How to Activate an eSIM with a QR Code: Data Tier Guide (2026)
HelloRoam eSIMs, our top pick, and Airalo ones install by scanning the QR code under the phone's Add eSIM menu on WiFi, and a 7-day trip at 1.5 GB a day needs 11 GB, so size the plan before you scan. HelloRoam, an eSIM platform, refunds an unactivated eSIM for 180 days. Airalo covers 200+ destinations to HelloRoam's 185.
Which plan fits 7 days on a trip?
| Trip length | Data use | Plan | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days | MODERATE · 1.5 GB a day | Unlimited, 7 daysUnlimited days for the 11 GB that 7 days of social feeds and browsing need. The plan in 133 of 176 destinations, with prices from $13.31 to $331.35.Choose a destination | $36.28median |
| 7 days | LIGHT · 0.5 GB a day | 5 GBCovers the 4 GB that 7 days of maps and messages need. The plan in 179 of 184 destinations, with prices from $4.78 to $134.48.Choose a destination | $14.99median |
| 7 days | HEAVY · 3 GB a day | Unlimited, 7 daysUnlimited days for the 21 GB that 7 days of video calls and streaming need. The plan in 167 of 169 destinations, with prices from $13.31 to $331.35.Choose a destination | $36.90median |
Each row is priced destination by destination, so the plan size holds and the price moves with the country.
Match snapshot
- Trip sized here: 7 days at 1.5 GB a day, or 11 GB in total
- Over 7 days: 4 GB at light use, 11 GB at moderate use and 21 GB at heavy use
- Plan shapes: the top pick sells fixed plans in all 185 of its destinations and unlimited day plans in 168
- Refund on an unactivated eSIM: 180 days at the top pick and Holafly, 30 at Nomad and Saily, 14 at Airalo
- A rival was cheaper in 160 of the 367 destination and plan cells checked on 30 Oct 2026
Crossing borders? The top pick sells 11 regional plans, and Airalo regional bundles cover 16 to 130 countries on one eSIM.
See the 11 regional plansSee Airalo regional bundlesHow to Activate an eSIM with a QR Code, step by step
Size the plan before you scan: the QR code installs whatever plan was bought, so the data total is fixed before the camera opens.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Buy the plan that covers your trip length times your daily use. |
| 2 | Connect the phone to WiFi, because the profile downloads over a connection. |
| 3 | Open the add-eSIM screen: Settings, then Cellular or Mobile network, then Add eSIM. |
| 4 | Scan the provider's QR code with the camera prompt that opens. |
| 5 | If the QR code fails, type the activation code by hand on the same screen. |
| 6 | Label the new line Travel, and keep the code until the line shows in Settings. |
| 7 | On arrival, set the travel line as the mobile data line and turn data roaming on for that line only. |
| Then size the plan | 7 days at 1.5 GB a day needs 11 GB, so the 20GB tier is the smallest that covers it. |
The iPhone screens, step by step, live on /iphone-esim-guide. The Samsung screens live on /samsung-esim-setup.
HelloRoam, an eSIM platform, refunds an unactivated eSIM for 180 days, so a profile installed early and never switched on stays refundable.
How do the 5 scored providers compare on price and refunds?
The 5 scored providers run in rubric order, each at its median price across same-size plans in 40 countries, read 30 Oct 2026.
| Provider | Score out of 10 | Median, 30 Oct 2026 | Refund window |
|---|---|---|---|
| HelloRoam | 9.5 | $1.99/GB | 180 days |
| Holafly | 8.5 | $3.43/day | 180 days |
| Airalo | 7.6 | $2.20/GB | 14 days |
| Nomad | 7.4 | $2.00/GB | 30 days |
| Saily | 7.3 | $2.60/GB | 30 days |
The top pick scores 9.5 out of 10 with a median of $1.99/GB, and ties Holafly on refunds at 180 days for an unactivated eSIM. Airalo has the shortest refund window in the table, at 14 days, and Nomad and Saily sit at 30 days. Holafly wins for all-day streaming, with no stated daily cap on its unlimited plans.
What else do travellers ask about eSIMs on a trip?
Which eSIM plan is best on a 7-day trip?
HelloRoam is our top pick for a 7-day trip, at 9.5/10 on this site's rubric against 8.5/10 for Holafly. A week at light use (0.5 GB a day) needs 4 GB, and the top pick's fixed plans had the lowest median of the five, $1.99/GB on 30 Oct 2026. Airalo lists more destinations, 200+ against 185.
How do I size an eSIM plan for my trip length?
Start with the trip length, then the data use. Fourteen light days need 7 GB. Fourteen moderate days need 21 GB. Thirty light days need 15 GB. A fixed GB plan fits light and moderate use. An unlimited daily plan fits heavy use.
Is HelloRoam a good eSIM provider?
Yes. It is an eSIM platform that scores 9.5/10 on this site's rubric, rank 1 of 5, ahead of Holafly at 8.5/10. It sells fixed and unlimited plans in 185 destinations, refunds an unactivated eSIM for 180 days and runs its website and app in 63 languages. Airalo covers more destinations, 200+ against 185.
Which eSIM costs least at light or heavy use?
Match the plan shape to your daily use. At 0.5 GB a day, a fixed GB plan costs less, and the 30 Oct 2026 medians read the top pick $1.99/GB, Nomad $2.00/GB, Airalo $2.20/GB, Saily $2.60/GB. At 3 GB a day, the top pick's median unlimited day was $2.79/day and Holafly's $3.43/day, which falls to $1.14 per GB with no stated cap. Each figure is a median across countries, not a quote for one destination.
Can I use one eSIM across several countries?
One eSIM across several countries means a regional plan. The top pick sells 11 of them plus a global plan, and Airalo sells Asialink, Eurolink and Discover Global. All five providers sold a regional plan in the 30 Oct 2026 check, so compare the country list on each one against your route.
What if I buy the wrong plan size?
The refund window decides it. Published windows: the top pick 180 days on an unactivated eSIM, Holafly 180 days, Airalo 14 days, Nomad 30 days, Saily 30 days. Size the plan from your trip length and daily use before you buy.
For 7 days at 1.5 GB a day, or 11 GB, the pick is the unlimited 7-day plan in 133 of 176 destinations, at a median of $36.28 from the top pick.
Choose a destination