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The three prepaid roaming packs
The packs can be useful when you need ordinary calls on your Australian number and modest data in a supported destination. For a holiday mainly needing maps, bookings and app messages, compare a separate travel eSIM. Buy the Telstra pack when you need it: its expiry starts at purchase.
| Price | Total data | Validity | Standard minutes / SMS or MMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| A$10 | 400MB | 3 days | 15 / 15 |
| A$15 | 2GB | 7 days | 25 / 25 |
| A$25 | 4GB | 14 days | 50 / 50 |
The smallest allowance is 400MB, or about 0.4GB, not 4GB. It suits careful light use much better than streaming, large photo uploads or laptop tethering. Download maps and entertainment on Wi-Fi and pause automatic backups if you are working within a small allowance.
Telstra counts incoming and outgoing calls against the minutes. Its current prepaid FAQ also lists incoming and outgoing SMS against the messaging allowance. Do not carry over the separate Day Pass rule about receiving a text without triggering a pass to this prepaid product.
Check four things before buying
- The service: confirm that you are looking at Pre-Paid roaming, rather than Day Pass or an international-calling add-on for use from Australia.
- The route: check every destination in Telstra’s prepaid roaming list. Inclusion on its monthly-plan list is not enough.
- The allowance: count the whole trip’s expected data, incoming calls and outgoing communication.
- The clock: match the purchase time and expiry to the period when you actually need mobile service.
The current prepaid destination list includes Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, New Zealand and the USA, but it is narrower than the monthly Day Pass list. Telstra says prepaid roaming has no pay-as-you-go option. An unsupported country therefore needs another connection option, even if you have bought a pack for another stop.
Prepare the app before you leave
Install or update My Telstra and sign in while still in Australia. Telstra specifically advises arranging the app before departure and buying the roaming pack after landing. In My Telstra, open Services, choose the Pre-Paid number, then Extras → International Roaming Packs. Select the pack when you are ready to start its countdown. Sign in and confirm account/payment access before relying on that route overseas.
If you use Telstra’s recharge website purchase route, follow its specific instructions: it requires the Telstra phone’s mobile connection with Wi-Fi turned off. This is different from installing a SIM Shop travel eSIM, which you should do after landing on reliable Wi-Fi. Treat them as two separate tasks.
Buying multiple packs at once does not schedule later packs to begin after the first expires. Their validity runs together, and the earliest-expiring inclusions are used first. Check the app before adding another pack so that you are buying the allowance or time you actually need.
A 14-day Japan budget
| Option | Purchase price | Allowance for the comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Telstra Pre-Paid 14-day pack | A$25 | 4GB plus 50 standard call minutes and 50 SMS or MMS |
| SIM Shop Japan eSIM | A$19.95 | 10GB total, valid for 30 days, data only |
The eSIM costs A$5.05 less and provides 6GB more total data in this example. Telstra includes ordinary communication on your existing number, which the eSIM does not. Domestic service costs remain separate, and the comparison assumes your use fits the chosen allowance.
A traveller calling hotels and answering family regularly may value Telstra’s pack more than the extra gigabytes. Someone using WhatsApp, email and booking apps could find the larger data pool more useful. For a stated 6GB Japan data budget, the 4GB Telstra pack is 2GB short while our 10GB plan leaves 4GB. Choose the travel plan if app calls are enough. Choose Telstra for its ordinary minutes only if its 4GB is enough or you have budgeted another pack. A fourteen-day label does not increase the data allowance.
Using both without mixing up the lines
On an unlocked compatible dual SIM phone, you can choose a travel eSIM for mobile data while retaining Telstra for the tasks it supports. Turn off data roaming on the Telstra line and disable automatic data switching. These settings do not make calls, texts or MessageBank free.
If your main reason to keep Telstra on is receiving bank codes, confirm the prepaid roaming requirements and allowance treatment with Telstra. The travel eSIM cannot receive SMS addressed to your Australian number. Our bank SMS guide explains the separate bank, carrier and phone checks.
Choose the data plan, then save the setup
Compare the Japan 10GB / 30-day plan at A$19.95 with your expected usage. Buy before flying, save the email and check compatibility. Install after landing on working airport Wi-Fi, hotel Wi-Fi or another steady trusted connection. Follow the plan instructions and our dual SIM setup guide, then test mobile data before leaving Wi-Fi behind.
If your account turns out to be an eligible monthly plan, use the separate Telstra Day Pass comparison. Check our phone compatibility guide before adding travel data.
Sources
Prices, plan terms and product options checked on 30 October 2026. All prices in this guide are Australian dollars. Check the provider’s current offer and your account before buying.
