The smaller Australian carriers run on Telstra, Optus or Vodafone’s network, but they set their own roaming prices, and they vary more than the big three do. Most sell packs instead of a daily fee. A few have no packs at all.
At a glance
| Carrier | Network | How roaming works | Cheapest data |
|---|---|---|---|
| amaysim | Optus | Packs, valid 365 days | A$25 for 2GB |
| Boost Mobile | Telstra | Packs, 3 to 14 days | A$20 for 2GB over 3 days |
| ALDI Mobile | Telstra | 7-day packs or pay as you go | A$5 for 1GB (Pacific) or 2GB (North America) |
| Belong | Telstra | One 15-day pack | A$30 for 3GB |
| Kogan Mobile | Vodafone | Packs, 1 to 7 days | A$10 for 1GB for 1 day |
| TPG | Vodafone | Pay as you go only | A$0.50 per MB |
| Dodo | Optus | Daily pack, opt in | A$10 a day for 1GB |
| felix | Vodafone | One add-on, valid 365 days | A$20 for 4GB |
| Lebara | Vodafone | Packs or pay as you go | A$15 for 500MB over 2 days |
| Woolworths Everyday Mobile | Telstra | 7-day add-ons | A$6 for 1GB (Pacific) or 2GB (North America) |
| OnePass mobile (formerly Catch Connect) | Optus | Pay as you go only | A$0.50 per MB (Japan, Indonesia) |
amaysim international roaming
Optus network
Roaming works through prepaid packs only. Each lasts 365 days, unused inclusions roll over when you buy another, and call minutes count incoming and outgoing calls.
- A$20: 100 minutes, 100 texts, no data
- A$25: 2GB, 50 minutes, 30 texts
- A$50: 6GB, data only
- A$70: 9GB, 100 minutes, 60 texts
Where it works: 120+ destinations, including Japan, Indonesia, the US, the UK, Europe, NZ, Thailand, Fiji, Singapore and India. Current prices on amaysim’s site.
Boost Mobile international roaming
Telstra network
Roaming is switched on for every Boost customer, but it only works once you buy an International Roaming Pack. A pack starts when you buy it and expires at the same time on its last day.
- A$20: 2GB, 15 minutes, 15 texts, 3 days
- A$30: 5GB, 30 minutes, 30 texts, 7 days
- A$40: 7GB, 60 minutes, 60 texts, 14 days
Where it works: 42 destinations, including Japan, Indonesia, the US, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, NZ, Thailand, Fiji, Singapore, India and Vietnam. Current prices on Boost Mobile’s site.
ALDI Mobile international roaming
Telstra network
Turn roaming on in My ALDI Mobile before you go, then buy a 7-day pack or pay as you go from your credit. Buying the same pack again while it’s active replaces it, and leftover inclusions are lost.
- Asia Data: A$8 for 1GB, 7 days
- North America Data: A$5 for 2GB, 7 days
- Pacific Data: A$5 for 1GB, 7 days
- Global Data: A$15 for 2GB, 7 days
- Global Travel: A$30 for 5GB, 30 minutes, 50 texts, 7 days
- Pay as you go (most countries): A$0.50 per MB, A$1 a minute
Where it works: Varies by pack. The Global packs include Japan, Indonesia, the US, the UK, Europe, NZ, Thailand, Fiji, Singapore and India. Current prices on ALDI Mobile’s site.
Belong international roaming
Telstra network
Opt in from your Belong account and buy the travel pack. There is no pay-as-you-go roaming: without a pack you can receive texts and use Wi-Fi calling, nothing else.
- A$30: 3GB, 150 minutes, unlimited standard texts, 15 days once active
Where it works: 45+ destinations, including Japan, Indonesia, the US, the UK, Europe, NZ, Thailand, Fiji, Singapore and India. Current prices on Belong’s site.
Kogan Mobile international roaming
Vodafone network
Roaming is sold as day packs. A pack bought online starts straight away, and you can hold up to five at once.
- A$10: 1GB, 50 minutes, 50 texts, 1 day
- A$25: 2GB, 100 minutes, 100 texts, 3 days
- A$45: 5GB, 150 minutes, 150 texts, 7 days
Where it works: 30 destinations, including Japan, Indonesia, the US, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, NZ, Thailand, Fiji, Singapore and India. Current prices on Kogan Mobile’s site.
TPG international roaming
Vodafone network
There are no roaming packs. Roaming is on by default for services sold since September 2023 and is charged pay-as-you-go from your prepaid balance.
- Zone 1 (incl. Japan, Indonesia, the US, the UK, Europe, NZ, Thailand, Fiji, Singapore, India): A$0.50 per MB, A$1 a minute, A$0.50 per text sent
Where it works: Three price zones. Vietnam is in Zone 3, at A$15.50 per MB. Current prices on TPG’s site.
Dodo international roaming
Optus network
Opt in through MyDodo before you leave. You’re charged a Daily Roaming Pack only on days you use your phone, and going over 1GB starts another one.
