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Disclosure: We’re The SIM Shop, an Australian travel eSIM retailer. We compete with the providers discussed here.
Count savings you’ll actually use
Future store credit isn’t a refund on today’s order. Compare the payable plan price first, then ask whether you’ll make another eligible purchase before the reward expires. A points balance is less exciting when the next holiday is 14 months away…
Three different earning models
| Programme | Published earning model | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad loyalty points | 25 points per US$5 increment; 100 points redeem as US$1 | Ordinary loyalty points expire after six months; bonuses have separate rules |
| Airalo Airmoney | 5%, 6%, 7% or 10% by loyalty tier | Don’t assume a new customer earns the top tier; Airmoney-funded spend is treated differently |
| SIM Shop Credit | 5% of eligible spend, in AUD store credit | Order caps, a pending period and 12-month expiry apply; no cash value |
Nomad’s rounding changes the effective percentage
Its published US$12 example earns 50 points, redeemable for US$0.50. US$0.50 ÷ US$12 is about 4.17%. Calling that exactly 5% on every total would hide the increment rule. Qualifying returning buyers can receive 200 bonus points on 10GB-or-larger offers, subject to limits and exclusions.
Refund points are a separate category: Nomad’s refund help describes non-expiring points for an eligible refund. Don’t apply that expiry rule to ordinary loyalty earnings.
Our caps matter on a group basket
SIM Shop Credit normally caps earning at A$10 per order, or A$15 when the order includes at least three eSIMs or an eligible subtotal of at least A$120. Read the complete terms for eligible spend, pending credit, redemption and reversals. A large basket doesn’t create unlimited credit simply because 5% is easy to multiply.
A worked comparison
Suppose two suitable plans cost A$20 and A$23. If the A$23 plan earns a hypothetical A$1.15 of future credit, its current cash payment is still A$23. Even if you later use all that credit, the effective A$21.85 remains above A$20. Those are assumed prices to show the method, not live plan quotes.
Choose the higher-priced offer if its service or convenience is worth the difference, rather than letting a reward percentage make that decision invisibly.
Referral rewards aren’t ordinary earnings
Referrals can require a genuinely new customer, a completed qualifying order and a later redemption. Keep them out of a normal self-purchase comparison unless those conditions will actually happen. Don’t create duplicate accounts or assume a referral discount stacks with a coupon.
Work out what you’ll pay now, how much credit will become available, and whether you’ll use it before expiry. If you don’t have another eligible purchase in mind, compare the plans without treating the reward as money already saved.
