• long running

International Mobile Roaming Add-on Pack: 4GB 365-Day $20 @ Felix Mobile (App Required)

950

felix Mobile, owned by TPG, has a good value International Roaming pack for use in 40 countries you can add after activating your eSIM/SIM domestically. Remember to make use of the current plan promos, codes FELIX (or a referral code below) for a free month, or FINDER50 for 3 months half-off.

  • Valid for 365 days, and can pause your local subscription from the next billing cycle, effective for max. 242 days - can add pack within 60 days after pause starts
  • 4GB data (20Mbps limit)
  • 100 mins to Aus/local
  • 100 SMS to Aus/local

Current countries:

Austria Belgium Brazil Canada Chile China Croatia
Czech Republic Denmark Fiji France Germany Greece Hong Kong
Hungary India Indonesia (includes Bali) Ireland Italy Japan Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man
Malaysia Netherlands New Zealand Northern Ireland Norway Papua New Guinea Philippines
Poland Portugal Scotland Serbia Singapore South Africa South Korea
Spain Sri Lanka Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey UK (England)
America (USA) Vanuatu Vietnam Virgin Islands, U.S.

It seems to be one of the only options for frugal travellers that need a decent allowance for a short trip, or a small package for extended trips to keep their service alive overseas (either your existing Australian number or a new number). Keep in mind you might need a supplementary local SIM, and if you run out early you can buy another add-on.

Thought I'd share as a standalone post because I had a great experience with this in NZ, and both their app and chat support are great. The catch is you should check if Vodafone partners with a good quality network in your destination country (I think this should be accurate) although Vodafone AU is supposed to roam on all 3 NZ networks.

We figure you won’t be roaming the world all year round, so we’ve made this a one-off purchase and not something that recurs. We’ve also excluded premium, video, special and overseas free phone numbers. We’ve picked countries we know are popular to roam to, but that means unfortunately you can’t use the add-on when roaming in countries outside the selected countries listed above, which may vary.

You can use our International Roaming pack in any of the countries mentioned in our selected countries list above, including data, call and text inclusions. Please keep in mind that while roaming in the overseas country, you can only call or text a number that is local to the country you are roaming in, or standard Australian numbers (no premium services).

Referral Links

Referral: random (236)

1 Month Free or $35 Credit for referrer and referee after SIM activation.

Related Stores

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Comments

  • +1

    Seems like a good deal but don't understand the below
    Is it a monthly sub, but if you pause for 11months it ends up being $20 or is it only $20 upfront for 12 months? It's 4gb per month or for 12 months?

    Valid for 365 days, and can pause your local subscription - $20 total if you add in free first month

    • +1

      You can pause your $35 plan (the one for use in Australia) through the app and use the 365 day roaming inclusions without paying a cent more.
      Worked a charm when my Boost subscription ended; I ported out using the free month promo and got roaming with my Aus number in NZ.
      Yes, compared to a local or travel SIM it doesn't have much data. But to reliably receive verification codes and make calls overseas (or if you don't need any more data) this is perfect.

      • +2

        So what's the steps?.
        - You sign up for free month
        - You sign up for add-on
        - Pause straight away and never turn back on again - don't get charged monthly plan
        - only use add-on when overseas

        • That's right. If you're not away for long obviously the pause isn't necessary.

          • +1

            @Techie4066: Do you have to sign up for the add-on while service is active, or can you wait and sign up when paused ?

            • @ShouldIBuyIt: Yes, while active (you can activate the pause in advance of your next month). You can sign up any time and get a new number but that kind of defeats the purpose unless you're using it for another purpose.

              • +1

                @Techie4066: Thanks for your patience, here is a +1 :-D

                Also I think there is a hack for this using volte on your main Aussie number

                Please keep in mind that while roaming in the overseas country, you can only call or text a number that is local to the country you are roaming in

                • @ShouldIBuyIt: No worries, it's good to have all the details available for everyone

                  And for anyone that asks, yes I'm aware Overseas VoWiFi exists now, but what's the point of staying at your hotel 24/7.

