eSIM mistakes I made so you do not have to
Four mistakes from my own trips: not checking data roaming settings, letting my home SIM eat data by default, buying a plan too small for a multi-country trip, and assuming a QR code would just work without a backup plan.
None of these were disasters, but each one cost me either money or a genuinely annoying hour at an airport. Writing them down mostly so I stop repeating them.
The default data line mistake
On an early trip I installed a travel eSIM correctly, scanned the code, saw it show up in settings — and then spent two days wondering why my home carrier was charging me for data. Turned out my phone was still set to use my home SIM as the default data line, with the new eSIM just sitting there installed and unused. Now checking that setting is the very last step of setup, every time.
Buying too small a plan for a multi-country trip
I once bought a single-country eSIM for what I thought was a one-country trip, then crossed a border two days in on a whim. The plan didn't cover the new country at all, and I ended up buying a second plan mid-trip at airport Wi-Fi speeds. Now if there's any chance of crossing a border, I default to a regional plan even if it costs a bit more upfront.
Assuming the QR code would just work
A QR code sent by email, opened on the same phone I needed to install it on, doesn't scan itself — that sounds obvious written down, but it caught me off guard the first time. I needed a second device to scan it into my travel phone. Now I always check whether the provider offers one-tap in-app installation before I even think about the QR code route.
Forgetting to turn off roaming before I left
The most expensive one: I landed, my phone auto-connected to a local network on my home SIM before I'd even installed the travel eSIM, and background app refresh did the rest. A $40 mistake that a 10-second settings check before boarding would have avoided completely.
What I do differently now
Turn off home SIM data roaming before I leave. Install the travel eSIM before I fly, not after I land. Default to regional over single-country plans unless I'm genuinely certain about my route. And confirm the default data line is set correctly as the very last step, every single time.
Use code Sahrzad15 at checkout for a discount.
For the full setup walkthrough, see how eSIM works, or check what to do if your eSIM stops working mid-trip.