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For a 20 December departure, I’d be comfortable considering Black Friday. For a 17 November departure, I’d get the eSIM sorted before leaving.
The size of the discount doesn’t change when you need your first connection. But if the dates work, the saving can be worth waiting for, particularly when you’re buying for more than one person.
I run The SIM Shop. Our sale is planned for 20 to 30 November 2026 and hasn’t started yet. I’ve used our announced prices below so you can put actual dollars beside the decision.
One phone is a saving. Four phones adds up.
Say four people are going to Japan and each needs a 10GB plan. This is what the upcoming offer would mean, compared with the previous listed price.
Pre-sale preview. These Black Friday prices aren’t available yet. All amounts are AUD.
| Japan 10GB / 30 days | Previous listed price | Upcoming Black Friday price, from 20 November | Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| One eSIM | A$19.95 | A$9.90 | 50% off |
| Four eSIMs, one per person | A$79.80 total | A$39.60 total | 50% off |
Four plans would be $40.20 less than four bought at those previous listed prices. That’s enough to make waiting worth considering if nobody needs the data beforehand.
It’s also four separate 10GB allowances, not a shared 40GB pool. Work out what each person needs. Someone who mainly uses maps and messages doesn’t automatically need the same plan as someone uploading videos every day.
Previous listed prices were checked on 27 October 2026; percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number. This is a comparison with those listed prices, not a quote for what four plans cost through any separate offer today. We’ll recheck the offers and reference prices before opening.
Flying on 17 November: I’d buy before leaving
In this example the sale opens three days after departure. I wouldn’t build an arrival plan around waiting until then for data.
You might have a transfer to find, a hotel address to show someone or a booking to retrieve. Buy a suitable plan before leaving, save the setup email and get back to the rest of the packing.
For our eSIMs, install after landing on working airport Wi-Fi. Finish the Wi-Fi sign-in and check a normal webpage loads first. If it won’t connect, use hotel Wi-Fi or another steady trusted connection.
If you’re flying during the sale itself, leave time before departure for payment, fulfilment and saving the email. The planned opening is 12:00am AEST on 20 November, and the planned finish is 11:59pm AEST on 30 November, including Cyber Monday. Check the timezone rather than assuming midnight wherever you happen to be. Delivery follows payment and supplier fulfilment; don’t leave it until boarding and assume it must be instant.
Flying on 20 December: waiting could work well
A 20 November purchase is 30 days before a 20 December start. For a plan with a 60-day start window, that’s a much more comfortable fit than buying months ahead and hoping.
The Japan 10GB example currently has that 60-day window and 30 days of validity once started, checked on 27 October. I’d still check the exact selected plan again before buying. Then I’d check that its validity covers the whole trip, not just arrival day.
If those dates and the allowance work, waiting is a reasonable choice. You can check the phone’s compatibility now and leave the purchase until the campaign, rather than discovering on sale day that a phone can’t use it.
Flying on 10 April: the cheap price isn’t enough
A late-November purchase with 60 days to start won’t reach April. The 30 days in “10GB / 30 days” doesn’t give you extra months to keep it unused.
Some other plans have longer start windows. Our buying-ahead guide compares two Japan plans with different windows, even though both have 30-day validity.
I wouldn’t switch to a plan with too little data just because its start deadline reaches the trip. I’d compare the plans that genuinely fit, or buy closer to departure. Missing one sale is preferable to buying something you can’t use.
What if you already have an offer, or haven’t booked yet?
If you have a current discount, compare the amount you’d actually pay and the terms that come with it. The announced Black Friday comparison uses previous listed prices; it doesn’t prove every current offer is worse.
If the trip itself is still a maybe, I’d be slower to buy. Check what happens if the dates move before treating a refund promise as a reason to commit.
Qualifying paid orders during our upcoming campaign will have 365 days from purchase to request a change-of-mind refund if the eSIM stays uninstalled, unactivated and unused. Guest orders are included. We refund the amount actually paid to the original payment method unless you choose another lawful remedy. The full conditions explain that promise. It doesn’t extend the plan’s start deadline, and Australian Consumer Law rights apply separately.
For a booked trip after the opening date, I’d shortlist the right plan and check the upcoming saving. For a trip before it, I’d buy and move on. If you decide to wait, the main Black Friday page has the announced deals and campaign terms. They remain a preview for 20 to 30 November 2026; current selected-plan prices and any separate offers apply before then.