                • +2

                  @ShouldIBuyIt: I think the info I provided before is slightly incorrect, updated OP

                  Please note, when paused, you can continue to use any International Roaming packs you may have purchased. So, if you're going overseas for more than a month, it is worth pausing your subscription while you're there and saving some $. You’ll have up to 60 days to purchase International Roaming once you've paused.

                  https://help.felixmobile.com.au/support/solutions/articles/5…

                  • @Techie4066: Where are you guys seeing the pause button in the app? I don't see it anywhere on mine

                    • +1

                      @brendan0: I don't have it anymore but check under Services or settings at the bottom.

        • There must be more to this to stop people abusing the offer

          • @HeWhoKnows: Yes, a 242 day pause limit with either a $35 payment in the middle to continue, or refer someone to get a $35 credit to pay for it.

      • +4

        Just wanted to add that I'm with Felix and you don't need to add this if you just want to receive verification codes. They came through for me anyway when in Bali and Thailand.

        • Wow, that's great

        • +3

          I think any sim does that. If you check roaming charges they mention charges for everything but receiving SMS's (which means it's free). So you just need the sim in your phone, no need to enable/pay roaming. Then use another local sim (or ESim) from the country you're holidaying in (or a travel sim) to get a decent amount of data, calls etc.

          However this Felix one is good for the occasional call back home from your own Australian number.

          • @wfdTamar: doesn't work on my Belong SIM. No overseas SMS.

            • @tanksinatra: You can't receive an SMS? You won't be able to send them without paying (maybe on a fancy plan that includes roaming).

          • @wfdTamar: How would this compare to a local US SIM or travel SIM for someone who only needs a little data for banking and web browsing but barely any calls nor SMS?

            • @Scrooge McDuck: I'm not an expert at this, but did just do 4 months in France and UK. I never made a call, just a few SMS's in the UK, so mostly data - and plenty of it. I was hoping to be able to watch Netflix etc, but just couldn't find an easy way to get enough data to do that (in France). The UK is easier. You can get a 3 sim off Amazon, or GiffGaff, or get a sim in the UK.

              My use was tracking my trip and uploading photo's (probably the most data use) using Polarsteps and normal everyday travelling use. Being careful it was maybe 20Gb a month. I would have liked more as I'm a fairly heavy internet user.

              Another option I've used are sim's from simsdirect.com.au On special they're about A$30 for 12Gb.

              The US is more expensive, so I'd be investigating getting a local sim once there, though this Felix one would be a good way to start once you touch down over there (as the OP has said).

              I'd check how much data you use now in Australia (on phone and home internet), subtract streaming if you don't think you'll do that, but add a bit more for tourist use.

              My phone only had one sim slot (big mistake) and no Esim. Put the travel sim in that and I took an old iPhone 4 a relative gave me just for credit card One Time Pins (OTP) and to receive SMS's from my Australian sim. It turned out more useful as I could play podcasts from it through the vehicle radio using a FM transmitter in its earphone socket, as my phone doesn't have one. It'd also be a good backup if my main phone was lost/stolen.

        • Doesn't it cost more to not activate? Above said $35/month for the Australian service vs $20/year for the roaming pack?

      • When you pause the service, does the billing pause immediately? I thought it pauses only after the end of that billing cycle?
        Can you confirm this please?

        • Pauses in the next billing cycle. That's why the free month is a good way to make use of this.

      • But to reliably receive verification codes…

        Receiving SMS whilst roaming is generally free AFAIK. It is with ALDI.

    • -3

      So it seems it is $35/month to access that $20 add-on. Not sure whether it's great value

      • +2

        Read the post, pretty please :)

        • +1

          Well I can't delete that comment now that you commented on it :-p

    • -3

      This is rather misleading
      You need to be on their $35/mth plan first
      And data download is limited to just 20Mbps even in Australia

      So this international roaming pack is just a "bolt on" to thier basic $35/mth plan.

