EU roaming on a PAYG £10 Data Pack?

[Lupin1]

Hello.  I've had a SIM-only £10 pay-as-you-go Data Pack since Nov 2019.  I will be travelling in two weeks' time to the EU, just a 5-day trip.  Could you tell me, please, if my Data Pack allowance will allow me to send/receive text messages and WhatsApp messages and to send/receive phone calls.  EE information online suggests that I am covered (my £10 Pack was renewed on Friday 26 Aug) but in two EE stores I visited to check my understanding, I was given completely different and conflicting information.  One store told me to buy a £10 Add-on to cover the 5 days (£2/day) and another told me I would be charged all the standard roaming charges (40p/minute for calls and 20p per text).  So I am a bit confused and would be hugely grateful if someone could help me get a clear and accurate answer.  Kind regards.

[XRaySpeX]

The store told you a load of baloney. The need for add-ons or paying a £2/day charge in the EU is only for contracts. It does not apply to PAYG. As yet EE haven't introduced any charges for PAYG users to use their UK allowances in the EU. EE has not yet announced if & when they may start. So you may continue to use your pack allowances in EU as before w/out charge.

[Schockwave]

Hello @Lupin1 ,

Welcome to the community,

As you are on pay as you go, when travelling in the EU, nothing has changed thus far and you can use your phone as if in the UK.

[Lupin1]

Hello XRaySpeX and Shockwave.  Thank you both very much for your really helpful (and wow! how speedy!) clear answers.  Just one more question, please, if I may ... do I have to do anything to enable roaming on my (Android) phone - for calls or text or data - or is roaming auto-enabled on a PAYG Data Pack?  An EE document I downloaded about EE roaming (for PAYG), but it is dated March 2020, says I have to enable roaming before I leave the UK.

[XRaySpeX]

You just need to switch Roaming and/or Data Roaming ON in your phone's settings.

As long as that PAYG SIM (not the pack) has once been used to make a call or text from within the UK, as I presume it has, you should be good to go.

 Thanks! You're welcome 🙂 ! Glad I could be of assistance & trust it is now sorted.

[Lupin1]

Great!  Many thanks again.  I can't find any reference to Roaming and/or Data Roaming in my phone settings (it's a Moto g(7) Power) but I have been using this phone (the SIM and the pack) since Nov 2019.  Does that still mean I am good to go?  Sorry to bother you again.

[XRaySpeX · Accepted solution]

On my Samsung Android I find a Data Roaming switch under Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks.

[Lupin1]

Brilliant!  I've found it now, also under Mobile Network. 😊  And I see that both Mobile Data and Roaming are switched on.  Yay!  Thank you SO much, XRaySpeX; you've been incredibly helpful to me this afternoon.  Enjoy the rest of your bank holiday!  I'll sign off now.

[NWBux]

Did you ever get to a definitive answer? I’m in the same situation and heading to France next month for a holiday - want to be able to use my pack allowances there. 

[XRaySpeX]

@NWBux : Yes. The need for add-ons or paying a £2/day charge in the EU is only for contracts. It does not apply to PAYG. As yet EE haven't introduced any charges for PAYG users to use their UK allowances in the EU. EE has not yet announced if & when they may start. So you may continue to use your pack allowances in EU as before w/out charge.