Australian travellers urged to check fine print to avoid overseas phone bill shock

Keeping your smartphone connected can be a lifesaver but ‘rusty’ Aussies are being urged to check the fine print. See the list.

ANYONE who has visited an airport this year knows it: Australians’ love for travel is back.

Since the start of the year, overseas departures have increased almost five times over, with 885,000 people leaving for distant shores in June alone.

But along with claims travellers may no longer be ‘match fit’ at the airport, they could also be rusty when it comes to preparing their smartphones for use overseas.

Thankfully, according to telecommunications experts, the price of staying connected abroad has not increased as much as staying connected at home. And there are plenty of tricks you can use to cut back your spending even further.

The price of staying connected overseas is still within reach.

Telsyte managing director Foad Fadaghi says competition has transformed the market after a long history of Aussies being stung with huge bills upon their return from holidays.

“I do remember stories from back in the day; tales of people forgetting to turn off global roaming and horror stories of $15,000 bills,” he says.

“Those days are behind us thanks to warning alerts and systems in place with telcos to monitor for large bills.”

The rules, introduced by the Australian Communication and Media Authority, mean travelling Aussies must now receive a warning if they have activated global roaming on their phone, and details of higher charges that apply, including a maximum fee.

But Fadaghi says another thing has changed the market too: a single, simplified offer from Vodafone that “set the benchmark” for consumers.

The major telco, which benefits from being part of a large international carrier network, introduced a $5 a day global roaming offer in 2013, which it still offers.

Telstra matched Vodafone’s price for New Zealand, and offers a $10 a day pass for other parts of the world, as does major rival Optus.

Connecting your smartphone to a network overseas can have pitfalls.

Travellers should check the data allowances of these offers, however, as Telstra’s plan gives users 500 megabytes per day, while Optus provides one gigabyte.

Roaming services from all three major Australian providers have the benefit of ensuring travellers can be reached on their regular phone number when overseas, though long trips can deliver a substantial bill at $10 a day.

“With short trips, global roaming makes a lot of sense with carriers for $5 a day but when it gets over a week, it’s worth looking at getting a local SIM or eSIM,” Fadaghi says.

“For a lot of Aussies it’s something they might not have considered for a while now and if they’re looking at updating their plans it’s something they might consider, especially when prices are going up (for domestic services).”

Other options to save money on overseas connections include buying a prepaid roaming package from a budget telco, such as Felix or Woolworths Mobile, or a dedicated roaming provider like Globalgig or Google Fi.

And, if you’re willing to shop around overseas, you could buy a SIM card or sign up to an eSIM service from a local carrier.

“If you’re heading or the US, for example, and you need to connect your iPad for the week, an eSIM plan will do it from AT&T or T Mobile,” Fadaghi says.

HOW TO SAVE ON OVERSEAS PHONE COSTS

– Buy a SIM card at your destination: local carriers will often offer cheaper plans than Australian telcos though it could eat into your holiday time

– Choose a prepaid roaming package: Available from big telcos and players like TravelSIM and Globalgig, these packages give buyers certainty about their spending and what’s included

– Use free Wi-Fi when available and safe: Downloading local maps and checking your email when in range of a Wi-Fi hotspot could save you plenty

– Investigate Google Fi as an option: The internet giant offers low-cost plans, many of which come with unlimited calls and data

TRAPS TO AVOID BEING STUNG OVERSEAS

– Set up an international plan before you leave: This will help avoid disconnection and surprise bills

– Don’t ignore your carrier’s warnings: Your telco will send you an alert about charges when you arrive at your destination and may send bill updates. These can be delayed

– Carefully consider what apps you use: A social network that automatically loads videos could sap your data allowance quickly, and ACMA estimates a five-minute YouTube video could cost you $42

– Turn off automatic app updates: These can be particularly punishing on your international data allowance

Originally published as Australian travellers urged to check fine print to avoid overseas phone bill shock