      • +3

        Another one that doesn't read the post and jumps to conclusions

        • Thems the facts mate!
          Go to the web site, not the post!

          You cant buy the roaming pack in isolation, right?

          • @HeWhoKnows: Sign up using code FELIX to get first month free, so net cost is $20 for the roaming pack.

            • +1

              @firestint: Yep, as has been explained multiple times, you can suspend the base plan without paying a cent while the "bolt on" remains active. Won't be a good fit for everyone but certainly great value for some.

              • @whatboutbob: Remains to be seen if they close that loop hole

                • +1

                  @HeWhoKnows: It's not a loop hole, please check before you comment.

                  In their CIS (Critical Info Summary), they mentioned this;

                  Can I use or buy International Roaming if I’ve paused my felix Subscription?
                  Yes! You can still buy or use your International Roaming inclusions while you’re overseas if you’ve paused your felix Subscription.
                  This gives you the flexibility to not pay for your felix Subscription if you’re not using it.

            • @firestint: The FELIX code doesn't work anymore.

              • @scupper: Use a referral code instead of FELIX, same outcome but it helps you out and another person.

  • $20 add-on 4Gb roaming probably enough for one trip, or up to two short trips. Not great but probably still best available now. $35 monthly a little expensive…

    • Yep, really depends on your use case as for longer trips where you'll also buy a travel data SIM, this is the best available to keep using your number for 242 days (following start of pause) without extra charges. No need to pay $35 at all if you port out/cancel after 272 days total.

    • +2

      You can add multiple roaming packs concurrently on your account btw. I currently have 2 packs sitting on mine in case I need 8gb for an upcoming work trip (I get an allowance however so cost doesn’t worry me).

      But as the OP says, this is one of the more seamless options to enjoy roaming. The Vodafone data service isn’t “too” bad in urban areas of Australia either, and I came from Mate, and before that Optus.

  • +13

    I switched to Felix last week before I moved overseas. Felix was the cheapest, best and basically the only option to keep my Aussie number active until I come back to Aussie in a years time. I got my first month free with promo code, I then added a international package for $20 and then paused my monthly subscription. Best part was having data once arriving in another country. I love that it doesn't expire. It's perfect for when we go holidaying to neighbouring countries and I can always unpause my subscription when I go back to visit Australia.
    I bought a local physical Sim once I got here, and using esim for Felix. It's been great so far, no issues at all.

    • +1

      I'm very glad to see another testimonial (from someone else who clearly went searching for an offering like this), I thought I was a bit crazy being alone in thinking that this offer is unlike anything else available! Wishful thinking but it'd be great if the plan pause wasn't limited to 242 days. Perhaps support can extend it for you? Otherwise another $35 isn't a huge deal.

      • How long can you pause for?

        • Valid for 365 days, and can pause your local subscription from the next billing cycle, effective for max. 242 days - can add pack within 60 days after pause starts

          Pay another $35 in-between and you've got yourself another 242+ days of pause. You just might need to figure out when you can add another pack if travelling for another year.

          • @Techie4066: What if you port out to a free SIM and back to another trial month?

            • @Scrooge McDuck: I think the free month is for new accounts. Refer someone down the track and you'll get $35 credit.

      • +1

        I'll be returning home at least two - three times so the limit on the plan pause won't be an issue as I will be reactivating the plan each time I visit.

        Ikr, when I found it, I read the terms and conditions like 3 times because it sounded too perfect to be true haha.

        I know I could of gotten the $5 Sim from Aldi like someone suggested but I needed a plan where I can accept calls and reply to texts and not cost arm and leg. Then I would need a local sim for Singapore. And then I would need a roaming Sim for the getaways to neighbouring countries.

        • +3

          Also I thought it might be worth mentioning.. they have a system to refer a friend for $35 each. After I joined, I sent a referral link to my husband. We both got $35 credit each added to our wallet.

          He did have to pay for his first month, but he didn't have to pay to add the roaming package as he has $35 credit in his wallet from the friend referral promo.