- A$10 a day: 1GB, unlimited standard calls and texts, until midnight local time
Where it works: 100+ destinations, including Japan, Indonesia, the US, the UK, Europe, NZ, Thailand, Fiji, Singapore and India. Current prices on Dodo’s site.
felix international roaming
Vodafone network
Add the International Roaming add-on in the felix app. Without it you can receive texts and nothing else.
- A$20: 4GB, 100 minutes, 100 texts, 365 days
Where it works: 40+ destinations, including Japan, Indonesia (including Bali), the US, the UK, Europe, NZ, Thailand, Fiji, Singapore and India. Current prices on felix’s site.
Lebara international roaming
Vodafone network
Buy a roaming pack, or pay as you go from your main balance.
- Economy: A$15 for 500MB, 50 minutes, 50 texts, 2 days
- First Class: A$45 for 3GB, 150 minutes, 150 texts, 10 days
- Pay as you go: A$1 per MB, A$1 a minute, A$1 per text
Where it works: About 50 destinations, including Japan, Indonesia, the US, the UK, Europe, NZ, Thailand, Fiji, Singapore and India. Not Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea or Taiwan. Current prices on Lebara’s site.
Woolworths Everyday Mobile international roaming
Telstra network
Roaming is on so you can receive texts, and data, calls and texts need a 7-day add-on. There is no pay-as-you-go option.
- Asia data: A$9 for 1GB, 7 days
- North America data: A$6 for 2GB, 7 days
- Pacific data: A$6 for 1GB, 7 days
- Global data: A$20 for 2GB, 7 days
- Global calls, texts and data: A$45 for 5GB, 30 minutes, 30 texts, 7 days
Where it works: Varies by add-on. The Global add-ons cover 69 destinations, including all ten on this page. Current prices on Woolworths Everyday Mobile’s site.
OnePass mobile (formerly Catch Connect) international roaming
Optus network
Catch Connect became OnePass mobile on 1 May 2025. There are no data packs: you buy roaming credit in A$25 blocks and pay as you go.
- Japan and Indonesia: A$0.50 per MB, A$1 a minute, A$0.50 per text
Where it works: See the OnePass mobile roaming rates page for other countries. Current prices on OnePass mobile’s site.
What a SimKit eSIM costs for the same week
For comparison, here is a seven-day trip on a SimKit eSIM, with 2GB a day or on the cheapest plan with at least 7GB. It works the same whichever carrier your Australian SIM is with.
| 7 days in | SimKit day pass 2GB a day, data only | SimKit data plan Cheapest with 7GB+, data only |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | A$33.49 | A$13.10 10 GB, 30 days |
| Bali (Indonesia) | A$28.98 | A$13.10 10 GB, 30 days |
| United States | A$26.40 | A$16.80 10 GB, 30 days |
| United Kingdom | A$18.68 | A$11.90 10 GB, 30 days |
| France | A$21.90 | A$13.10 10 GB, 30 days |
| New Zealand | A$30.27 | A$21.20 10 GB, 30 days |
| Thailand | A$28.98 | A$15.40 10 GB, 30 days |
| Fiji | A$63.11 | A$42.50 10 GB, 30 days |
| Singapore | A$28.34 | A$17.10 10 GB, 30 days |
| India | A$33.49 | A$29.50 10 GB, 30 days |
Some packs are cheap if you need very little data, like ALDI Mobile’s A$8 Asia pack with 1GB for the week. Where a pack runs out after a few days, or your carrier only offers pay-as-you-go at A$0.50 to A$1 per MB, a travel eSIM usually costs far less. At A$0.50 per MB, 1GB of pay-as-you-go data is A$512.
How to keep your number without paying for roaming
Most phones sold in the last few years hold two lines at once. Your Australian SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts, and a travel eSIM handles data. Four steps, all done at home:
- Check your phone takes an eSIM and isn’t locked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID, it has one. Our eSIM compatible phones list covers the rest.
- Install your travel eSIM on Wi-Fi before you fly. A SimKit plan only starts when it first connects at your destination, so installing early costs nothing.
- Turn data roaming off for your Australian line. Leave the line itself switched on so texts still arrive. On iPhone: SettingsthenMobile ServicethenYour main linethenData Roaming
- When you land, pick the eSIM for mobile data. Turn data roaming on for that line only. How to use an eSIM walks through it on iPhone, Samsung and Pixel.
Receiving a text doesn’t cost anything on Telstra, Optus or Vodafone, so bank codes and one-time passwords still reach you. Answering a call does start the daily fee, and so can listening to voicemail, because that is a call too. Let calls go to missed, and call back on WhatsApp, FaceTime or Messenger over the eSIM’s data.
Turning data roaming off stops data charges only. If you’d rather not risk a fee from an answered call either, switch roaming off for the whole service in your carrier’s app. Incoming texts may stop too, so do it only if you don’t need them.
On one of the big three? See Telstra, Optus or Vodafone, or every carrier side by side.