Optus international roaming: what it costs, and when a travel eSIM is cheaper

• Postpaid day passOptus Daily RoamingA$5.00 per 24 hours, 5 GB per 24 hoursIn 150+ destinations. Covers Japan, Bali and Indonesia, Europe, Vietnam, New Zealand, Thailand and the USA.For Choice Plus, Plus Family, Plus Promo, Plus Data, Plus Kids and Qantas plans. It turns on automatically and is charged for each 24 hours from first use. Past the data, or after 24 hours, another charge buys another allowance. Standard calls and texts are included.Checked 1 Nov · Source
• Postpaid day passOptus $10 Roaming PassA$10.00 per 24 hours, 1 GB per 24 hoursIn over 100 destinations. Covers Japan, Bali and Indonesia, Europe, Vietnam, New Zealand, Thailand and the USA.For selected other postpaid plans, not Choice Plus or Qantas. Charged for each 24 hours from first use. Past the data, or after 24 hours, another charge buys another allowance. Standard calls and texts are included.Checked 1 Nov · Source
• Prepaid packOptus $5 International Roaming (prepaid)A$5.00 for 1 GB over 1 day.In 150+ destinations. Covers Japan, Bali and Indonesia, Europe, Vietnam, New Zealand, Thailand and the USA. Not covered: India, the Philippines, the UK, China, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Canada.Includes 50 SMS and up to 25 minutes of calls.Checked 1 Nov · Source
• Prepaid packOptus $25 International Roaming (prepaid)A$25.00 for 5 GB over 14 days.In 150+ destinations. Covers Japan, Bali and Indonesia, Europe, Vietnam, New Zealand, Thailand and the USA. Not covered: India, the Philippines, the UK, China, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Canada.Includes 50 SMS and up to 50 minutes of calls.Checked 1 Nov · Source
• Prepaid packOptus $45 International Roaming (prepaid)A$45.00 for 10 GB over 28 days.In 150+ destinations. Covers Japan, Bali and Indonesia, Europe, Vietnam, New Zealand, Thailand and the USA. Not covered: India, the Philippines, the UK, China, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Canada.Includes 100 SMS and up to 100 minutes of calls.Checked 1 Nov · Source
• Prepaid packOptus $75 International Roaming (prepaid)A$75.00 for 15 GB over 186 days.In 150+ destinations. Covers Japan, Bali and Indonesia, Europe, Vietnam, New Zealand, Thailand and the USA. Not covered: India, the Philippines, the UK, China, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Canada.Includes 100 SMS and up to 100 minutes of calls.Checked 1 Nov · Source

• Which one you get depends on your plan, so check in the My Optus app. Optus charges Daily Roaming upfront to the payment method on your account when you first use it, and it also works in flight on selected Aeromobile partner airlines.
• A 24-hour block starts when you first use your phone in an eligible destination, not at midnight. A new charge starts 24 hours later, or sooner if you use up the data.
• Prepaid: roaming add-ons work in Zone 1 destinations only. Optus says they are available on select plans only, and that unless you are on Optus Flex Plus Traveller you need an active standard recharge to buy one.
• All of our destinations are in Zone 1, for the day passes and the add-ons.

Without a pass or add-on, standard roaming rates apply. These are pay-as-you-go and vary by country. Optus warns they may be significantly higher than the pass, so look up your destination in Optus's roaming rates finder before you rely on them.

On plans without Daily Roaming, switching the $10 Roaming Pass off in My Optus and choosing standard roaming rates puts you on those pay-as-you-go rates.

Optus says GST does not apply to roaming charges, except MMS.

For a trip of 7 days, using the cheapest option from Optus that lasts the whole trip and holds the data, against the cheapest single travel eSIM that does the same. Light use is about 0.5 GB a day and moderate use about 1 GB a day. A day pass is counted for every day of the trip; a pack is bought again, one after another, if it is shorter than the trip. The carrier options include calls and texts on your own number where stated; a travel eSIM is data only. A postpaid reader is compared with the day pass and a Pre-Paid reader with the packs, because you can only buy your own plan's.

Try your own trip in the roaming calculator, or compare plans for Japan, Bali and Europe.

Daily Roaming switches itself on in eligible destinations, so your Optus line starts a charge as soon as it is used there. Optus lists making and receiving a call, sending a text and using data as what starts a charge. Receiving a text does not.

If you leave the Optus line on with data roaming off, it still starts a day charge of A$5.00 when you make or answer a call or send a text. Optus says voicemail diversions (busy, no answer or unreachable) and voicemail retrievals may start one too, so a call that rings out can cost you.

Optus gives two ways to turn Daily Roaming off: aeroplane mode (then turn Wi-Fi back on), or, on a dual-SIM phone, turning the Optus SIM off in Settings. To be sure of no charge, use one of them. You will not receive texts on the Optus number while it is off.

Our guide to keeping your Australian number has the full setup.

• Find out which Optus option your plan gets (Daily Roaming, the $10 Roaming Pass or standard rates) before you go.
• Remember a charge repeats every 24 hours, or each time you use up the data, for as long as you keep using the service.
• Aeroplane mode stops Daily Roaming. Turn Wi-Fi back on afterwards.
• Turn off call diversion to voicemail on the Optus line before you fly, or turn the SIM off, if a travel eSIM is your data line.
• On a flight with Aeromobile roaming, roaming charges apply only when aeroplane mode is off.