          And since I got $35 credit, that went towards my roaming package :) it's a win win.

          Hope that makes sense.

          • +1

            @Tinky Winky: That's awesome. In the same situation, my partner and I are moving overseas for an extended period of time and your approach is the cheapest.

            Option A - both sign up using FELIX for free, add $20 roaming on both = $40 total

            Option B - using your approach, first service signs up for free using FELIX, refers second service. Pay $35 first month for 2nd service. But both numbers now have $35 credit to pay for roaming so net cost = $35 total, with $15 credit left in each service.

            • @firestint: Option A can be more tempting as it's 'free' but option B is definitely more value :D We went for option for B because I know one roaming pack won't last more than a month for me haha.

    • +1

      It's not the only or cheapest if you just want to keep it active and parked. I used Aldi for that a little while back. $5 PAYG credit lasts a year, then minimum topup of $15ish keeps it going for another year.

      But that didn't have any international data, which for $20 is a bit of a gamechanger.

      • I've had a $1/month TPG plan for a long time for sake of having a personal mobile as I use my other sim/mobile for business exclusively - I wonder how this would compare… I also bought 2x70gb/month 5g sims for Thailand which cover 12 months for around $50 each but obviously no connection to my Aus number if I need SMS/auth for anything…

    • +1

      i was overseas and i kept my number with amaysim postpaid, they keep your number alive for years without any problems. i've just ported out and went to felix, might keep it for a while when i return overseas again.

    • Yeh I used airalo and good esim and connection but only issues is the mbs seem to run down faster than expect d…did you have this issue too

  • +4

    It’s great as an add on for when you get off the plane you’re already connected without an issue. And cause it’s 365 multi country it makes travelling really easy/cheap.

    Then you can get a local sim if you stay longer.

    Felix though, after 2 months using it. Is really useless outside of the city. When it works it’s great 20/20. When it doesn’t it’s just really expensive. That’s more Vodafone’s issue not really felix.

    Felix is a good company though. Support good, they gave me credit on my bday, app is good and porting is fast. The idea of unlimited data at capped speeds is great.

  • A pretty good deal if you're already with Felix mobile.

    However, I think flexiroam is probably a bit cheaper with more countries supported, I paid around $40 for the 5GB global data eSim, they have pretty much monthly 70-80% off global data deals. https://travel.flexiroam.com/shop/?product-tags=global-prepa… .. if you time it right and get the deal, you could just purchase it and activate it within 3 months.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/deals/flexiroam.com.au

    • Data-only unfortunately. That is a massive difference.
      (and btw they're not good value - 3 Hong Kong is much better for some countries if you don't mind eSIM + an APK app download. there are also 10GB/20GB plans)

      • Thanks, good to know! I might try 3 next time when my flexiroam expires. (Note, using 3 HK will route traffic through HK, which may cause local apps to not work, unless you VPN……).

      • Got a link to the APK app download? I've just been using the website.

        • At the bottom of the deal I linked, haven't used it but by all reports it works :)

  • +1

    I was using Felix first few months they launched, worked fine for me in Sydney. Good for the olds but i wanted more speed after a bit.

  • Felix is using Vodafone in Australia which doesnt have a good coverage

    • +1

      That doesn't have much bearing on the international roaming experience

      • +1

        You still have to deal with the performance every day in Au. Easier and cheaper to use Aldi(Telstra 4G) and purchase an international travel sim in my experience on many travels

        • +2

          PAYG rates are awful, so much so that with light usage you may end up paying more for less (less convenient and more stressful), and Aldi's system is archaic. Activating roaming a week in advance? Lol and their coverage isn't full Telstra.
          Something you don't get with Aldi is unlimited movie downloads (and hotspotting to your friends) before your flight.
          Besides, Voda was just fine in my usage and who cares when you're overseas! The real value in this deal is a free month through which you can access cheap roaming on your Aus number (with 4GB data as a backup - you won't always have a local SIM ready).

