Warning of Shock Roaming Charges For Brits Travelling Over Half-Term Holiday

• Two-thirds (66%) of Brits risk unexpected roaming bills this half-term as they don’t know their network’s roaming policies^[1]
• One in three (32%) Brits admit to having been stung by roaming charges before^[2]
• Telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, Ernest Doku, warns Brits to check before they travel to avoid unexpected roaming charges

Ahead of the half-term holidays, comparison and switching service Uswitch is warning people travelling abroad to beware of hidden charges that could cost up to £6 for every 1MB of roaming data^[3]. 

Two-thirds (66%) of Brits aren’t fully aware of their network’s fair usage policy^[1] – leaving them at risk of being hit by unexpected bills and one in three Brits (32%) say they’ve been stung by surprise roaming charges before^[2]. 

A fair usage policy is a set of measures that mobile providers can apply to their customers to prevent ‘abuse’ (or overuse) of their network, particularly whilst using their data abroad. For Brits travelling this half-term, any data amount used over the fair usage will trigger a special charge rate. 

The fair usage amount is often lower than a customer may get at home - which could leave holidaymakers hit with unexpected costs, even if they believe the destination is covered within their policy. 

For example, Three’s £25 per month SIM deal advertises unlimited data. However, you can only use up to 12GB of your data allowance with the provider’s ‘Go Roam’ travel deal when in the EU. Any usage over this fair use limit but within your allowance is subject to a surcharge^[5]. 

New roaming protections for consumers were introduced at the start of October^[6] meaning mobile providers now need to notify customers when they start roaming. However, holidaymakers should check their provider’s roaming policy, including the fair usage terms, for their destination and take action if needed. 

Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com shares advice for travellers planning to use their phone abroad this half-term holiday:

“Using your phone abroad is essential for many travellers, and nobody wants to find themselves unexpectedly cut off, or hit by a hefty holiday-ruining bill.  

“Consumer protections around mobile roaming abroad have been eroded over time, including the £45 worldwide data roaming cap. So, those travelling abroad this half-term holiday should check their provider’s roaming policy, as well as their own personal usage and data allowances before travelling. 

“Your individual roaming deal or fair usage allowance could be different to someone else on your network, so it’s important to check your plan. 

“There are some great deals around, so if you are looking into paying for an additional ‘bundle’ from your network provider, it’s worth looking into a short-term SIM or travel eSIM as a cheaper option.

“If in doubt, contact your provider to talk about roaming caps and what your current deal will allow you to use as well as how much this will cost.”

How to avoid hefty holiday roaming bills

1.  Keep it SIM-ple: If you’re with a provider that has roaming charges, it’s worth considering buying a one-month SIM-only or eSIM deal that will cover you for your time away. Lebara, which runs off the Vodafone network, offers a Uswitch-exclusive 5GB monthly SIM-only contract for £1.48 for the first three months^[7], which comes with free roaming in the EU and India.
2. Know before you go: Always check the roaming and Fair Usage policies of your specific deal – remember they can vary even with the same provider. Check Uswitch’s global roaming costs map here to see how much using your data abroad could cost.
3.  Check the cap fits: Even if you are paying for a bundle to roam abroad, you may not have the same data allowances as you do in the UK. Check your provider’s fair usage policy, which will govern how much data you can use before you incur extra charges. You can also set up a spend cap with your provider to avoid any surprise bills when you return.
4. Switch off voicemail: When overseas, you can expect to pay the same per-minute rate for checking your messages as you do for making calls. Yet sometimes even receiving a voicemail on holiday can cost you. If your provider includes this charge, call them before you travel and get it switched off.
5. Wi-Fi wins: To save your data allowance, use hotel and cafe Wi-Fi connections whenever possible. You can also enable Wi-Fi calling or use services such as Whatsapp to make audio calls without using your minutes. Make sure access points are safe and secure before logging on and avoid activities like online banking on public networks.
6. Take care with data passes: If you choose to purchase a data, call or text top-up day pass with your provider, remember to check the terms and conditions carefully. These may have an expiration time of midnight UK time, which could leave you caught out depending on your time zone. It is also worth remembering that once you opt into a paid-for pass, you also may be automatically opted out of your provider spending cap.
7. If in doubt, engage flight mode: Flight mode is not just for when you’re up in the air - although it will stop any chance of connecting to other networks while flying across the countries. Activating it on holiday, particularly in destinations with high fees on calls, texts and data, can help control your usage and save you from unexpected costs.

ENDS