How Vodafone’s $5 per Day International Roaming Works

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Vodafone was the go-to provider for Aussie-based globetrotters seeking simple and stress-free international roaming. 

If you changed providers or forgot how this inclusion worked during the period that followed, you’re probably not the only one in need of a quick refresher on how roaming with Vodafone works, and how it compares to the other options. 

To start with, here’s a quick roundup of the Vodafone plans that are eligible for $5 per day roaming.

Vodafone’s roaming is a little different from other providers, but in a good way. Rather than buy a fixed allowance of international calls, texts and data in advance like you might a prepaid plan, those who travel overseas to an eligible country on a Vodafone postpaid plan who turn on roaming get access to the same stockpile of excess-charge-free data they would ordinarily access in Australia. 

Taking advantage of this inclusion costs just $5 per day. While Vodafone’s prepaid plans aren’t eligible for and the list of supported destinations isn’t all-encompassing, it’s probably as set-and-forget as international roaming can get in Australia.

If you exceed your allowance of monthly data, Vodafone will let you top it up at the cost of $5 per gigabyte. That’s not ideal, but it’s better than the standard roaming rates that are available elsewhere. The one other limit you’ll want to keep in mind here is that you can only access this perk for up to 90 days per year. 

If you’re looking for a cheap phone plan that’ll let you take advantage of this perk for as little as possible, then the obvious choice here is the Vodafone $45 Small SIM-only plan. 

Priced at $45 per month, this mobile plan comes with standard calls and text, unlimited international texts, 5G coverage and no excess charges if you go over that data cap.

It might be a little too modest for some, but if you’re after the cheapest Vodafone roaming plan, it’s the obvious choice. Compare it to the international roaming add-ons available from the likes of MVNOs like Amaysim and Felix and it comes out well ahead in terms of bang-for-buck, especially if you’re sizing up a stay that falls within that 90-day limit.

Still, many other mobile providers have overhauled their respective international roaming offers on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic and there are now a lot more options for those looking to travel overseas.  

The biggest example of this is Optus. This provider recently revamped its roaming offering with a new take on $5 per day roaming. Here’s a quick rundown of the Optus plans that have access to the provider’s $5 Daily Roaming Pass.

The only thing to remember here is that you’ll only pay the discounted rate until the first twelve months with Optus are up. After that point, you’ll be bumped up to the usual $89 per month. 

However, since it’s a no-contract plan you are free to shop around at that point and look for a better deal elsewhere.

Fergus Halliday is a journalist at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.

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