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Browse destinationsWhat is free and what is not
Checked 3 September 2026, from each carrier’s own published terms.
| Telstra | Optus | Vodafone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving a text | Free, no charge triggered | Free, no charge triggered | Free, no charge triggered |
| Answering a call | Starts a charge | Starts a charge | Starts a charge |
| Making a call | Starts a charge | Starts a charge | Starts a charge |
| Sending a text | Starts a charge | Starts a charge | Starts a charge |
| Using data | Starts a charge, including background data | Starts a charge, including background data | Starts a charge |
| Voicemail diversion | Charges can still be incurred | “May trigger the service” | Treated as an exception |
The asymmetry between receiving a text and receiving a call is the whole basis of the setup. Texts in, nothing out, no data on that line.
The setting change that matters most
Check the bank app and website for app approval, authenticator, travel notice and emergency contact options while you still have ordinary access. A travel eSIM and your Australian SIM can have different jobs, so check the data line, roaming setting and automatic switching separately instead of assuming one change controls all three.
Set the travel line for data on your phone
Choose your phone
iPhone
Open Settings > Mobile Service, Cellular or Mobile Data. Choose Mobile Data, select the travel eSIM, then open that travel line’s options only if the order email says it needs Data Roaming. Keep the Australian line’s Data Roaming off unless you deliberately use home-carrier roaming.
Samsung Galaxy
Open Settings > Connections > SIM card manager. Under Primary SIM or Preferred SIM card, select the travel eSIM for mobile data and switch Auto data switching off unless support says otherwise. The roaming control can vary by Galaxy model, so use it only when the order email identifies the travel line.
Google Pixel
Open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs. Under Your primary SIMs, choose the travel eSIM for Mobile data and keep Automatic data switching off unless support has advised otherwise. Follow the order email for the travel line’s roaming setting.
Other Android
Search Settings for SIM, mobile network or mobile data. Select the travel eSIM for data, keep automatic data switching off if the phone offers it, and use only the roaming or APN instructions supplied for your own order.
Pause here and confirm the line selection
If the step above does not work as expected, stop here. Keep a cropped screenshot of the setting or error, then contact us before changing other settings. Do not include QR or activation details unless we ask.
Keep these cost and line-selection boundaries in place
- Do not disclose bank codes to support.
- Leave the Australian line active for incoming SMS, but keep mobile data and data roaming off on that line.
- Do not answer calls, send texts or use data on the Australian line unless you have deliberately chosen the carrier’s roaming option.
Voicemail is the part that catches people
You have turned data roaming off. You are not making calls. You are being careful. Then someone rings you from Australia, you do not answer, and the call goes to MessageBank.
Telstra is explicit that switching roaming off “will not prevent charges from being incurred if Voicemail/MessageBank is used”.
Optus says diversions set to busy, no reply or unreachable “may trigger the service”.
Vodafone is the exception here and treats forwarding to voicemail differently.
The mechanism is that a diverted call is still a call leg, and someone pays for it. The fact that you never picked up does not change that.
What to do about it. Check your voicemail diversions with your carrier before you fly. Telstra currently recommends unconditional diversion to voicemail to avoid the cost of a missed call, but that stops incoming calls and retrieving the message can still be charged. If you would rather disable voicemail, ask your carrier how that works on your plan rather than relying on one handset setting. We have set out the full trigger lists in Telstra vs Optus vs Vodafone international roaming.
What this does not solve
Being straight about the limits, because a page that only lists benefits is not useful.
Leaving your Australian line available can let it receive SMS where your carrier supports roaming. It does not guarantee delivery or give you free calls. Check incoming calls, outgoing calls, voicemail and sent-text charges before departure, then compare a roaming pack if you need those services.
A travel eSIM is data only. It does not give you a voice service on your Australian number, and on most plans it does not give you a usable local number for calls either. It carries data. That is the whole product, and anyone telling you otherwise is overselling it.
A delayed code can involve your bank, carrier, roaming network, phone settings or filtering. A delay alone does not identify the cause. Check the line and roaming settings, follow your bank’s retry guidance, and use a bank-approved alternative if available. Contact the bank or carrier if it still does not arrive.