  • I want the Qantas/Optus deal back. I missed it by a week.

    • It is still available.

      • At the time of posting it had disappeared from the website, unsure if it was directly related to the Optus hack. Anyway it came back on the qff website and got the deal via esim. Worked a treat during my Bangkok work trip.

    • What was it?

  • Is there any trick to get Google Fi and activate in Australia? I think Google Fi has excellent and value for money roaming option.

  • Long-time lurker, first time poster.

    My partner and I are planning on doing a 12 month RTW trip next year, and I've been on the hunt for options to keep my Aus number, and being able to receive, and on the rare occasion make calls from it while moving around. This looks almost perfect, except half the countries we were hoping to visit aren't included in Felix's coverage.

    I was also looking at virtual number providers, and found https://crazytel.com.au/virtual-mobile-numbers/. Not that cheap at $8 p/month, but having the option to basically treat my number the same as it is now, as long as I have internet access, seems a positive.

    Was just wondering if anyone has any experience with virtual providers, and how it could compare with this deal for long-term travel across many countries?

    • +2

      Welcome! Are you sure those virtual number providers allow you to port your existing number to them? Looks like that isn't the case.
      If you know what you're doing with technology I'd check if the monthly/yearly eSIMs from 3 Hong Kong are appropriate (prices listed in HKD). You can't make calls or texts on this, but it has more data than normal. You'd manage the plan through their website and use a VPN to access some CCP-firewalled websites.

      Otherwise, depending on the country inclusions, you might want to use one of these data-only offerings: Flexiroam (buy now on sale), use this reloadable eSIM, wait for a sale/ask for a discount on the "Explorer" SIM here or use this for Europe for example. There's also a very handy eSIM database.

      • +1

        Thanks Techie4066 for that info.

        The virtual provider I linked to does allow porting Australian mobile numbers. It also allows receiving texts and voicemail to an email, which is not a necessity for me, but an added bonus.

        Our initial rough plan was to port one or both of numbers across to a virtual provider, and pick up local sims (esim or physical) when travelling for cheap data access. Those links look great though, and I'll definitely check them out when it gets closer to our departure date.

        Thanks again.

    • Have a look at Australia Post Mobile's International Roaming plan, which works in 90 countries:
      https://australiapostconnect.com.au/pages/international-roam…

      $5 per 30 days includes:

      • 50 minutes of calls (both making and receiving calls eat into this allowance)
      • 50 SMS to send (receiving SMS is free and unlimited)
      • A miserably low 50 megabytes of data.

      If you run low on any of these, you'll receive warning SMS messages, and you can top-up with another $5 at any time, which re-starts the 30-day period. You can also choose $10 top-up or $20 top-up, for double and quadruple the allowances, but they still expire after 30 days.

      If you top up before the 30 days are up, all of your remaining allowances (call minutes, SMS, data) roll over. You'll receive an SMS warning on day 29 that your allowance is about to expire.

      I've used it in Japan, combined with a second local data-only SIM for a better data allowance. If your phone supports e-SIM, Airalo is a good data provider internationally.

      The only difficulty I had with it was one occasion when I was trying to log into Gmail while traveling on the Shinkansen, and wasn't receiving the 2FA SMS so I could log in. I restarted the phone and the SMS came through, possibly it was caused by my cheapo phone getting confused using two SIMs simultaneously. Other than that, it was great to use. My relatives in Australia could still call me in Japan, simply by dialling my normal mobile number. I could call them, but only if I edited their mobile numbers to have +61 in front of them and drop the leading zero. I also called local Japanese phone numbers with it.

    • Cheapest would be 10$/year with Amaysim - just to receive sms and roaming overseas.
      You can top up the service I believe if you need to make calls and send sms but that’s the cheapest on the market.

  • So you can port your Boost Aussie number to Felix and receive SMS and verification codes through Felix when overseas?

    • Yes, that's exactly what I did for travel in NZ.

