Avoid outrageous roaming charges while traveling abroad.
From visiting relatives in the Midwest to taking exotic trips across the ocean, summer is a prime time to take a vacation. And with today’s smartphones, it’s easy to stay connected while crisscrossing the globe. However, you need to be smart about your use to avoid racking up exorbitant fees. “People return from their overseas vacation and are welcomed by larger-than-anticipated cellphone bills,” says Bettie Colombo, a spokesperson for Asurion, a company offering insurance services for technology devices. Fees can reach upward of $2 per minute for an outbound phone call, Colombo says.
Fortunately, it’s not hard to avoid expensive charges. Rely on Wi-Fi, use the right browser and follow these strategies to dodge a cost-prohibitive bill.
Get the right coverage for your vacation.
If you’re planning an international getaway, call your carrier to activate global services and ask about the best deal for international text, talk and data usage, says Andy Abramson, CEO of global communications agency Comunicano Inc. and Business Traveler Magazine’s 2015 Business Traveler of the Year. “All of the USA-based top operators have plans to save money, with T-Mobile having the best offer, as you don’t need to do anything to take advantage of it,” Abramson says. “The other operators — AT&T, Verizon and Sprint — also have plans for day rates or a block of calling, texting and data.” For instance, AT&T offers an International Day Pass option that provides 24 hours of service in more than 100 countries for $10 a day.
Turn off your data.
Most U.S. phone plans include unlimited text and talk, so excessive data use is the main concern for domestic travelers. “That’s typically where people get a surprise on their bill,” says Aron North, senior vice president of marketing and creative for the carriers Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile. The easiest way to avoid overage charges is to simply turn off cellular data on your phone. This means you can’t access the internet, email or some apps unless you are connected to Wi-Fi. It may be inconvenient to have to hunt for a hot spot, but it’ll save you the headache of coming home to an outrageous bill because of excessive data use.
Talk to loved ones back home by using Wi-Fi.
In addition to using Wi-Fi for internet and email access, you can use it to make phone calls. “These days all four major mobile operators have enabled Wi-Fi calling, so turn off data roaming and make calls over the Wi-Fi connection when you’re traveling,” Abramson says. Phones offering this feature include an option within their settings to activate Wi-Fi calling. International calls made with the Wi-Fi calling feature may be subject to international calling plan rates.
Stay where free Wi-Fi is offered.
Sharing vacation details in real time on Facebook and Instagram is almost a given for many travelers. However, uploading photos and videos using a data plan can be expensive and waiting until you find a coffee shop with a connection may be inconvenient. The solution is to make sure you have lodgings each night that offer free Wi-Fi. “I, for one, always choose both my hotels and Airbnbs based on their broadband connection speeds,” Abramson says. You’ll avoid data overage charges if you save all your photos and videos from the day and upload them once you return to your room.
Use the right browser.
If you are going to use your cellular data, be aware that not all browsers are created equal. The default settings on preloaded browsers such as Chrome can eat up bandwidth. Colombo recommends the mobile web browser Opera Mini to minimize data consumption and download pages quickly even on slower 2G networks.
Change app settings.
Even if you’re not actively using apps, they could be using up your data. Plus, if you preload content, even if you’re not watching a video, the app may be still be downloading the content. “That tends to sneak up on people,” North says. Without realizing it, people may be downloading high-resolution videos they’ll only view for a few seconds. The result is significant data usage that can lead to overages. The solution: Change app settings to select the data saver option, and turn off autoplay features for videos. Facebook, which North says can be a data hog, has a Facebook Lite app as well. This stripped down version isn’t as flashy, but it uses significantly less data.
Turn off Wi-Fi Assist.
Colombo suggests iPhone users turn off the Wi-Fi Assist feature on their devices while traveling. The feature will switch to a data connection in the event a Wi-Fi signal becomes poor or unstable. While Wi-Fi Assist won’t switch on if you’re in a data roaming area, it could lead to overages for domestic travelers who are using their devices more than normal.
Download maps in advance.
GPS makes it simple to navigate unfamiliar areas, but it can come at a steep price if it results in roaming or overage data charges. It’s not that GPS itself uses data service. It works off a satellite, North says. “That won’t get you in trouble,” he explains, “but if you’re downloading [a] map in real time, that’s data-driven.” Downloading maps in advance, on a Wi-Fi connection, keeps costs down. Many streaming services, such as Netflix, allow users to download content as well. So stock your devices with downloaded movies and music prior to your trip to keep data usage costs to a minimum.
Unlock your phone and buy a local SIM card.
If you want to see significant savings on your phone costs, use a local SIM card. That way, you can use a data plan from a local carrier, which is often cheaper than international plans offered through U.S. networks. In order to use a SIM card, you’ll need to ask your home carrier to unlock your phone, so it can be used on another company’s network. Once you arrive in your destination, you can purchase a low-priced local SIM card. To get the best deal, avoid buying a SIM card at the airport, North says. He also advises conducting some research prior to your trip to avoid sticker shock.
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9 Ways to Cut Your Phone Bill While Traveling originally appeared on usnews.com
