Flexiroam vs The SIM Shop: plans, pricing and refunds compared

The Japan price comparison

Flexiroam displayed US dollars to us. We publish in Australian dollars. We have not converted their figures, because a fair conversion needs the exchange rate, the date and whatever your card charges on a foreign transaction, and printing a converted number as a price hides all three. See travel eSIMs priced in Australian dollars.

The bottom two rows are not a like-for-like dollar comparison, because one is in US dollars and one in Australian dollars. Work the sum with your own card before deciding.

One thing their ladder does well: they sell 10GB across 7, 15 and 30 day windows with only a small price difference between them. If your trip is a week, you are not paying for a month you will not use.

Our dated multi-provider table lives here: travel eSIM prices in Australia.

To be precise about what it does and does not tell you: listing says something about corporate disclosure. It does not by itself tell you the product, support or refund experience will be better. Those are separate questions and we have addressed them separately below.

3. Data sharing and a schedulable plan start. Their own material describes sharing data with others and scheduling a plan to begin when you need it. Neither is common in this category and both are useful, particularly the scheduled start if you are buying well ahead.
4. Flexible validity windows. As above, 10GB across 7, 15 or 30 days is a more thoughtful ladder than a single 30 day option.
5. They publish a genuinely detailed refund policy. It is long, specific and readable. Several providers in this category publish policies that never quite address eSIMs at all. Whether the terms suit you is a separate question, covered next, but a policy you can actually read and plan around is worth something.

How their refund policy actually works

This is the section most worth reading before you buy, and the order matters. The eligibility conditions come first, and the 120 days is a deadline for making an eligible claim rather than a right to change your mind.

What qualifies. Their policy sets out specific circumstances, including:

• connectivity problems due to a Flexiroam technical issue that cannot be resolved during the plan’s validity;
• verified fraud or account compromise resulting in unauthorised charges;
• intermittent connections significantly affecting the service, or downtime and maintenance affecting usage;
• a full refund where no data usage has been recorded on the plan.

What does not. Their policy states there is no general change of mind right. It excludes inadvertent purchases once the plan has been installed or activated, expired plans with a remaining balance, device incompatibility, and abusive or fraudulent use.

The deadline. Refund requests must be made within 120 days from the date of purchase. That is a long window compared with much of this category, but it applies to eligible claims, not to any request.

The administrative fee. All refunds, full or partial, carry an administrative fee of 5%, deducted from the refund amount.

How you are paid. Most refunds go to Flexiroam Wallet credit, valid for two years from the last transaction date. Return to the original payment method is limited to particular eligible circumstances, described as proven Flexiroam service failure or confirmed fraud, processed within 7 to 15 working days.

The comparison with us, stated precisely

It is fair to prefer a policy that returns money to your card, and worth understanding the difference clearly rather than loosely.

Our position: our refund policy generally addresses the original payment method unless another remedy is selected.

SIM Shop Credit is a different thing entirely. It is our loyalty and store credit programme, with public terms, and it is not presented as an automatic substitute for a refund. A policy that directs eligible refunds to wallet credit by default is a materially different arrangement from a loyalty programme, and we would not want those two conflated in either direction.

Our comparison of published policies across providers: travel eSIM refund policies compared.

About the 520 networks figure

Flexiroam promotes access to more than 520 networks, and it is worth understanding what that number describes.

It describes aggregate global reach across their whole footprint. It is not the number of networks available to you on a single Japan plan, and it does not mean you can browse and select from 520 operators on your phone. Network counts are a reasonable way to describe the scale of a wholesale arrangement and a poor way to predict how well your phone will work in a particular valley.

The more useful question is which network a specific plan uses. We did not find that published on the Flexiroam Japan page we checked. On our own Japan plan we publish the supported local networks directly on the product page, and we do that per plan where our supplier evidence supports it.

Where we may suit you better

Australian dollars. Our Japan 10GB over 30 days is A$19.95, and the price on the page is the price on your statement. No exchange rate, no foreign transaction fee.

An Australian business with public details. The SIM Shop Pty Ltd, ABN 50 699 035 704, ACN 699 035 704, based in Brisbane. Support is email, answered by me.

Plan information published up front. On the Japan plan compared here, we publish the supported local networks directly on the product page.

Public terms you can read before you buy. Our Credit terms and refund policy are both public pages.

Our current AUD plans, for context:

The 35-area plan does not include France. If Paris or anywhere else in France is on your itinerary, take Europe 30+ Areas instead: it covers 34 destinations including France and Turkey, and 10GB over 30 days is A$29.95. The 35-area list also leaves out Turkey, Serbia, North Macedonia, Gibraltar and the Channel Islands.

