Urgent Assistance Required for Roaming Services Ahead of US Travel

[Gugu1229]

Hello,

I am reaching out for urgent assistance regarding my upcoming trip to the United States, which is scheduled for tomorrow. My primary concern is understanding and setting up roaming services, as I need to maintain my current phone number for two-factor authentication purposes

1. Activation of Roaming Services: Is it necessary for me to activate roaming before departing for the USA? If so, what are the steps to do this? I have already attempted to activate roaming by texting ROAMING to 150, but I only received generic information in response. "You can text the following codes to 150 for free while in the UK or abroad".

2. Roaming Charges: According to your website (https://ee.co.uk/help/mobile/roaming/roaming-costs/countries/usa), roaming services, such as sending a text, cost 60p per text. Could you please clarify how these charges are applied? Will they be directly debited from my bank account, or deducted from my preloaded credit?

3. Purchasing Data Add-ons: I am having trouble locating the option to purchase data add-ons through the EE app. Please find attached a screenshot of the issue. Once I arrive in the US, how can I add data to my plan?

4. Could you please elaborate step-by-step guide to activate and use the roam once I arrive to the US please?

Your prompt response to these queries would be greatly appreciated, as my departure is imminent and I require these services for my trip. Thanks!

[bristolian]

Are you on PAYG or pay-monthly?

[Gugu1229]

I am on PAYG. Thanks!

[bristolian]

PAYG is auto-enabled for roaming providing your phone has been used in the UK before travelling, the instructions you have followed are valid for pay-monthly only.

Any & all usage is debited from your available credit exactly as if you were in the UK - if you don't have sufficient credit to use your phone in the manner you desire, the function will not work. As with usage in the UK, you cannot spend credit that you don't have.

Automatic network selection should choose a US operator automatically, but if not you can use your phone's network selection menu to choose one manually. The US operators tend to rely on VoLTE (the tech underpinning 4G-calling) for voice calls, so ensure it's enabled.

[XRaySpeX · Accepted solution]

1. The only activation of a PAYG SIM to use abroad is just to have made a call or text in UK beforehand. Texting ROAMING is only for contracts.
2. All charges will be debited against your PAYG credit immediately, just like charges in UK.
3. On arrival you will be offered these data add-on:
4. See 1. - 3.

[Gugu1229]

Many thanks for your reply!

I have one more question regarding the roaming services.

While I am in the US, I will most likely use my UK number just for getting and receiving text messages, not using internet services.

In this case, I don't need to purchase data - am I right? What I only need is just credit for sending text messages.

Thanks in advance!

[bristolian]

You only need to pay for a data add-on if you want to use mobile data services. Calls & texts don't use mobile data.

[XRaySpeX]

Correct & also texts are free to receive worldwide. So you only need credit for sending texts @ 20p each.