      • Did you port to an eSIM or normal SIM? If the former, I'm guessing no delivery needed and how long did you have to wait for it to be switched over?

        Nvm, read the FAQ and apparently it's up to 4 hours only

        • eSIM, all nearly instant. Felix was incredibly fast at getting me ported in and out, and loading the roaming inclusions.

          • @Techie4066: Thanks, I forgot to ask if you can also receive calls, or is it only SMS? You said it's eSIM only so I will need to use a newer smartphone that has eSIM capability?
            Edit: I just saw in OP that it can receive 100 minutes of calls

            • @x x: It's not eSIM only, yes calls and texts and you can receive SMS free of charge without the pack too.

  • +2

    Just got back tonight from a week in UK and a week in Crete, and I used this while my partner was on $5/day Vodafone - had no issues with coverage on Felix, and 4gb was a lot more relaxing than a 200mb/day

  • So it's 4 gb per day

    • No, 4GB per year

    • +2

      Uhm, 4gb for each $20 pack

      The real here is for keeping your AU number active and roaming, but not the best option if you want to use lots of data overseas (which OP suggested to still get a local sim for that)

  • +3

    This seems like a decent deal for expats that want to keep their Australian number active. if you sign up with first month free code (FELIX) then immediately pause it should cost only $20 per year which is very decent

    • +3

      Yep but you might need to pay another $35 as you can only pause for a max 242 days. If you're visiting Australia, just activate it for a one month cycle when you visit and pause again.

      • Do you have to be back in Aus to activate/unpause it? As it's done through the app, I thought you might be able to do it anywhere.

        • +1

          Should be able to do it anywhere. Only thing that needs to be done here is SIM activation. As a user said above if you refer someone you get $35 credit to spend on anything.

        • +2

          You can activate/pause it anywhere, it's all done through the app.

          • @Tinky Winky: So in theory this will work even if I am overseas for like 10 years?

            • @FatTofu: I guess so, unless Felix changes their plans? You just need to make sure you activate it once in awhile. You can activate it while overseas. I activate mine before heading back to Aussie, or else I have to wait until I find free wifi to login to the app and activate.

              When pausing, I received the below email:

              Even though your subscription has paused, your felix SIM will be active on the network for another 242 days, unless you decide to switch to another provider. This is because we want to make sure you can still make emergency calls. We won't charge your recurring monthly subscription unless you restart your subscription in the felix app.

              Until 24-12-2022, you can continue to use mobile data, make calls or send SMSs within Australia.
              After 24-12-2022, you will only receive calls and SMSs for 60 days or make emergency calls (such as 000) for 242 days, within Australia.


              I'm a little unsure about the wording for that last part. It has now been more than 60 days overseas and I am still able to text and receive texts.

              • @Tinky Winky: Thanks for the reply. Are you paying $35 for roaming? It would be strange if you don't I guess.

                • @FatTofu: No, I paused the plan in December. You can only use the $20 roaming pack while overseas.

                  I am returning to Australia tomorrow, so I will have to reactivate and pay the $35 monthly fee. After my holiday in Aus, I will pause my subscription again.

  • do the 100 minutes include incoming calls or do you get unlimited?

    • +3

      The 100 minutes includes incoming calls.

  • +1

    Can you resume your local subscription while overseas, if you spend more than 242 days abroad? Or must we come back to Australia to add on another $35?

    • +1

      It's all accessible through the app. If your only purpose for the plan is to just keep your number in your possession, Aldi's $5 PAYG for 365 days looks better.

      • Can the ALDI one receive text msg overseas?

    • Curious to know this too if I plan to be overseas for couple of years and really need roaming

  • +2

    Thanks OP. This looks perfect for my needs. 5yo has got a kids o'clock watch that can be used to one button dial parents ICE when travelling. Just needs a basic voice sim to function. Heading to Japan in a couple of months and was despairing at lack of appropriate voice sim options. Cheapest I could find was $80ish and roaming options weren't much better.

    This looks to fit the bill. Thanks!

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