$68.90/mth
Min. cost $68.90
|
|
#9
|
Swoop
nbn® Home Everyday
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
iiNet
nbn50 Liimitless
$69.99/mth
Min. cost $69.99
|
Find a better phone plan
Thousands of mobile phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
