Canada cell phone roaming plans are so expensive: eSIMs can help save you money while travelling

As some Canadians gear up to travel outside the country this holiday season, many will be navigating exorbitant roaming fees on their cell phone plans. But experts share an easy way to save money on long distance calls and data roaming when you are travelling outside Canada by using eSIM cards.

While the big three telecommunications companies in Canada — Rogers, Bell and Telus — have all vowed to lower their roaming rates by 2025, current fee setups have long been a thorn in users’ sides. Rogers, for example, charges $12 per day for its “Roam Like Home” plan for Canadian using their phones in the U.S. The rate is $15 daily for international roaming.

While eSIMs can be very handy, they also have some drawbacks.

eSIM vs. roaming: Canadian cell phone users have options

SIM cards are physical units that are embedded inside a card, which carry an allotted amount of data that can be used in the country of travel. Alternatively, eSIMs are a digital version of a SIM card that can be downloaded from a provider to the phone directly. Think a CD versus an mp3 file.

The upside to these options is that they’re significantly cheaper than roaming charges from phone companies.

Norman Shaw is an associate professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management with Toronto Metropolitan University. He says eSIM and SIM cards generally cost a fraction of the price of roaming charges by wireless carriers, although it depends on the country or countries you want to visit, and the duration of your stay.

“What you get is the ability to connect to a wireless internet,” Shaw says. “You get data, browse the internet, use WhatsApp. All that you can do with an eSIM.”

Airola, an eSIM store, charges $10.50 for a seven-day U.S. package that includes 1 GB of data, 20 minutes of calls and 10 text messages. A Latin American eSIM that gives users coverage in 17 countries, costs $22, but texts and call are not included.

Shaw also says eSIMs are safe to use.

“As long as you’re not giving away your banking information, there are no concerns,” he says.

The one downside to eSIMs could be a dealbreaker for some

The main drawback of using eSIMS while travelling is that it doesn’t come with a phone number and users aren’t able to place or receive calls from their regular phone numbers.

Mohammad Halabi is the director and founder of mybillsarehigh.com, which represents businesses and personal consumers against telecom providers. He says eSIM and SIM cards aren’t optimal for customers who need access to their phone number while they’re away.

“Yes, you can alleviate some of that by using your WhatsApp … but we need access to our phone numbers for things like two-factor authentication and banking,” he says. “So it just ends up being more convenient to do it directly through the provider.”

For those looking to make calls while abroad, Shaw suggests signing up for a service like Skype, which uses data and has low rates for calling. He also recommends connecting to wi-fi when making significant downloads.

Canada cell phone plans: What Bell, Telus and Rogers charge for roaming

If you decide to simply use your Canadian cell phone line abroad, be prepared for extra charges on your next bill.

For Telus customers, the fee is $14 per day of “EasyRoam” in the U.S. and $16 daily for other countries.

Bell’s “Roam Better” plan costs $13 per day in the U.S. and $16 daily for other countries.

Rogers’ “Roam Like Home” plan costs $12 per day in the U.S. and $15 daily for other countries.

Last year, a Reddit user warned that “almost everyone should avoid” these data roaming plans from Canada’s telecoms. The post garnered more than 300 comments with many sharing experiences of using eSIMs on recent trips to Europe and elsewhere.