Being straight about it: we sell three Europe footprints: A$24.95 across 35 areas without France, A$29.95 across 34 destinations including France and Turkey, and A$49.95 across 41 destinations. If Europe is your trip, the area list decides which one you need, and that is the thing to check before comparing prices.

Independent reviews, with the sample size and the themes

Flexiroam’s ProductReview.com.au listing showed 2.8 from 46 reviews when we checked on 27 August 2026, split roughly 39% positive to 61% negative.

An aggregate score is not the company, and the themes are more useful than the number. Reviewers described reliable connectivity across multiple countries when the service worked, quick help via live chat and WhatsApp for some, and appreciation for the data sharing feature. On the other side, recurring themes included activation and setup difficulty particularly for less technical travellers, service problems on arrival, slow support responses in some cases, and disputes over refunds and coverage.

Forty-six reviews is a modest sample, so read the recent ones and form your own view rather than taking a single figure as the verdict.

Our own position, stated plainly. We are not listed on ProductReview.com.au, checked 27 August 2026. We have a claimed Trustpilot profile at au.trustpilot.com/review/thesimshop.com.au, claimed in June 2026, which had no reviews when we checked on the same date. Those are two different platforms and we would rather state exactly where we stand on each than leave it vague.

While that record builds, here is what you can check about us today: our company details are public, our plan information including supported networks sits on the product pages, our Credit and refund terms are public, and every figure in this article is dated and linked back to where it came from.

Which should you buy

Buy Flexiroam if your phone does not support eSIM, or you want a physical SIM as a backup.

Buy Flexiroam if a listed company’s public disclosures matter to you.

Buy Flexiroam if a 7 or 15 day window suits your trip better than 30 days.

Buy Flexiroam if their promotional pricing works out ahead once you have accounted for the exchange rate and your card.

Buy from us if you want the purchase settled in Australian dollars, an Australian business to deal with, published plan details including supported networks, and a refund policy that generally addresses the original payment method.

Either way, check your phone is unlocked and eSIM capable first. Device incompatibility is excluded from Flexiroam’s refund policy, and it is worth ruling out before you buy from anyone.

Questions people actually ask

Can I get a refund from Flexiroam within 120 days for any reason?

No. The 120 days is the deadline for submitting an eligible claim, and eligibility is tied to specific circumstances such as an unresolved technical issue, verified fraud, service interruptions, or a plan with no recorded usage. Their policy contains no general change of mind right.

Do Flexiroam refunds come back to my card?

Usually not. Their policy directs most refunds to Flexiroam Wallet credit, valid two years from the last transaction date. Return to the original payment method is limited to particular circumstances such as proven service failure or confirmed fraud. A 5% administrative fee applies to refunds either way.

Is SIM Shop Credit the same thing?

No, and it is worth keeping separate. SIM Shop Credit is our loyalty and store credit programme with public terms. Our refund policy generally addresses the original payment method unless another remedy is selected.

What does “520 networks” mean for my trip?

It describes their aggregate global reach, not the networks available on one plan, and it does not mean you can choose between 520 operators on your phone. Ask which network a specific plan uses instead.

Which is cheaper for Japan?

On 27 August 2026 Flexiroam’s 10GB over 30 days showed an RRP of US$20.57 and a promotional price of US$14.40, and ours is A$19.95. That is US dollars against Australian dollars, so do the sum with your own card.

Does Flexiroam sell physical SIMs?

Yes, alongside eSIMs. We sell eSIMs only, so if your phone cannot take an eSIM they are the better option here.

Is Flexiroam a legitimate company?

It is listed on the ASX under FRX, which brings public corporate and financial disclosure obligations. That is a strong form of verifiable corporate existence.

Can I keep my Australian number?

With any travel eSIM, yes. It installs as a second line, so your Australian SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts while the eSIM carries data. Turn data roaming off on your Australian line before you go.

Sources

Flexiroam Japan prices, including RRP and promotional pricing, from their Japan eSIM shop page, checked 27 August 2026 with a promotion running. Refund eligibility conditions, the 120 day requirement, the 5% administrative fee, wallet credit treatment and validity, original payment method circumstances and the exclusions from their refund policy, checked 27 August 2026. Product features including the 520 networks claim, public financial reports and ASX announcements from Flexiroam’s investor centre; data sharing and schedulable plan start from flexiroam.com. ASX listing under code FRX as publicly recorded. Their rating, review count and review themes from their ProductReview.com.au listing, checked 27 August 2026, stated as observed. The SIM Shop prices and published supported networks from our Japan eSIM page; our Credit terms and refund policy are public. Trustpilot observation from our claimed profile, checked 27 August 2026. Prices and promotions change without notice.

Written by Lachlan, who runs The SIM Shop from Brisbane and answers the support email himself.