Your phone needs to support your Australian line and the travel eSIM at the same time. Check the exact model, regional version, carrier lock and supported dual-SIM combination before relying on this setup.
Questions people actually ask
Will I get charged for receiving a text overseas?
Not for receiving a standard SMS alone under the current Telstra, Optus and Vodafone daily roaming rules. Telstra says receiving an SMS does not trigger Day Pass. Optus says it has no charge and does not start a pass. Vodafone’s current trigger list names making or receiving a call, sending an SMS and using data, not receiving an SMS. Your line still needs to connect to a supported roaming network, and replying, opening an MMS or letting that line use mobile data is different.
Will I get charged for receiving a call?
Answering a call starts the current daily roaming charge on Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Letting it ring or declining it is not a safe workaround if the call diverts to voicemail. Telstra says MessageBank can still incur charges, and Optus says some voicemail diversions may trigger its service.
Can I still get my bank code while using a travel eSIM?
Usually, yes. Keep the Australian line active with its mobile data and data roaming off, then use the travel eSIM for data. The bank still sends the text to your Australian number. Delivery depends on the bank sending it and your Australian line connecting to a supported roaming network, so test the bank’s other approved verification options before you fly as well.
Do I need to turn roaming on to receive a text?
You do not need Data Roaming switched on for the Australian line. Keep that off. The line itself and your carrier’s international roaming service still need to be enabled so the phone can register on a supported overseas network. Receiving a standard SMS alone does not start the current big-three daily roaming passes, but check the rules for your exact plan and destination.
What about voicemail?
This is the trap. Telstra says MessageBank can still incur charges even when roaming is switched off, and Optus says diversions set to busy, no reply or unreachable may trigger its service. Check your voicemail and call-diversion settings with your carrier before you fly.
Should I put my phone in aeroplane mode?
Not for the whole trip if you need ordinary SMS on your Australian number, because aeroplane mode disconnects the cellular lines. Leave the Australian line active but keep its mobile data and data roaming off. Use aeroplane mode when you want all cellular connections off, such as on the flight or at sea.
Can I make calls at all?
Yes, use WhatsApp, FaceTime or a similar internet service over the travel eSIM’s data. Making or answering a carrier call on your Australian number follows your carrier’s roaming rules and can start its daily charge. If calls to that number matter, compare the carrier’s roaming option before relying on this setup.
What if my phone only takes one SIM?
One physical SIM slot does not necessarily mean one line. Many phones can keep a physical SIM and an eSIM active together, and some support two eSIMs. What matters is whether your exact model can keep the Australian and travel lines active at the same time. If it cannot, this two-line setup will not work. Keep the Australian line and use its roaming option, or arrange another bank-approved verification method before you travel.
Will the travel eSIM receive my bank texts?
No. Our travel eSIM plans are data-only and do not receive SMS sent to your Australian number. That is why the Australian line stays active while the travel eSIM handles mobile data.
What to send before changing another setting
Send the order number, phone model and the exact menu label you can see to hello@thesimshop.com.au, plus a redacted screenshot if possible. That is enough to identify the correct device branch without exposing setup credentials.
Sources and checks
Carrier trigger rules and phone guidance rechecked 7 September 2026. The Optus voicemail-diversion wording quoted in the body was captured from its Daily Roaming material on 3 September 2026.
Telstra publishes its incoming-SMS, Day Pass trigger and MessageBank guidance on its international roaming and reducing roaming costs pages. Optus’s current postpaid roaming rates say receiving an SMS has no charge and does not start a pass. Vodafone’s international roaming page lists making or receiving a call, sending an SMS and using data as its $5 Roaming triggers. Carrier terms differ by plan and destination and can change without notice, so check the rules attached to your own service before travelling.
Phone menus and dual-SIM behaviour are supported by the manufacturers’ current guidance. Labels and simultaneous-line support vary by model and software version, so follow the screen on your own device and the instructions in your order email.
