Vodafone today announced international roaming packs for prepaid customers, extending an already formidable lead in roaming features.
Travellers on prepaid plan will be able to use the new roaming packs in 50 countries around the globe. There are 38 European countries listed, including the UK, France, Greece and Italy. Visitors to Asia can use the packs in nine countries including Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan. New Zealand is also included, as well as the USA, South Africa and Brazil.
The full list of countries can be found on the Vodafone site.
Available to customers using MyMix, Combo or Pay As You Go prepaid options, the new roaming packs offer several options. Customers can choose from a three or seven day expiry period, and opt for a pack with data, calls and SMS, or data-only.
| 3 days Roaming | 3 days Roaming Data Only | 7 days Roaming | 7 days Roaming Data Only | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Allowance | 100MB | 200MB | 250MB | 500MB |
| Cost | $25 | $25 | $35 | $35 |
| Calls to numbers in destination country | 30 mins | 60 mins | ||
| Text Messages | 30 SMS | 60 SMS | ||
| Expiry | 3 days | 3 days | 7 days | 7 days |
Packs can be added to a prepaid account at any time via the My Vodafone app. The app will monitor usage and expiry periods in real-time after a purchase.
It is important to note that roaming isn’t active by default on prepaid accounts, so travellers will need to toggle it on manually before jetting off.
Targeting the short stay
As you can see in the table above, the expiry periods for each of the travel packs will benefit people enjoying short holidays rather than long stints overseas.
Three days equates to a long weekend away, while seven days is a short holiday or business trip. It would also be suitable for someone not looking to be connected for the entire period overseas. You might add a pack when you land to orientate yourself, but then have a technology break for the rest of your trip.
Major competitors Telstra and Optus offer similar travel packs for prepaying travellers, and while you might argue that these are not as generous with inclusions, both Telstra and Optus customers get 30-days before credit expires.
Optus asks customers to purchase a Travel Add-On pack, which acts as PAYG credit. Rates for popular destinations cost $1 per minute for calls, $0.50 for SMS and $0.50 per MB for data.
Telstra offers data packs starting from $29 for 100MB and 30 day expiry. PAYG rates are $3 per minute for calls, $0.65 per SMS and $3 per MB for data.
Joseph Hanlon
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